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COOL COLORS: COOLER ROOFS
Roofs and the rainbow of colors used in roofing materials are getting cooler, thanks to research by scientists in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD). "Cooler" roofs reflect more solar radiation, and in warm climates, this means lower interior temperatures and smaller cooling loads, saving energy and money. — Published 2005.0608
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MIXED USE BREWERY BLOCKS
From 1856 to 1999, the Blitz-Weinhard brewery anchored the southern end of Portland Oregon's Pearl District, an industrial enclave reborn as a chic urban neighborhood of galleries, condominiums, and restaurants. The five city blocks occupied in the past by the brewery are now being redeveloped as a high-density, mass-transit-oriented mix of office, retail, and residential architecture, all boasting sustainable design. — Published 2005.0511
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REGARDING WATER
A building can outwardly but subtly express the functions it shelters and express institutional regard towards its surrounding context. An example of this is the new office building for Rijkswaterstaat Zeeland, the Department of Water Management and Transport (RWS), in Middelburg, The Netherlands. Through its many sustainability features, it shows deference to energy and water conservation and to the well being of its occupants. — Published 2005.0413
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GREEN BUILDING SCHOOL
At the University of Florida in Gainesville, the new home for the School of Building Construction is setting an example for sustainability on campus. Rinker Hall has achieved a "gold" LEED rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Its success has raised the bar for this university's new buildings which will now be expected to meet or exceed LEED silver standards. — Published 2005.0309
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BEHNISCH IN BOSTON
With ever-rising energy prices, commercial tenants in office buildings have begun to consider the increasing cost of heating, cooling, and lighting their spaces as a "second rent." Savvy developers and architects are responding to their concern by making new buildings far more energy efficient than in the recent past. — Published 2005.0209
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GREEN BUILDING DOES PORTLAND
"Welcome to Portland, the city that gets it," said U.S. Green Building Council president and CEO Rick Fedrizzi as he opened the 2004 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. "I want you to think about what they've done here and take it back with you to your cities and towns." — Published 2005.0112
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NATURAL LIGHT IN THE LIBRARY
The use of natural light in libraries has traditionally been understood as a desirable building feature and a hallmark of good library design. When skillfully introduced, daylight creates an ambience of quiet contemplation and visual comfort, and links the modern library user psychologically with the pretechnological past. — Published 2004.1201
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NEW LIGHT ON THE GYM
Providing good lighting for gymnasiums would seem to be a simple task, but designing energy-efficient, versatile systems that provide high-quality light can become rather complicated. With the advent of new light sources and fixture types, the old tools and rules of thumb become less viable. — Published 2004.1027
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LEEDING GREEN IN INDIA
A new building in Hyderabad, India is the first structure outside the United States to receive the prestigious "platinum" LEED rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The building is special also because its construction combined ancient practices with modern architecture, reaffirming the applicability of traditional architectural knowledge to today's notions of sustainability. — Published 2004.0922
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ON NOT COOKING CLIENTS
On a recent trip to Havana, Cuba, I observed colonial architecture with characteristic thick adobe walls and naturally ventilated courtyards that were cool and comfortable, in marked contrast to the hot and humid conditions outside the building. — Published 2004.0825
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