OVERVIEW
It’s easy to get caught up in the details—earning one more LEED point or getting that documentation you need for recycled content.
But it’s a lot easier to achieve all the project goals if the owner and the whole project team are in agreement about why you’re putting in all this work in the first place. Stuff like:
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slowing down climate change
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dealing with global water shortages
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avoiding depletion of nonrenewable resources
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preventing public health problems associated with manufacturing
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righting social wrongs
Here we set the scene, providing context that can help get—and keep—everyone on the same page about project goals.
IN-DEPTH
Filter results:
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Can Buildings Teach Sustainable Behavior?
June 5, 2018News Brief
Recent research studies have aimed to determine the impact that high performance design in schools has on education for sustainability.
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Farming in Cities Worth $33 Billion a Year
May 8, 2018News Analysis
A recent study estimates the global value of the ecosystem services provided by urban agriculture.
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Zero-Energy Buildings for All
April 25, 2018Blog Post
There is increasing movement for buildings to reach net-zero energy, but they can't do it alone. Here's how to fix the system.
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2018 AIA COTE Top Ten Build Community
April 19, 2018News Analysis
The 2018 AIA COTE Top Ten winning projects combine small ecological footprints with big social benefits.
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Climate Justice Heats Up in NYC
March 6, 2018News Analysis
A new report describes how rezoning and planning efforts can address the urban heat-island effect in a vulnerable Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood.
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Urgent: Zero-Carbon Buildings Needed
February 5, 2018News Brief
Zero-carbon buildings and energy retrofits need to happen—fast—to keep global warming at tolerable levels.
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Sustainable Design Literacy: A Foundation for Transformed Practice
July 10, 2017Feature Article
How well does the average designer know sustainable design? And how are the best firms supporting increased knowledge—and action?
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Ultimate Building Efficiency Requires Team Integration
January 6, 2018News Brief
“Systems efficiency” could be the next big thing in sustainable design, and integrated project delivery is how we’ll get there.
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Thoughts on the Future of the Zero Energy Market
January 5, 2018News Analysis
A Q&A with Brad Liljequist, director of the Zero Energy Program at ILFI.
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Embracing the Economy as a Design Challenge
April 4, 2017Feature Article
How architects, community developers, and others are experimenting with new models to support progressive design.
