GreenBuild Blog

Show Me the Money, or What the �Do Nothing� Republican Congress Just Did

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Little noticed in the hoopla about the Democrats’ pending takeover of the House and Senate is what the lame-duck Congress did earlier this month that will benefit green buildings. What, you say? They did. Yessiree, they sure did. Read on�

Are green homes endangered by market conditions?

Monday, December 11, 2006

Industry insiders report that major homebuilders are pushing suppliers to lower costs by 10%, in a bid to keep some profits from home sales.

Should green buildings be mandated?

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

The Washington, DC, City Council this week required private developers of more than 50,000 sq.ft. of new buildings and major renovations to meet the LEED certification standard by 2012.

World’s Largest LEED Platinum (to be) building opens in Portland

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

How about a green building that uses 60% less energy and 50% less water than a conventional building, yet is built on a conventional budget?

Green Building and Sustainability Consulting

Monday, December 04, 2006

Sometimes a green building and sustainability consultant gets to eat the food he recommends to others. People ask me, “Who are your target clients?”

LEED vs. Green Globes, Part Two

Saturday, December 02, 2006

As much as LEED dominates the commercial and institutional green building certification arena, the opposite is true for the residential green home certification market.

LEED vs. Green Globes, Part One

Friday, December 01, 2006

Recent conversations and developments seem to make it clear that, in comparison with the dominant LEED standard, the Green Globes rating system is going to be primarily a niche player in the energy and environmental attribute ratings of commercial and institutional projects.

Environmental Sustainability, Green Buildings and LEED Join Forces at Greenbuild 2006

Friday, November 24, 2006

The recently concluded Greenbuild 2006 conference in Denver showcased the growing confluence of sustainability and environmental concerns, green buildings and the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating systems.

Living buildings go beyond LEED

Friday, November 24, 2006

The Living Buildings challenge, articulated by the Cascadia Green Building Council, goes well beyond the LEED green building standard, toward broader environmental sustainability goals. The USGBC has adopted this challenge for a “Living Buildings Design Challenge,” with the winners to be announced at the 2007 Greenbuild conference.

A Sudden Cessation of Stupidity

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Founded in 1937 by inventor Edwin Land, Polaroid Corporation embodied American ingenuity for many decades. Land is famously reported to have said, �Every creative act results from a sudden cessation of stupidity.� I love this phrase and have certainly seen it at work in my own life on many occasions. In terms of the green building movement, it seems particularly apt.

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Greenbuild 2006 was a “watershed” event, not only in terms of attendance, but in the rapid acceptance of green building into the mainstream of design, construction and development practice. Yet, much needs to be done to realize the potential of the green building movement.