This is the country’s greenest academic building

According to the University of California, Berkeley, Chou Hall, part of the Haas School of Business, has become the greenest academic building in the country thanks to its TRUE Platinum Zero Waste certification at the highest level and a LEED Platinum certification. Chou Hall is the only academic building in the country to achieve TRUE Platinum. To achieve TRUE Platinum, the Chou team earned 69 out of the 70 credits they applied for.

The six-story, 80,000-sf building, designed by Perkins+Will and opened in August 2017, earned the TRUE Platinum Zero Waste certification after more than a year of waste sorting, composting, and other concentrated efforts to divert over 90% of Chou’s landfill waste. Design features such as rainwater harvesting, water-efficient landscaping, and the use of water-saving toilets and bathroom fixtures, help Chou Hall use 40% less water than a traditional building of its size and purpose. Energy efficiency was improved by 38% over traditional buildings through solar shading, high-performance windows, a reflective roof, daylight controlled LED lighting, and cooling fans and pumps controlled by adjustable-speed drives.

The facility includes eight tiered classrooms with 76-140 seats each, a 300 person event space, a 3,000-sf cafe with outdoor seating, 28 study rooms, four flexible classrooms, and a total of 858 classroom seats.

In addition to Perkins+Will, Vance Brown Builders was the project’s general contractor.

Climate change is having a dramatic impact on urban design, in terms of planning, materials, occupant use, location, and the long-term effect of buildings on the environment. Joining BD+C's John Caulfield to discuss this topic are two experts from the Boston-based CBT Architects: Kishore Varanasi, a Principal and director of urban design; and Devanshi Purohit, an Associate Principal.

Building Team | Jul 1, 2022

How to apply WELL for better design outcomes

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) cites attracting top talent, increasing productivity, and improving environmental, social or governance (ESG) performance as key outcomes of leveraging tools like their WELL Building Standard to develop healthier environments.

Green | Jun 22, 2022

The business case for passive house multifamily

A trio of Passive House experts talk about the true costs and benefits of passive house design and construction for multifamily projects.

Green | Jun 22, 2022

World’s largest commercial Living Building opens in Portland, Ore.

The world’s largest commercial Living Building recently opened in Portland, Ore.

Coronavirus | May 20, 2022

Center for Green Schools says U.S. schools need more support to fight COVID-19

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council released a new report detailing how school districts around the country have managed air quality within their buildings during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Green Specifications | May 12, 2022

MG2’s Sustainable Materials Evaluation System

Learn how MG2’s Sustainable Materials Evaluation System helps clients, prospects, and staff choose the most environmentally feasible materials for their building projects. Candon Murphy, LEED GA, Assoc. IIDA, Design Lab Manager and Materials & Sustainability Specialist with MG2, speaks with BD+C Executive Editor Rob Cassidy.

Planning for hospital campus access that works for people

This course defines the elements of hospital campus access that are essential to promoting the efficient, stress-free movement of patients, staff, family, and visitors. Campus access elements include signage and wayfinding, parking facilities, transportation demand management, shuttle buses, curb access, valet parking management, roadways, and pedestrian walkways.

For glass openings, how big is too big?

Advances in glazing materials and glass building systems offer a seemingly unlimited horizon for not only glass performance, but also for the size and extent of these light, transparent forms. Both for enclosures and for indoor environments, novel products and assemblies allow for more glass and less opaque structure—often in places that previously limited their use.

Codes and Standards | May 2, 2022

Developer Hines, engineer MKA develop free embodied carbon reduction guide

Real estate management and investment firm Hines has released the Hines Embodied Carbon Reduction Guide. The free guide, produced with Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA), is the result of a two-year effort, relying on MKA’s industry-leading knowledge of carbon accounting and involvement in programs such as the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) Tool.