3 ways prefabrication doubles as a sustainability strategy
Corie Baker, AIA, shares three modular Gresham Smith projects that found sustainability benefits from the use of prefabrication.
Sustainability
Lack of standards for carbon accounting hamper emissions reduction
A lack of universally accepted standards for collecting, managing, and storing greenhouse gas emissions data (i.e., carbon accounting) is holding back carbon reduction efforts, according to an essay published by the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Affordable Housing
3 affordable housing projects that overcame building obstacles
These three developments faced certain obstacles during their building processes—from surrounding noise suppression to construction methodology.
Laboratories
5 laboratory design choices that accelerate scientific discovery
Stephen Blair, director of CannonDesign's Science & Technology Practice, identifies five important design strategies to make the most out of our research laboratories.
Apr 21, 2022
“Life Cycle” Thinking Drives Sustainable Building Efforts
As builders grow more interested in sustainable practices and certifications, they’re turning their…
Apr 21, 2022
The Advantages of Metal as a Sustainable Building Material
Taking on a sustainable building project brings its own set of objectives and challenges for…
Wood | Apr 13, 2022
Mass timber: Multifamily’s next big building system
Mass timber construction experts offer advice on how to use prefabricated wood systems to help you reach for the heights with your next apartment or condominium project.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 7, 2022
Ken Soble Tower becomes world’s largest residential Passive House retrofit
The project team for the 18-story high-rise for seniors slashed the building’s greenhouse gas emissions by 94 percent and its heating energy demand by 91 percent.
AEC Tech Innovation | Mar 9, 2022
Meet Emerge: WSP USA's new AEC tech incubator
Pooja Jain, WSP’s VP-Strategic Innovation, discusses the pilot programs her firm’s new incubator, Emerge, has initiated with four tech startup companies. Jain speaks with BD+C's John Caulfield about the four AEC tech firms to join Cohort 1 of the firm’s incubator.
Codes and Standards | Feb 21, 2022
More bad news on sea level rise for U.S. coastal areas
A new government report predicts sea levels in the U.S. of 10 to 12 inches higher by 2050, with some major cities on the East and Gulf coasts experiencing damaging floods even on sunny days.
Codes and Standards | Feb 18, 2022
Proposal would make all new buildings in Los Angeles carbon-neutral
Los Angeles may become the next large city to ban fossil fuels from new construction if legislation recently introduced in the city council becomes law.
Sustainability | Feb 7, 2022
Western Washington University will be home to Washington State’s first carbon neutral college building
Perkins&Will is designing the building.
Structural | Reconstruction & Renovation | Jan 25, 2022
Concrete buildings: Effective solutions for restorations and major repairs
Architectural concrete as we know it today was invented in the 19th century. It reached new heights in the U.S. after World War II when mid-century modernism was in vogue, following in the footsteps of a European aesthetic that expressed structure and permanent surfaces through this exposed material. Concrete was treated as a monolithic miracle, waterproof and structurally and visually versatile.
Exterior | BD+C University Course | Jan 9, 2022
Mastering the higher ed campus building envelope
Building envelope choices for campus, cultural, and infrastructure projects are shaped by particular conditions. Today, institutions place greater value on how buildings relate to their ensemble: how historic buildings fit next to new ones, how massing forms fit with their neighbors, and how a building cladding contributes to the campus context. Concurrently, enclosure assemblies and construction methods have undergone changes due to values of sustainability, science, durability, and maintenance. In this context, mastering the building envelope on college and university campuses requires addressing both cultural concerns and technical performance, honoring traditional buildings while exploring the potential of new materials and forms.
