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.

Sep 26, 2013

Sheep's wool insulation, bio-brick among Cradle to Cradle product innovation finalists

Ten finalists are competing for $250,000 in prizes from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Make It Right.

Sep 19, 2013

What we can learn from the world’s greenest buildings

Renowned green building author, Jerry Yudelson, offers five valuable lessons for designers, contractors, and building owners, based on a study of 55 high-performance projects from around the world.

Sep 13, 2013

Insurance expert: Managing green liability risk not so different from 'normal' risk mitigation

Worries about legal liability have long dogged the sustainable building movement, but insurance expert Karen Erger says sustainability lawsuits are caused by the same types of issues that have always prompted clients to sue AEC firms.

Sep 13, 2013

Video: Arup offers tour of world's first algae-powered building

Dubbed BIQ house, the building features a bright green façade consisting of hollow glass panels filled with algae and water.

Sep 4, 2013

Smart building technology: Talking results at the BUILDINGChicago/ Greening the Heartland show

Recent advancements in technology are allowing owners to connect with facilities as never before, leveraging existing automation systems to achieve cost-effective energy improvements. This BUILDINGChicago presentation will feature Procter & Gamble’s smart building management program.

Sprout Space, a modular template designed by Perkins+Will, is a high-performance

Aug 30, 2013

Modular classrooms gaining strength with school boards

With budget, space needs, and speed-to-market pressures bearing down on school districts, modular classroom assemblies are often a go-to solution.

David Barista | Aug 26, 2013

13 must-attend continuing education sessions at BUILDINGChicago

Building Design+Construction's new conference and expo, BUILDINGChicago, kicks off in two weeks. The three-day event will feature more than 65 AIA CES and GBCI accredited sessions, on everything from building information modeling and post-occupancy evaluations to net-zero projects and LEED training. Here are 13 sessions I'm planning to attend.

Aug 14, 2013

Green Building Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]

Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.

Nissan Americas HQ, Smyrna, Tenn., Energy Star award winner

Jul 17, 2013

CBRE recognizes nation's best green research projects

A rating system for comparative tenant energy use and a detailed evaluation of Energy Star energy management strategies are among the green research projects to be honored by commercial real estate giant CBRE Group.

Jul 10, 2013

TED talk: Architect Michael Green on why we should build tomorrow's skyscrapers out of wood

In a newly posted TED talk, wood skyscraper expert Michael Green makes the case for building the next-generation of mid- and high-rise buildings out of wood.