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.

Mass Timber

5 lessons in water mitigation for mass timber projects

Sustainability leaders from Skanska, RDH, and Polygon share five tips for successful water mitigation in mass timber construction.

Office Buildings

Fact sheet outlines benefits, challenges of thermal energy storage for commercial buildings

A U.S. Dept. of Energy document discusses the benefits and challenges of thermal energy storage for commercial buildings. The document explains how the various types of thermal energy storage technologies work, where their installation is most beneficial, and some practical considerations around installations.

Industrial Facilities

UK-based tire company plans to build the first carbon-neutral tire factory in the U.S.

ENSO, a U.K.-based company that makes tires for electric vehicles, has announced plans to build the first carbon-neutral tire factory in the U.S. The $500 million ENSO technology campus will be powered entirely by renewable energy. The first-of-its-kind tire factory aims to be carbon neutral without purchased offsets, using carbon-neutral raw materials and building materials.

Aug 11, 2010

Colorado hospital wins LEED Gold

The main building of the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colo., is a 136-bed regional medical center offering a full spectrum of services, with specialties in cardiac and trauma care. Constructed primarily of brick, native sandstone, and 85,000 sf of metal panels manufactured by Centria, the 600,000-sf main building, by Denver-based HLM Design, is one of the few hospitals in the nati...

Aug 11, 2010

Franklin County courthouse saves $8-10 million on steel

The Franklin County Courthouse is getting a new home in the River South District of Columbus, Ohio. Targeting LEED Silver certification, the 350,000-sf facility will be one of the first green-built county courthouses in Ohio when it's finished in 2010. Architect DesignGroup, construction firm Gilbane, and structural engineer Shelley Metz Baumann Hawk were able to overcome a shortage of building...

Aug 11, 2010

Douglas County sheriff's station blends in with Colorado town

Ground has been broken on the Douglas County Sheriff Substation in Highlands Ranch, Colo. The 36,000-sf law enforcement facility features large translucent wall panels that blend the building in with the architectural features of the neighboring Highlands Ranch Town Center. The substation, designed by Pahl Architecture and built by Mark Young Construction, is on track for LEED Silver certificat...

Aug 11, 2010

City offices to up daylight, reduce water use

Breaking ground this month and scheduled for completion in November, the Palmetto Bay Village Hall in Miami-Dade County, Fla., will become the operating center for the mayor, village commissioners, government departments, the police department, and commission chambers. The two-story facility has been designed by JMWA Architects to win LEED Gold certification.

Aug 11, 2010

Replacement school puts old school's materials to good use

Replacing an existing school in the University School District near St. Louis, Mo., the new Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School will accommodate up to 500 students in 24 classrooms. The $13 million school spans 64,834 sf and will use recycled elements from the old building, including mosaic tiles from water fountains, an entryway tile mural, and a freestanding masonry bench.

Aug 11, 2010

Cherokee Nation center employs eco-friendly features

Three new schools for K-12 students are the focus of a $108 million, 473,000-sf Cherokee Nation multipurpose complex based in Cherokee, N.C. Designed by Padgett & Freeman Architects and built by BE&K Building Group, the center was designed to reflect the art and heritage of the Cherokee people, evidenced by the seven-sided shape of the two courtyard areas and traditional basketweave pat...

Aug 11, 2010

Wood chips to heat school district buildings

An alternative energy plant for the Hartford Central School District in Hartford, N.Y., will be a first for the state's public school systems. Designed by Albany, N.Y.-based CSArch Architecture/Construction Management, the $1.9 million plant will provide heat and hot water to the district's elementary and high school complex, as well as to an adjacent technical school.

Aug 11, 2010

High-tech tower targets LEED Platinum

Construction is slated to begin on the new $38 million AI Tech Center in Hartford, Conn., in spring 2010. The Building Team, which includes Suffolk Construction Co., CBT Architects, and Jones Lang LaSalle, planned the high-tech 13-story, 259,000-sf tower to meet LEED Platinum certification. Green features include photovoltaic power, a fuel cell power plant, abundant natural lighting, and a roof...

Aug 11, 2010

And the world's tallest building is…

At more than 2,600 feet high, the Burj Dubai (right) can still lay claim to the title of world's tallest building—although like all other super-tall buildings, its exact height will have to be recalculated now that the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) announced a change to its height criteria.

Aug 11, 2010

Firm goes for Gold with office design

DLR Group is designing its new Omaha, Neb., headquarters to achieve LEED Gold. Sustainable features being incorporated into the three-story, 39,000-sf building, which is part of the city’s new Aksarben Village mixed-use development, include daylighting, outdoor workspaces, native landscaping, a green roof, and the pursuit of renewable energy credits.