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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Sustainable Development through Open-Source, Participatory Design
May 30, 2017News Brief
Alejandro Aravena wins Gothenburg Award for offering revolutionary strategies for social housing.
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Study Reinforces Carbon Benefit of Renovation
May 25, 2017News Brief
A new study of the U.N. headquarters demonstrates how retrofitting existing buildings is a critical strategy for addressing the urgency of climate change.
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Three Imperatives to Create the Future of Green Building
June 3, 2013Feature Article
The industry will be in a better place a decade from now if we master these skills.
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Resilient Design-Smarter Building for a Turbulent Future
February 28, 2012Feature Article
Resilience is the new green. With decades of green building experience, we are ready to face climate change.
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What’s the Secret to High Performance?
May 2, 2017News Analysis
A new report identifies common habits of the firms that produce the best-designed and most sustainable projects.
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Ethnography: A Creative Tool for Human-Centered Design
May 2, 2017Primer
Social science research methods can generate innovative and sophisticated design solutions that respond to human needs and cultural values.
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Architects Organize to Oppose Border Wall
May 2, 2017News Brief
The nation’s design professionals are speaking out in great numbers in response to the Trump administration’s agenda, including the plan to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
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What Makes a Product Green?
February 2, 2012Feature Article
Lots of manufacturers call their products "green," but are they? Here's our guide to the high-performance attributes that matter.
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Occupant Engagement: Where Design Meets Performance
November 1, 2011Feature Article
No matter how carefully you plan a retrofit or design a building, the occupants hold the keys to environmental performance. But design teams can help them unlock any building's potential.
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2017 AIA COTE Top Ten Awards Emphasize Buildings That Teach
April 19, 2017News Analysis
This year’s winning projects act as revolutionary models for a variety of challenging building types.
