News
Dubai Tower to Feature Passive Solar Cooling Technique
DUBAI — O-14, a twenty-two story commercial tower perched on a two-story podium, is slated to break ground during the first week of December 2006 in the heart of Business Bay in Dubai. The building, which will contains 300,000 square feet of space, is a collaboration between RUR Architecture of New York and developer Shabah Lutfi. O-14 will be located along the extension of Dubai Creek, occupying a prominent location on the waterfront esplanade.
Alliance Launches Bid to Make W. Pennsylvania a Green Powerhouse
PITTSBURGH – Assisted by $1.25 million in seed money from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and The Heinz Endowments, the Green Building Alliance has launched the Green Building Products Initiative, an economic development program created to position Western Pennsylvania as the national center for green building innovation, production and utilization.
Oil from Algae?
There was recent news about the discovery of 200 marine dead zones all over the world. These dead zones occur when water becomes devoid of oxygen because algae have consumed it. The algae create the oxygen deficit because of their ability to prosper in polluted water that kills off all other marine life but them. With no competitors or predators to curb their numbers, the algae are free to grow uncontrolled and consume oxygen.
AIA Presidents Speak for The Principle of Interoperability
LOS ANGELES — Since 2002, the American Institute of Architects has held the International Presidents’ Forum at each of its national conventions. The forum was created to provide opportunities for informal, broad-reaching consultation and information-sharing among the leaders of the international architecture community.
Columbia Forest Products Introduces Formaldehyde-Free Plywood Panels
PORTLAND, Ore. – Columbia Forest Products has launched a new line of cost-competitive formaldehyde-free hardwood plywood panels called PureBond™.
“PureBond panels are cost-neutral with urea formaldehyde-manufactured plywood, and they offer better moisture resistance,” Columbia President of Plywood and Veneer Brad Thompson said. “We’re currently producing PureBond full-time in our three standard veneer-core facilities and are converting the rest of our plants to do the same. All should be completed by year-end.”
First LEED Gold Hospital In U.S. Opens in Oregon
NEWBURG, Ore. — The recently completed Providence Newberg Medical Center here is the first LEED gold certified hospital in the United States. New Jersey-based contractor Skanska USA Building Inc. estimates that the “build green” portion of the $70 million project will take 14 months to amortize, and that the facility will save nearly 26 percent in annual energy costs.
The contractor provided additional value to the hospital owner through construction-related techniques that included:
Rainforest Alliance Offers Guide to Green Building Wood Sources
WASHINGTON — To assist architects and contractors in finding green wood building products, from doors and decking to flooring and furniture, the Forest Stewardship Council has compiled the “SmartGuide to Green Building Wood Sources.” The guide, a comprehensive listing of all FSC-certified suppliers in North America, including contact, company and product information, can be downloaded for free at www.rainforestalliance.org/greenbuilding.