Starting Small with Energy Projects Yields Big Results
Improving energy efficiency in your building doesn’t require a huge investment. Even small building energy management projects can yield big results.
PSA-Dewberry
Aluminum Use Grows in Sustainable Design & Construction
CHICAGO — The Empire State Building, constructed in 1930 to 1932, was the first building to make major use of aluminum. Since then, the use and value of aluminum has increased drastically in green design and sustainable construction. Not only does it cost less than contemporary construction materials like steel and concrete, it reduces sustainability costs and increases a building’s efficiency.
Read more5 Green Projects to Watch in 2016
In 2015, the green building industry expanded drastically as companies continued to find cost savings and energy efficiency by building sustainable facilities. Architects and owners used innovative design features to achieve LEED certification and create a better environment for employees.
Markham Stouffville Hospital Receives LEED Silver Certification
MARKHAM, Ontario — The Markham Stouffville Hospital has received LEED Silver certification on its new 385,000-square-foot expansion.
Orange County Plans Sustainable Jail
ORANGE COUNTY, N.C. — Orange County recently selected Moseley Architects of Charlotte, N.C., to design the new Orange County Detention Facility. The new jail aims to improve both energy efficiency and mental health care for inmates.
While design is still in its earliest phases, the new jail will likely include a number of sustainable features and cost approximately $20 million. It will replace the current Orange County Jail, which was originally constructed in 1925.
Read moreMassive Green Roof Park Planned for Cupertino
CUPERTINO, Calif. — In 2014, Sand Hill Property Company acquired the Vallco Shopping Mall in Silicon Valley. The shopping mall has been in trouble for years and has had its lower level shut down for over a decade.
Sustainability ‘Pays Off’
AMSTERDAM — A comprehensive new study entitled, The Financial Rewards of Sustainability: A Global Performance Study of Real Estate Investment Trusts, has recently shown that sustainable facilities do financially “pay off,” performing more efficiently than their less sustainable competitors and better in the stock market.
Read moreAcoustics: The Sounds of Sustainable Design
As the field of sustainable design grows and matures, more practitioners are turning away from a field that is based only on clear-cut metrics and realizing that the fuzzier areas of human comfort and productivity are very important as well. Consequently, space acoustics are garnering growing attention in sustainable projects.
Colorado Firm Helps the World Cup Go Green
BOULDER, Colo. — Two World Cup host stadiums have partnered with Boulder-based green energy firm Renewable Choice Energy in an attempt to achieve LEED green building certification. The stadiums, Arena Pernambuco and Estiod Beire Rio will purchase a combined total of 10,145,850 kilowatt hours of renewable energy credits (RECs) in order to offset energy use associated with their operations, earning the stadiums EAc6 Green Power Credit.
Read moreLPA Inc. Shares 10 Principles of Sustainable Design
IRVINE, Calif. — Sustainability is part of the culture and history of LPA Inc. With more than 100 LEED-designed projects, green buildings are an integral part of the firm. However, LEED is not the only marker of sustainable practices, said Dan Heinfeld, president of LPA.