Equity in Design and Construction: Seven Case Studies

Inequity is woven into the fabric of our built environment.

Cities are endemically segregated by income and race. Many building projects seek to enhance the profits of developers, often at the expense of the surrounding community. The building professions lack diversity, leading to the unconscious but systemic exclusion of underrepresented groups like racial minorities and people with disabilities. All over the world, the most marginalized people are the most vulnerable to global warming—yet our efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change tend to focus on those who can afford these “amenities” for their own tiny corners of the built environment.

This report considers seven projects whose owners and project teams went out of their way to include and elevate the voices of diverse project stakeholders, with the goal of promoting greater equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Qualifies for 1 AIA LU|HSW and 1 GBCI CE hour.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

Re-forming the Building Industry: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

People from marginalized communities are shockingly underrepresented in the U.S. building industry. It’s past time to change that.

In this report, we look at the depth and breadth of the building sector’s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) problem; the negative implications for the industry; and some things individuals and firms can do to motivate change.

Qualifies for 1.5 AIA LU|HSW and 1.5 GBCI CE hours.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

How to Access the Full Power of Biophilia

Biophilic design features are not just aesthetically pleasing; researchers have found that patients heal faster, workers are more productive, and children learn better when more elements of nature are present.

And yet there are still very few projects developed today that inspire a connection to life and the natural world. Some people, in fact, say biophilic design is being co-opted by companies and applied in a way that looks full of greenery, but ignores the regenerative and place-based qualities that are needed for biophilic design to live up to its true potential.

This report explores what kind of benefits we would see—in people and in the environment—if we could more effectively tap into people’s innate affinity for nature. We identify the frameworks for applying biophilic design, and we bring you expert advice on how to unleash the full power of biophilia in your projects.

Qualifies for 1 AIA LU|HSW and 1 GBCI CE hour.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

The Potential of Prefab: How Modular Construction Can Be Green

The modular construction approach—in which a building’s large-scale modularized components are prefabricated in an offsite manufacturing facility for rapid assembly onsite—is garnering an increasing amount of attention in the building industry. This is due in large part to the interrelated issues of the rising costs of traditional construction methods, the shortage of skilled construction labor in many areas of the country, and the worsening shortage of affordable housing.

This report examines potential benefits in depth in order to provide the foundational knowledge and integrative understanding needed to realize these benefits through effective design and project management. As with any strategy promising to enhance a project’s performance and sustainability, modular construction methods must be implemented correctly—informed by a holistic perspective and approach—to achieve the promised potential.

Qualifies for 1.5 AIA LU|HSW and 1.5 GBCI CE hours.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

Changing Building Design for a Changing Electrical Grid

The way we get our electricity is evolving, and buildings need to be ready to respond.

Renewable electricity generation has nearly doubled in the last 10 years. Ninety percent of that increase came from wind and solar generation. This capacity includes wind and solar generation and electric storage assets owned by utilities and those that are not owned or managed by utilities (including net-zero-energy buildings).

Generally, solar electricity is most productive during the day, especially in the summer, and wind generation at night, especially in the spring. Of course, both solar and wind are dependent on daily, even hourly, local weather as well. The existing electricity infrastructure was not designed for these variations, nor were most buildings.

Designers can rethink some priorities to support building-to-grid harmonization and play a critical role in de-carbonizing the electric grid through design and operation of “grid-friendly” buildings.

Qualifies for 1 AIA LU|HSW and 1 GBCI CE hour.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

Passive House on Campus: Eight Exemplary Projects

Passive House has graduated—and it’s going off to college. Over the years, the original Passive House Institute (PHI) certification system has branched out considerably to offer different requirements for different building types, such as offices, hospitals, schools—even swimming pools. There’s also a considerably different standard in the U.S. administered by Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS).

Regardless of these differences, all Passive House buildings have to follow the same basic procedures. Delve into this BuildingGreen article covering eight case studies, where we document some of the complexities and some of the problem solving required for certifying to Passive House standards in an institutional setting.

Qualifies for 1 AIA LU|HSW and 1 GBCI CE hour.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

LEED and WELL Product Labels: A Guide and Analysis

In this PDF report, BuildingGreen takes a comparative look at the LEED v4, LEED v4.1, WELL v1, and WELL v2 standards in order to help you get your bearings while also offering an analysis of each program. LEED and WELL encourage a number of different product standards, certifications, and disclosures—so many that it’s easy to forget some or get them confused. Organized by credit, this report covers product labels referenced in LEED v4 and v4.1 for Building Design and Construction, and WELL v1 and v2.

Qualifies for 1.5 AIA LU|HSW and 1.5 GBCI CE hours (LEED-specific and WELL-specific).

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

Boost Happiness and Save Energy with Adaptive Thermal Comfort

Ready to expand your comfort zone? Handing control to occupants is the best way to ensure they’re satisfied.

The most common complaint facility managers hear from building occupants is that their office space is too cold. That would seem an easy enough problem to solve, except that the number two complaint is that it’s too hot. Different people, it turns out, are comfortable under different conditions, and keeping everyone comfortable at the same time is an elusive goal.

In this PDF report, BuildingGreen explores how adaptive thermal comfort design increases happiness and energy savings.

Qualifies for 1 AIA LU|HSW and 1 GBCI CE hour.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

Driving to Green Buildings: The Transportation Energy Intensity of Buildings

This PDF report takes a look at the “transportation energy intensity” of buildings and the influence of location and various land-use features on this measure of energy use. While the focus will be primarily on energy (and the associated environmental impacts of energy use, such as pollution), measures to reduce transportation energy use can have very significant ancillary benefits relating to water runoff, urban heat-island mitigation, and habitat protection, while creating more vibrant, livable communities.

Qualifies for 1 AIA LU|HSW and 1 GBCI CE hour.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

The Urgency of Embodied Carbon and What You Can Do About It

Building materials emit massive amounts of carbon long before the lights go on. In this PDF report, we take an analytical look at the greenhouse gases that are emitted in the process of constructing our buildings in the first place—the embodied carbon. We then offer strategies for reducing embodied carbon, with examples of projects that have succeeded in this regard.

Qualifies for 1 AIA LU|HSW and 1 GBCI CE hour.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

Five Reasons to Be Optimistic About Solar Energy

In this PDF report, we explore five solid reasons to be optimistic about the future of solar power, including continued impressive growth, an overall positive environmental footprint, increased energy independence, and technological advancements.

Qualifies for 1 AIA LU|HSW and 1 GBCI CE hour.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members

Lighting Design for Health and Sustainability: A Guide for Architects

What do we mean when we say sustainable lighting? In this PDF report, we take a closer look at lighting as an essential element in quality environments that support health and wellness while reducing energy use.

Qualifies for 1 AIA LU|HSW and 1 GBCI CE hour.

Price: $39

FREE for BuildingGreen Premium members