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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. 

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Dec 20, 2013

Can energy hogs still be considered efficient buildings? Yes, say engineers at Buro Happold

A new tool from the engineering firm Buro Happold takes into account both energy and economic performance of buildings for a true measure of efficiency. 

Dec 19, 2013

NRDC report relates green infrastructure investments to commercial property value [Infographic]

The Natural Resources Defense Council has released The Green Edge: How Commercial Property Investment in Green Infrastructure Creates Value -- a first-ever illustrative and well-documented report that helps demonstrate the value of green infrastructure. It draws from available published material to capture the multitude of tangible, monetizable non-water quality and water quality benefits that green infrastructure investments (trees, rain gardens, and porous pavement, rainwater harvesting cisterns, bioswales, etc.) can unlock for the commercial real estate sector, including commercial property owners and their tenants.

Dec 19, 2013

Urban populations, climate change demand resilient design: Report

With over fifty percent of the population already living in urban areas, cities must grapple with the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change (think: Superstorm Sandy in New York). In a new report, Jones Lang LaSalle has identified steps cities can take to make their infrastructure more resilient to changing climate conditions.

Dec 17, 2013

Nation's largest net-zero K-12 school among winners of 2013 Best of Green Schools award

The Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, Texas, was named a winner of USGBC's annual award, along with nine other schools, individuals and communities working toward the common goal of healthy, high-performing learning places.

Dec 10, 2013

16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.

Skanska | Dec 9, 2013

What is life cycle cost optioneering?

Life cycle cost optioneering is a way of assessing alternative design options, analyzing their long-term capital and operational costs to identify those with the lowest price tag, over the entire life cycle. 

Nov 27, 2013

LEED for Healthcare offers new paths to green

LEED for Healthcare debuted in spring 2011, and certifications are now beginning to roll in. They include the new Puyallup (Wash.) Medical Center and the W.H. and Elaine McCarty South Tower at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas in Austin.

David Barista | Nov 25, 2013

Manufacturers race to offer EPDs, HPDs in response to LEED v4

Under LEED v4, projects are awarded points for using at least 20 building products that have issued Environmental Product Declarations or Health Product Declarations. In response, manufacturers are racing to offer EPDs and HPDs for their product lines. 

Nov 22, 2013

Health Product Declaration Collaborative to develop protocol for third-party verification of HPDs

Seven leading product sustainability assessment companies partner with the HPD Collaborative to develop the verification and quality assurance protocols.

Nov 19, 2013

Top 10 green building products for 2014

Assa Abloy's power-over-ethernet access-control locks and Schüco's retrofit façade system are among the products to make BuildingGreen Inc.'s annual Top-10 Green Building Products list. 
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