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UK DEVELOPS ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS
When the United Kingdom ratified the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, it was taking a lead from continental Europe. This ratification demonstrated a high level of government awareness of environmental issues that is more akin to that of Britain's nearest neighbors than to that of its wartime ally, the United States. — Published 2003.1015
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NATURALLY COOL CONVENTION CENTER
Echoing the shape of bridges arcing over the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the new David L. Lawrence Convention Center. A sail-like roof is suspended from steel cables over the four-story riverfront building.
The dramatic form designed by architect Rafael Viñoly Architects is more than visually striking, however. The sweeping roof channnels river breezes and creates a degree of natural ventilation that is extraordinary for a building of this type and size. — Published 2003.1008
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LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT TOOLS
One of the most difficult problems for architects interested in sustainable design is knowing which materials are "green." Is the material recycled? Local? Renewable? Is it low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs)? What if you have to choose between these attributes? Are there other factors to be considered? And what about marketing claims? Is a material really "green" just because the manufacturer says it is? The choices can be bewildering. — Published 2003.0716
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GREENING ROOFTOPS
Green roofs — topped with soil and living plants — have well known benefits to the buildings beneath them. They provide thermal and sound insulation and can prolong roof life. They also offer healthful benefits to their urban surroundings.
So says Steven Peck, executive director of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. Other potential benefits of so-called "naturalized" rooftops include stormwater management, urban food production, air pollution reduction, and urban heat island temperature modification. — Published 2003.0625
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LEED PLATINUM AT UCSB
It is fitting that one of the first buildings to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council for achieving the "platinum" LEED status is a school dedicated to researching environmental issues, training research scientists and professionals, and identifying and solving environmental problems. — Published 2003.0611
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SUSTAINABILITY NORTHEAST
"Green" Building design, as it becomes increasingly adopted by U.S. architects, is about more than conserving energy and natural resources. In green building, design criteria broaden to include fostering a sense of community, maintaining healthy environments, and preserving historic properties. These were some of the themes of the 2003 awards program of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), which recently made awards to workplaces, schools, and residential projects. — Published 2003.0521
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BUILDINGS FOR EARTH DAY
As architects become more aware of their role in protecting the natural environment, they begin to view "sustainable design" more broadly. In addition to reducing consumption of fossil fuels, successful "green" architecture also improves comfort for building occupants, protects and repairs its immediate surroundings, and makes a positive contribution to the community. — Published 2003.0430
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VILLA MODA'S INTERNATIONAL CHIC
Surrounded by shipwrecks from the Persian Gulf War of the early 1990s, an unused dockland area on the outskirts of Kuwait City is an unlikely setting for one of the Middle East's most luxurious fashion stores. But adjacent to industrial shipping containers is a place where Kuwait's wealthy come to buy international chic. — Published 2003.0423
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GREEN ROOF RETROFIT
The 1925 art deco-style Montgomery Ward Catalog Building in Baltimore, Maryland has just undergone a rehabilitation. The adaptive reuse project by DMJMH+N, an architecture/ engineering firm in Washington D.C., restored the facade of the landmark building and installed a 30,000-square foot (2800-square-meter) "green" roof. — Published 2003.0409
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POST-INDUSTRIAL AFFORDABILITY
It is often tempting for architects and builders, when designing low-income housing, to look for any possible way to reduce the costs of initial construction. But if cheap materials lead to higher maintenance or utility bills in the long run, such economies may prove short-lived. A different approach is based on the idea that affordable housing can be not only attractive but durable and environmentally sustainable as well. — Published 2003.0212
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