PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE OF CURITIBA Curitiba, Brazil — called "the world's greenest city" by the New York Times Magazine in May 2007 — is increasingly well known for its long-term success in integrated land use, transportation, and environmental planning, including its exciting public bus system. Less well known is the extensive program of public architecture that helps animate the urban fabric of the city, weaving together parks and open space, tourism, urban identity, and industrial reclamation. — Published 2007.0926
	SEEKING GREEN NORMAL WITH THE CEC With a total population of over 400 million, North America is the largest free-trade zone in the world, thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement approved by the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 1994. When NAFTA was finalized, the three governments also agreed on a side accord, the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, in order to address concerns about unequal environmental regulations in the three countries. — Published 2007.0725
	HOUSE RECYCLING Depending on your generation, you may have been taught: "Waste not, want not." Thrift is certainly one incentive for deconstructing buildings for reuse. In addition, many of us are motivated by a desire to be environmentally sensitive, a fondness for antiques and other items from the past, a yearning to have more control over the quality of materials used in construction, or a recognition that many of the materials available for salvage are of higher quality than those produced today. — Published 2007.0530
	COTE TOP TEN 2007 The AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) has announced its annual selection of "Top Ten Green Projects" — exemplars of sustainable architecture in the United States. Since the program's inception in 1997, these awards are becoming increasingly competitive. — Published 2007.0516
	LEED GOLD HOSPITAL Because of unusually strict technical, mechanical, and air quality requirements, hospitals are one of the most difficult building types to design sustainably. Yet the Providence Newberg Medical Center by Mahlum Architects has achieved a LEED Gold rating — the first hospital in the United States to do so. It is also the first U.S. hospital to acquire enough renewable electric power to meet all its needs. — Published 2007.0502
	NORTHERN STAR Creating dramatic architecture can be challenging in an icy climate where people prioritize function over flamboyance and where the natural environment can satisfy their desire for beauty. The state of Alaska has breathtaking vistas of mountains, snow flats, and the dancing aurora borealis, but its urban landscapes have tended to remain resilient and simple. — Published 2007.0502
	HOUSING TANGO Eight vibrantly colored steel and glass towers dance around a landscaped courtyard, exposing most of the living rooms to the outdoors, with a wall of bedrooms wrapped around three sides of the block. Each of the 27 apartments has a unique character, the block is self-sufficient in energy, and many functions — from heating to door locks — can be individually controlled by personal computer. — Published 2007.0425
	SWEETWATER CREEK Like many other buildings that receive the coveted Platinum-level LEED certification, the Sweetwater Creek State Park Visitors Center, near Lithia Springs, Georgia, features numerous energy conservation measures and has a roof full of photovoltaic cells to generate electricity. — Published 2007.0418
	SUSTAINABILITY CAD STRATEGIES At the GreenBuild Conference in late 2006, Phil Bernstein, Autodesk vice president of Building Industry Strategy and Relations, announced that the software company would begin working with the U.S. Green Building Council to help architects and engineers more readily adapt their digital design processes to incorporate sustainability issues. — Published 2007.0328
	GREEN SCHOOL ECONOMICS When architects are asked to articulate the economic benefits of "green" buildings, they may say something like: "they may cost more in construction than conventional buildings but will more than make up the difference in the long run." This claim seems reasonable, but how do we know it's accurate? — Published 2007.0314

Green Architecture page: [prev] | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | [next]