 |
EVOLVING THE SOLAR HOUSE
By the end of the 1970s, a significant discourse emerged about the solar house's aesthetic problems and potentials. In numerous cases, solar architecture was treated as a historically emergent type with a secure and inevitable future. One example from 1978: — Published 2013.0605
 |
 |
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor,
I agree that there are many myths circulating today about the U.S. timber system. — Published 2013.0515
|
 |
AIA GREEN TOP TEN
Located at the edge of Oakland, California's downtown Chinatown neighborhood, a colorful new affordable senior housing project transformed an abandoned site near a busy freeway into a community resource for disadvantaged and formerly homeless senior citizens while also exemplifying good universal and sustainable design.
The six-story Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, designed by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, was certified at the Platinum level under a LEED for Homes Mid-Rise pilot program. — Published 2013.0424
|
 |
THE JOY OF EUI
Energy use intensity (EUI) is one of the most important and useful metrics employed in the design of low energy and net zero energy buildings. EUI is a measure of total annual building energy use, divided by the gross building floor area.
This can be expressed in terms of site energy or source energy. Common EUI units include kBtu/ft2, kWh/ft2, kWh/m2, and MJ/m2. In the United States, kBtu/ft2 is the EUI unit most commonly used. — Published 2013.0213
|
 |
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
|
Sustainable Design and Building page: 
