PASSIVE HOUSE DIVIDED Passive House-certified buildings may take next to nothing to heat. But conflict between the German creators of the Passive House energy performance standard and their U.S. affiliate continues to generate energy months after it spilled into public view. The Passivhaus Institut (PHI) of Darmstadt, Germany, severed ties with the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) of Urbana, Illinois, in an open letter released on August 17, 2011. — Published 2012.0111
	MOSHE SAFDIE BUILDS FOR PEACE From the intersection of 23rd Street and Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C., at a corner of the U.S. National Mall near the Potomac River, the grandeur of the Lincoln Memorial is due south, and war-related memorials to Vietnam veterans, World War II, and George Washington, among others, unfold to the left, southeastward. — Published 2011.1109
	HOW TO WRITE A HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT One could say — at least in a generic sense — that any report written about a historic structure could be considered a historic structure report. The term, however, has evolved over time, taking on a very specific and far more limited meaning. Here we take the reader through the typical structure and content of a Historic Structure Report (HSR) and, in doing so, demonstrate what makes the HSR distinct from other documents and important in its own right. — Published 2011.0518
	BNIM - AIA FIRM OF THE YEAR To become one of the first two buildings to receive full recognition under the Living Building Challenge, the Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, New York, had to meet a stringent set of criteria, including generating all its energy from renewable resources, and capturing and treating all water used onsite. — Published 2011.0511
	RESKINNING It's clear we have a problem. We are pouring greenhouse gases into the atmosphere with potentially devastating consequences. — Published 2011.0209
	BILLION-SQUARE-FOOT GREENBUILD "The USGBC has just reached a historic milestone," announced Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council. "We have one billion square feet [93 million square meters] of LEED-certified construction." Speaking to an audience of thousands at the organization's annual Greenbuild conference and expo, held in Chicago in November 2010, Fedrizzi also cautioned the cheering crowd, "We're still at the beginning of the journey." — Published 2011.0126
	DESIGN FOR FLOODING Floods are the most frequent natural disaster in the United States. One in three federal disaster declarations is related to flooding, many as a result of hurricanes affecting heavily populated U.S. coastlines. Flooding is not new. Some flooding is part of the natural hydrologic cycle and the sustenance it brings to life on Earth. — Published 2011.0119
	BETTER ENERGY CODES NOW Update: Local and state building code officials did approve a package of revisions to the commercial section of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) in late October, as recommended here. New and renovated buildings constructed in jurisdictions that use the new 2012 IECC are predicted to use 30 percent less energy than those built to current standards. —Editor — Published 2010.1013
	HOW TO DESIGN A PARK In May 1895, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, best known for Central Park in New York, wrote in Engineering Magazine about city parks, or "pleasure-grounds." In How to Create a Park, Olmsted offered suggestions on park siting and organization. Here, he continues with more detailed discussion of park design. — Editor — Published 2010.0728
	HOW TO CREATE A PARK In May 1895, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, best known for Central Park in New York, wrote in Engineering Magazine about city parks, or "pleasure-grounds." Here, Olmsted starts by offering suggestions on park siting and organization. In a second part of the article to follow, he discusses park design in more detail. — Editor — Published 2010.0721

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