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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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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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.
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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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20 Ways to Advance Sustainability in the Next Four Years
January 4, 2017Feature Article
In this age of political revolution and environmental urgency, it’s time to step back and take a look at priorities, challenges, and opportunities
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Pest Prevention: Steps Designers Can Take
December 5, 2016Feature Article
Integrated pest management (IPM) design strategies can reduce structural damage and unsanitary conditions, and improve our community’s health.
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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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Climate Change: Building Industry, You’ve Got This!
April 4, 2016Feature Article
Global warming has legs. Do our commitments to stopping it have teeth?
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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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Circular Economy at Scale: Six International Case Studies
October 5, 2015Feature Article
These teams are applying radical life-cycle thinking to entire projects—and redefining what building ownership means in the process.
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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.
