Bjarke Ingels Group designs a mass timber cube structure for the University of Kansas

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and executive architect BNIM have unveiled their design for a new mass timber cube structure called the Makers’ KUbe for the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design. A six-story, 50,000-sf building for learning and collaboration, the light-filled KUbe will house studio and teaching space, 3D-printing and robotic labs, and a ground-level cafe, all organized around a central core.

Airports

The next destination: Passive design airports

Today, we can design airports that are climate resilient, durable, long-lasting, and healthy for occupants—we can design airports using Passive House standards.

Codes and Standards

First federal blueprint to decarbonize U.S. buildings sector released

The Biden Administration recently released “Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector,” a comprehensive plan to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from buildings by 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2050.

Green

LEED v5 released for public comment

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has opened the first public comment period for the first draft of LEED v5. The new version of the LEED green building rating system will drive deep decarbonization, quality of life improvements, and ecological conservation and restoration, USGBC says.

Sustainable Design and Construction | Gresham Smith | May 10, 2016

Here comes the sun: A primer on sustainable building orientation

GS&P's Corie Baker shows how to design and orient a building to efficiently collect or dissipate solar radiation while enhancing natural daylight and visibility.

Sustainable Design and Construction | Perkins and Will | Apr 8, 2016

The sustainability culture shift: 8 steps for success

Perkins+Will's Jon Douglas has eight strategies that will start an organization on the path to embedding sustainability into its culture and begin the process of making deep carbon reductions.

Museums | Jan 22, 2016

Canadian Canoe Museum selects Heneghan Peng Architects’ design for new location

The single-story structure is designed for sustainability as well as function.

Sustainable Design and Construction | Jan 22, 2016

At Davos forum, a McDonough-designed meeting space showcases circular economy innovation

ICEHouse is a prototype for temporary, easy-to-assemble structures that deploy locally available materials.

Green | Jul 23, 2015

NASA: U.S. headed for worst droughts in a millennium

Data from NASA shows carbon emissions could be the driving force behind devastating water shortages and record droughts in the western U.S.

Green | Jun 24, 2015

6 steps toward better water management [AIA course]

When it comes to water conservation, Building Teams tend to concentrate on water-efficient plumbing fixtures, irrigation controls, graywater capture, and ways to recycle condensate from air-conditioning systems. Yet many of the best opportunities for saving water begin with big-picture thinking in a project’s earliest phases.

3 steps for sustainable landscape architecture

Green | LPA | Jun 19, 2015

3 steps toward sustainable landscape architecture

A water-conscious, sustainable landscape is easily achievable, and the options for native and drought tolerant plants far exceed cacti and succulents, writes LPA's Richard Bienvenu.

Green | Stantec | May 5, 2015

Top three 2030 Challenge trends

The growth of IPD is among the key takeaways from the USGBC Region 7 Conference.

Wood | Apr 26, 2015

Building wood towers: How high is up for timber structures?

The recent push for larger and taller wood structures may seem like an architectural fad. But Building Teams around the world are starting to use more large-scale structural wood systems.