News Analysis
Forum topic
Please share your thoughts in preparation for our monthly call this Thursday (call info below).
Given these items that are changing at AIA, are any of them motivating changes within your firm? If so, how? If not, why?
1. Awards criteria now includes COTE Measures of Design Excellence
2. Code of Ethics now includes rule on... Read more
Product Guide
Rotary Uninterruptible Power Units
Power interruptions and brief changes in voltage can damage electrical equipment, compromise computer data, shut down manufacturing, and endanger hospital patients. In the case of power outages, generators usually take over, but about 98% of all interruptions last less than ten seconds, and there is a... Read more
Forum topic
Good evening,
I am looking for suggestions to replace"wood" siding at the 25-year-old Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies and as always there is no solution that does it all. There seem to be three main options: wood, composition siding, or fiber cement siding. I am looking for something with low embodied carbon, little maintenance,... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of LEED v4 Tips from Early Adopters: Earn High Ratings Without Added Costs.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Explain how the Integrative Process credit rewards good design but is tricky for taxpayer-funded projects.
2. Describe how... Read more
Forum topic
Hi All,
Elkus Manfredi Architects in Boston is looking to fill a few positions -if you know of anyone looking in the Boston area, plesae let me know or send them my way. Kfritsch@elkus-manfredi.com
Specifically looking for an entry-level person with specialized expertise in parametric modeling, conceptual energy modeling and... Read more
Forum topic
Green Gurus –
Clark Brockman brought to our attention an important and impactful opportunity to advance building decarbonization through the US Department of Energy’s proposed rulemaking around water heater efficiency, advancing adoption of heat pumps, while still providing exceptions (and efficiency targets) for electric or natural gas... Read more
Forum topic
This message came in earlier today and is something of which we should all be aware. I took the extra step, in this world of uncertain facts, of checking the veracity of the message with Jason Grant who confirmed it. From William Bucholtz:
Dear Green Building Colleagues,
No one likes being fooled, but it’s... Read more
Forum topic
Team,
As you all probably saw, Boston is discussing using both CEI (carbon emission intensity) and EUI as basic scope of work. Maybe the more surprising thing is China announced a new building code next year to include carbon emission analysis as a basic scope of work for all buildings. New buildings in 2022, among other things,... Read more
Forum topic
Hi folks,
Our next private webinar is coming right up:
Fusion of Design + Performance: How Payette Was Recognized As AIA Firm of the Year
Tuesday, February 12, 1:00 pm EST
Payette is the first AIA Firm Award recipient to have been nominated jointly by the Committee on Design and Committee on the Environment. Z Smith... Read more
Forum topic
Hello,
This is not my area of expertise but our contactor has suggested central heat pump hot water (CHPHW) is $1m more expensive than gas fired domestic hot water for a 150 unit multi-family residential building in Massachusetts. The Building Decarbonization Practice Guide is extremely helpful but, from their comments, it is all coming... Read more
Forum topic
Friends,
We put a lot of effort into air tightness design, detailing, and construction administration, often including 6-sided mockup and parital or whole-building blower-door testing. For commercial buildings, these tests measure air leakage in cfm/sf at 1.57 psf (75pa).
I came across this research paper several years ago, but... Read more
Forum topic
Hello SCL,
We are getting back to our usual schedule of a pre-Greenbuild SCL Summit. We will be opening registration and announcing topics shortly. In the meantime, please pencil us into your calendar.
Date: September 25, 2023
Location: ZGF Architecture 600 14th St NW #800, Washington, DC 20005
Time: Soft start at... Read more
Forum topic
Dear SDL,
After almost 12 years at Sasaki, I have finally decided to leave for a path slightly-less-traveled. My own development project in Boston (passive house, ZNE condos) is in construction and I will be focusing my attention on that over the course of this year, and then hoping to continue doing similar integrated... Read more
Forum topic
Hi MEP Leaders,
We had a great conversation in our last monthly call about the function and purpose of this group, and what we can best do together. You can see detailed notes from that call here. And we'll soon be sending out a reminder about the October call (Tuesday, Oct 8, 2pm eastern).
One of the ideas from that conversation... Read more
Forum topic
We are working on a large, commercial, LEED project in the Wash DC area, and the Construction Management firm needs LEED administrative/documentation assistance on their end of the process. The construction is underway but the CM lacks the staff.
Can anyone suggest a LEED consultant in the DC area that can work for the CM -- managing... Read more