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.

Designed by Boeri Studio and developed by Hines, a vertical forest in Milan will

May 14, 2014

Must see: Vertical forest goes up in the heart of Milan

Some 900 trees, 5,000 shrubs, and 11,000 floral plants have been planted on the terraces of Bosco Verticale, a new high-rise residential development in Milan.

A study based on the construction of the Papadakis building at Drexel University

May 13, 2014

Drexel University case study report: Green Globes cheaper, faster than LEED

GBI’s Green Globes certification process is significantly less expensive to conduct and faster to complete than LEED certification, says Drexel prof.

Photo: Jacopo Werther via Wikimedia Commons

May 13, 2014

19 industry groups team to promote resilient planning and building materials

The industry associations, with more than 700,000 members generating almost $1 trillion in GDP, have issued a joint statement on resilience, pushing design and building solutions for disaster mitigation.

The Bardessono resort in Yountville, Calif., tops TripAdvisor's list of highly r

May 12, 2014

10 highest-rated green hotels in the U.S.

The ARIA Sky Suites in Las Vegas and the Lenox Hotel in Boston are among the 10 most popular hotels (according to user reviews) to also achieve Platinum status in TripAdvisor's GreenLeaders program.

Vegetables, hops and herbs will be grown on the outside of the building, then ha

May 2, 2014

Must see: French pavilion to take food from roof to table

France has presented its design for Expo Milano 2015 in Milan—its representative building will be covered in gardens on the outside, from which food will be harvested and served inside.

May 2, 2014

Top 10 countries for LEED buildings outside the U.S.

The list of the top 10 countries for LEED reflects the global adaptability of the world’s most widely used and recognized system guiding the design, construction, operations and maintenance of green buildings.

Smart Buildings | Apr 28, 2014

Cities Alive: Arup report examines latest trends in urban green spaces

From vertical farming to glowing trees (yes, glowing trees), Arup engineers imagine the future of green infrastructure in cities across the world.

ECO Modern Flats is a wellness-oriented apartment complex in Fayetteville, Ark.,

Apr 11, 2014

ULI report documents business case for building healthy projects

Sustainable and wellness-related design strategies embody a strong return on investment, according to a report by the Urban Land Institute.

Apr 10, 2014

Collegiate sports becoming greener: Survey

A survey conducted from May through June 2013 by the University of Arizona Office of Sustainability and published by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)* finds that more collegiate athletic teams are adopting green and sustainable practices in operation of their sports facilities.

Rob Cassidy | Mar 26, 2014

Free transit for everyone! Then again, maybe not

An interesting experiment is taking place in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, where, for the last year or so, its 430,000 residents have been able to ride the city’s transit lines practically for free. City officials hope to pump up ridership by 20%, cut carbon emissions, and give low-income Tallinnites greater access to job opportunities. But is it working?