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.

Feb 20, 2013

Higher standards, efficiency programs keys to 40% energy usage reduction in commercial buildings since 1980

Commercial buildings have seen a drop in their energy intensity of more than 40% since 1980, according to a recent report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

CoreNet encourages real estate execs to consider energy-efficient design.

Feb 20, 2013

CoreNet Global to real estate execs: 'Move forward on net-zero'

CoreNet Global, a major international association for corporate real estate and workplace executives, has released a public policy statement advocating adoption of net-zero energy buildings.

Boxman Studios has launched a new division aimed at sustainable solutions for th

Feb 14, 2013

Boxman Studios launches shipping container buildings division

Boxman Studios has launched a new division aimed at sustainable solutions for the Built Environment. The Boxman Studios Buildings Division will focus on the adaptive use of decommissioned shipping containers as architectural elements and even complete buildings.

The Great City development near Chengdu will prohibit cars. Courtesy Adrian Smit

Feb 13, 2013

China plans new car-free city

A new urban development near Chengdu, China, will provide new housing for ~80,000 people, surrounded by green space.

Rob Cassidy | Jan 25, 2013

Caution on UCLA study of worker productivity at 'green companies'

A new report from researchers at UCLA and France's University Paris–Dauphine claims that workers at environmentally conscious companies are more productive than their counterparts at nongreen companies.

Valencia College at Lake Nonas innovative new $21.7 million Academic Building d

Nov 20, 2012

SchenkelShultz-designed Valencia at Lake Nona certified 3 Green Globes

Featuring the latest technologies, the three-story, academic facility includes academic spaces and teaching laboratories, student services, a book store, library, café, a Dean’s suite and administrative offices.