Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure

Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.

Government Buildings

GSA posts new RFI for enabling energy efficiency, decarbonization in commercial buildings

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, recently released a new Request For Information (RFI) focused on enabling energy efficiency and decarbonization in commercial buildings. GSA wants to test innovative technologies through GSA’s Center for Emerging Building Technologies.

Adaptive Reuse

KPF unveils design for repositioning of Norman Foster’s 8 Canada Square tower in London

8 Canada Square, a Norman Foster-designed office building that’s currently the global headquarters of HSBC Holdings, will have large sections of its façade removed to create landscaped terraces. The project, designed by KPF, will be the world’s largest transformation of an office tower into a sustainable mixed-use building.

Sustainability

World’s first TRUE Zero Waste for Construction-certified public project delivered in Calif.

The Contra Costa County Administration Building in Martinez, Calif., is the world’s first public project to achieve the zero-waste-focused TRUE Gold certification for construction. The TRUE Certification for Construction program, administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), recognizes projects that achieve exceptional levels of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.

Oct 14, 2014

USGBC awards individuals, firms for leading the way in sustainable construction

This year’s Leadership Award recipients include Christine Ervin, David Orr, Jim DeCesare, Lloyd Alter, Tom Paladino, The Near Westside Initiative, and Mars, Inc.

Oct 2, 2014

11 projects receive Affordable Green Neighborhoods grants from BoA, USGBC

Each of these neighborhood redevelopment projects are notable for their planned affordable housing, compact design, commitment to green building and sites located near transit or other existing amenities.

Skanska | Sep 29, 2014

Living Building vs. LEED Platinum: Comparing the first costs and savings

Skanska USA's Steve Clem breaks down the costs and benefits of various ultra-green building standards and practices.

Sep 29, 2014

Report finds links between office design, health and productivity

A new report from the World Green Building Council finds “overwhelming evidence” to support office design as a significant influencer of the health, wellbeing and productivity of staff.

HDR | Sep 15, 2014

Sustainability rating systems: Are they doomed?

None of the hundreds of existing green building rating systems is perfect. Some of them are too documentation-heavy. Some increase short-term project cost. Some aren’t rigorous enough or include contentious issues, writes HDR's Michaella Wittmann.

Sep 12, 2014

Armstrong first in Pennsylvania to earn LEED Platinum recertification from USGBC

The Armstrong facility is the first building in Pennsylvania and among only 17 buildings globally to achieve recertification at the highest level possible under USGBC’s LEED-EBOM program.

Skanska | Sep 7, 2014

USGBC + American Chemistry Council: Unlikely partners in green building

In this new partnership, LEED will benefit from the materials expertise of ACC and its member companies. We believe this has the potential to be transformational, writes Skanska USA's President and CEO Michael McNally.

Tesoro Corporation headquarters in San Antonio, TX, a LEED-certified building. P

Sep 3, 2014

New designation launched to streamline LEED review process

The LEED Proven Provider designation is designed to minimize the need for additional work during the project review process.

Jul 30, 2014

German students design rooftop solar panels that double as housing

Students at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences designed a solar panel that can double as living space for the Solar Decathlon Europe.

Jul 28, 2014

Post Tower Wins CTBUH 10-Year Award

The 10 Year Award recognizes proven value and performance in a tall building, across one or more of a wide range of criteria, over a period of 10 years since its completion.