In a major achievement for environmental activists, two of the nation’s largest homebuilders, Kaufman & Broad (K&B) and Centex Homes, have publicly committed to eliminating their use of wood from endangered forests. Both statements arrived just days before an April 1 “Day of... Read more

The first quarter of 2000 was the

warmest first quarter ever recorded in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The average temperature for this period, 41.7°F (5.4°C), exceeds the previous record (1990) by a full degree Fahrenheit.

Natural Home magazine is sponsoring a

“Natural Home of the Year” contest for both new construction and remodeled residences and single rooms. The winning homes will be featured in the magazine’s November/December 2000 issue and will receive additional national press exposure. There is no charge to enter, and... Read more

Solatube International, the Australian company that launched the tubular skylight industry in 1989, has acquired the Phoenix-based SunLight Systems, Inc. and their SunStar product line. SunStar tubular skylights are among the most advanced in the industry and include an extra layer of glazing to boost energy... Read more

Initial efforts to repeal portions of the 1992 Energy Policy and Conservation Act that mandate

low-flow toilets and other water-conserving plumbing fixtures have failed. A House subcommittee voted 13-12 on April 12 to keep the water conservation standards. Joining the 11 Democrats on the vote were two Republican lawmakers from quickly... Read more

In February, the Virginia legislature rejected a bill that would have allowed local officials to

control development through restrictions on home building and infrastructure fees for developers. The measure was supported by a coalition of communities in high-growth parts of the state but strongly opposed by the development and real... Read more

On May 9, 2000 the

NextGen factory-built house developed through the U.S. government’s

Partnership for Advanced Technology in Housing (PATH) will be unveiled in Danbury, Connecticut. NextGen was designed with support from Steven Winter Associates, Inc. of Norwalk, Connecticut, and built by New Era of Strattanville, Pennsylvania... Read more

The letter from Cliff Goldman, Carnegie Fabrics (

Vol. 9, No. 2), smeared vinyl without offering any evidence to support the allegations. Obviously, Goldman’s main point was to flack his own competing product. I challenge Goldman to offer any credible, scientific evidence that vinyl products harm health or the... Read more

In December 1998, Hurd MillWORK agreed to a $5.3 million class-action settlement relating to claims about R-value in gas-fill windows that were shipped with breather tubes installed. Andersen Windows devotes a full page in this year’s residential product catalog to “High Altitude Glass Considerations.” The window industry is struggling with the... Read more

Liverpool High School, near Syracuse, New York, has become the first high school to install a fuel cell. The school’s ONSI PC25 fuel cell will be used both as a power source and a teaching tool. Funding was provided, in part, from the state of New York and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Seattle-based Sellen Construction Co. has been honored as 1999 Contractor of the Year by the International Erosion Control Association (IECA). Sellen was lauded for its use of best management practices and state-of-the-art technologies to control erosion and prevent sediment runoff in challenging and sensitive situations. Specific practices... Read more

The Loudoun County, Virginia Board of Supervisors is serious about stemming sprawl. They have set up a $1 million legal defense fund to protect the county against court challenges by home builders, according to an article in the January 5

Washington Post. Loudoun County is the third fastest growing county in the nation, and it gained... Read more

We’re very excited to announce that Peter Yost of the NAHB Research Center will be joining our staff as research director and senior editor of

Environmental Building News. In addition to contributing to

EBN’s content, Peter will share responsibility for many of our research, writing, and consulting services. A former high-school... Read more

A call-for-entries has gone out for the 2000 Aurora Awards competition for residential design and construction (both single- and multifamily) from the Southeast Building Conference. Projects located within the 11 southeastern states are eligible for the Awards, which cover a whopping 75 categories, including water conservation, energy... Read more

Steelcase, the office furniture manufacturer, is set to break ground on a new wood furniture plant in Gaines Township, Michigan. The new facility, designed by William McDonough + Partners, will be the first manufacturing building of its size rated by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. Projected emissions reductions of 70% as... Read more

Black and Vernooy Architects of Austin, Texas won a Southern Home Award for new construction from

Southern Living magazine. The long back porch of the May residence, located at Lake Austin, was carefully designed to follow the sun, and indigenous materials from the surrounding Texas landscape were used for interior and exterior... Read more

Vermiculite has been widely used as an insulation material, a lightweight aggregate in concrete and plaster, a soil conditioner, and a carrier for fertilizers and other chemicals. It is used in an expanded or

exfoliated form—the raw micaceous vermiculite flakes are rapidly heated, thus vaporizing water between the mica layers and... Read more

Thank you for your article on building commissioning in

EBN

Vol. 9, No. 2 [February 2000]. This important aspect of the building process is indeed gaining focus throughout the design and construction communities as buildings and their supporting systems become ever more complex and interrelated. As you point out, building codes... Read more

The Metropolitan Forum Project of Los Angeles is seeking to reshape the way the city designs and builds public schools. Instead of huge schools serving 5,000-plus students, the “New Schools, Better Neighborhoods” project is proposing neighborhood-scaled schools serving around 500 students. Along with reducing the extensive public school... Read more

On March 3, 2000 Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson announced $133 million in support for state weatherization programs to improve the energy efficiency of low-income households. Services that might be provided or subsidized under the various state and tribal programs include insulation, sealing ducts, adding weatherstripping, installing... Read more