“Green” construction in the U.S. has mostly been on a fad diet – one where trimming energy consumption is focused on the present but not the long run. That is the conclusion that New York-based nonprofit Urban Green Council found in their research on “high cholesterol buildings.”
The research is aptly named because how many buildings are insulated today focus more on how aesthetically pleasing the building will look, and all the green technology is clustered into what HVAC and other mechanical systems will the building be equipped with.
One example of such a trade-off of aesthetics and actual sustainability is in the selection of a building’s envelope: subpar walls, windows and roofs. “Unlike mechanical systems like air conditioners and ventilation fans, a building’s envelope is one of its longest-lasting components,” the report says.
A curtain wall made out of, say, glass, a notoriously poor insulator, has been a popular material to design and construct a building. The final building with all floor-to-ceiling windows, as the report boldly says, is as poorly insulated as a building from over a millennium ago.
However, the envelope of a building outlives all the other components; as lighting and HVAC systems are replaced with new, more efficient ones, a poorly insulated envelope will drag down the building’s potential of being at its most energy-efficient (see chart below).
The research pushes for loopholes in building codes to be closed. Currently, most green standards focus more on reduction of net energy consumption, hence, they make a trade-off where “they add more glass and make up for it with superior mechanical systems,” because floor-to-ceiling windows are a great selling or renting point and are in high demand.
Other recommendations the Council makes are for better glass, better design, and better training of contractors and subcontractors to stress on air sealing and elimination of thermal breaks.
The full report can be read in PDF here.
Related Stories
Designers | Oct 1, 2024
Global entertainment design firm WATG acquires SOSH Architects
Entertainment design firm WATG has acquired SOSH Architects, an interior design and planning firm based in Atlantic City, N.J.
Higher Education | Sep 30, 2024
Studio Gang turns tobacco warehouse into the new home of the University of Kentucky’s College of Design
Studio Gang has completed the Gray Design Building, the new home of the University of Kentucky’s College of Design. In partnership with K. Norman Berry Associates Architects, Studio Gang has turned a former tobacco warehouse into a contemporary facility for interdisciplinary learning and collaboration.
Warehouses | Sep 27, 2024
California bill would limit where distribution centers can be built
A bill that passed the California legislature would limit where distribution centers can be located and impose other rules aimed at reducing air pollution and traffic. Assembly Bill 98 would tighten building standards for new warehouses and ban heavy diesel truck traffic next to sensitive sites including homes, schools, parks and nursing homes.
Laboratories | Sep 27, 2024
Traditional lab design doesn't address neurodiverse needs, study finds
A study conducted by ARC, HOK, and the University of the West of Scotland, has revealed that half (48.1%) of all survey respondents who work in laboratory settings identify as neurodivergent.
Laboratories | Sep 26, 2024
BSL conversions: A cost-efficient method to support high-containment research
Some institutions are creating flexible lab spaces that can operate at a BSL-2 and modulate up to a BSL-3 when the need arises. Here are key aspects to consider when accommodating a rapid modulation between BSL-2 and BSL-3 space.
MFPRO+ News | Sep 24, 2024
Major Massachusetts housing law aims to build or save 65,000 multifamily and single-family homes
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey recently signed far-reaching legislation to boost housing production and address the high cost of housing in the Bay State. The Affordable Homes Act aims to build or save 65,000 homes through $5.1 billion in spending and 49 policy initiatives.
Designers | Sep 20, 2024
The growing moral responsibility of designing for shade
Elliot Glassman, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, CPHD, Building Performance Leader, CannonDesign, makes the argument for architects to consider better shade solutions through these four strategies.
Mixed-Use | Sep 19, 2024
A Toronto development will transform a 32-acre shopping center site into a mixed-use urban neighborhood
Toronto developers Mattamy Homes and QuadReal Property Group have launched The Clove, the first phase in the Cloverdale, a $6 billion multi-tower development. The project will transform Cloverdale Mall, a 32-acre shopping center in Toronto, into a mixed-use urban neighborhood.
Codes and Standards | Sep 19, 2024
Navigating the intricacies of code compliance and authorities having jurisdiction
The construction of a building entails navigating through a maze of regulations, permits, and codes. Architects are more than mere designers; we are stewards of safety and navigators of code compliance.
Higher Education | Sep 18, 2024
Modernizing dental schools: The intersection of design and education
Page's John Smith and Jennifer Amster share the how firm's approach to dental education facilities builds on the success of evidence-based design techniques pioneered in the healthcare built environment.
