FOUNDATIONS OF PASSIVE HOUSE As we discussed in a recent article, most buildings in 2050 — less than forty years from now — will likely have to get by with perhaps 10% of the carbon footprint common in the U.S. today. We know of exactly one established building standard that's been demonstrated to produce 2050-ready homes, today. And, harsh though it might sound, anything built today that is significantly less efficient than the roughly 90% energy savings achieved by Passivhaus, seems designed to be obsolete. —The Editors — Published 2013.0130
	2013 - YEAR OF CLIMATE DECISION Either by action, or by inaction, it's most likely that the climate decision will be made this year. The decision, simply put, is whether to step aside from business-as-usual, and fully mobilize, or to generally continue business as usual, and condem humanity to a thousand years of torture. — Published 2013.0109
	THE CORRUPTION OF WOOD Trees are fundamental to many urban landscapes and natural ecosystems. Wood from trees is a fundamental material for architecture. The tension between wood in living trees, and wood in buildings and other products, is arguably at an all-time-high on planet Earth. — Published 2012.1024
	USGBC FOUNDER RICK FEDRIZZI Rick, what does sustainability mean to you personally? To me, the definition of "sustainable" is simple: It means living my life today in a way that ensures my children, their children, and their children will be able to live as well as I did. — Published 2012.1003
	HOW COOL IS UFAD? Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) is a method of air conditioning the space by supplying the air from the floor, using natural buoyancy forces to lift it to the ceiling, as opposed to the conventional systems, which supply air from the ceiling down to the occupants, working against the natural forces of buoyancy. — Published 2012.0725
	ART WATTS In harnessing solar energy, the usual approach is to bolt an array of panels onto the roof of a building and plug it in. But recent advances such as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) allow designers to incorporate solar cells seamlessly into a building's exterior. Canadian glass artist Sarah Hall is taking this idea in a novel direction by using solar technology to create a striking contemporary version of stained glass that illuminates the aesthetic potential of PV. — Published 2012.0606
	STEEL THEATRICS Next to the defunct blast furnaces of the former Bethlehem Steel plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania — a poignant symbol of changing times — stands a growing arts complex, with industrial heritage at center stage. — Published 2012.0606
	INTERVIEW WITH AIA CEO ROBERT IVY ArchitectureWeek spoke with AIA Chief Executive Officer Robert Ivy as the Institute was in final preparations to host the AIA 2012 National Convention in Washington, D.C. Kevin Matthews: Coming from a magazine perspective, and now that you're here (at the AIA), how has your perspective on architecture magazines changed — from being steeped in that world for quite a while, to now being next to it? — Published 2012.0516
	GREEN TOP TEN - BUILDINGS FOR EDUCATION In Newberg, Oregon, southwest of Portland, the first building has been built on a new 15-acre (6-hectare) campus for Portland Community College (PCC). The structure's distinctive forms provide a visual clue about the strategies — including passive cooling and extensive daylighting — that were used to achieve its goal of zero net energy use. — Published 2012.0516
	GREEN TOP TEN - OFFICE BUILDINGS When Perkins + Will recently sought to move its Atlanta offices, the firm wanted the new facility to serve as a case study for sustainable design. So, the multidisciplinary design firm purchased a 1986 office building down the street, retained as much of the structure as possible, and improved the energy-using systems. The renovated six-story, 79,000-square-foot (7,300-square-meter) building at 1315 Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta meets the 2030 Challenge and recently earned LEED Platinum certification. — Published 2012.0502

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