Existing Buildings
The embodied impacts of renovation are usually dramatically lower than the impacts of new construction.
Although many existing buildings leave something to be desired in terms of aesthetics and comfort, they are part of the urban and suburban fabric now, and they aren’t going anywhere. And reusing these buildings is an immense creative opportunity.
Existing Buildings
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Historic Preservation and Green Building: A Lasting Relationship
Feature Article
Rehabilitation of existing buildings is important to sustainability in buildings, but with historic buildings, green building and preservationism can diverge. With attention to preservation standards and suitable application of green strategies, however, those agendas can be aligned.
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Six Ways Existing Buildings Can Save the Planet
Feature Short
Renovations, retrofits, and better-informed O&M will determine how quickly the developed world slows its carbon emissions.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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2014 AIA Top Ten Green Winners Highlight Adaptive Reuse
News Analysis
Federal government projects take three of the top honors for 2014 in the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) awards, which combine sustainability with design excellence.
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Making the Case for More and Bigger Deep Retrofits
News Analysis
An RMI report details how to calculate the full value of investments in deep energy retrofits and make the case for bigger projects.
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Young Residents, New Businesses Flock to Old Neighborhoods
News Brief
Research from Preservation Green Lab suggests that age-diverse buildings contribute more to vital, livable communities.
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LEDs Expected to Eclipse Fluorescents in Retrofits
News Brief
Industry professionals expect continued growth after LED retrofit installations climbed to 37% in 2013.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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