‘Buildings’
July 14th, 2010 in Buildings No Comments
Architectural trends are shifting as the economy begins to recover. Innovation is now geared toward sustainability and new technology rather than the “spectacle” buildings of the late 1990s and early 2000s and architects are focusing more on urban planning, civic projects, and the creation of public space.
The author notes that pre-recession “eye-popping” architecture is giving way to a subtler aesthetic. She cites several examples of recent projects that offer a more straightforward, slimmed-down sensibility. While extravagant architecture likely won’t go away entirely, one architect comments that he doesn’t think we will soon see “another era where both private and public clients are so willing to engage in architectural innovation.” (more…)
April 15th, 2009 in Buildings, Green No Comments
This article examines the findings of two separate studies that conclude that “green” building has yet to prove its financial viability. A study by NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association of Herndon, Virginia, found that a 30 percent improvement over the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) code – a benchmark cited by many prominent efficiency advocates – is not financially feasible for most class-A office construction. The conclusion of the NAIOP president: developers would not be able to recoup the costs from energy-savings for at least a decade. Furthermore, he notes that the costs of achieving these higher-efficiency targets vary so widely across climate zones that a “one-size-fits-all” approach imposed by legislation or other mandates simply won’t work.
Meanwhile, a survey by a Los Angeles law firm and Constructive Technologies Group (CTG) of Irvine, CA found that 93.4 percent of more than 900 respondents believed that green building was worth the time and effort. The Third Annual Green Building Survey, however, found only 66.2 percent agreed it was worth obtaining official LEED certification from the U.S. Green Council, down from 76 percent in its second annual survey of last year.
On the bright (green) side: most respondents felt that the cost premium for green construction over traditional building is less than 4 percent. Furthermore, notes the author, recent increases in energy costs lead 74 percent of respondents to indicate that they are more likely to incorporate green elements into future projects.
Source: Staff, Mortgage Banking; Apr, 2009
April 13th, 2009 in Buildings, Technology No Comments
Current construction practice has a building’s different utility systems – electrical, heating and cooling, water, surveillance, access control, fire alarms and voice and data networks – being installed by experts in each area with little communication between them. The systems have different cabling and software as well as closed protocols, meaning only the installing companies can modify or repair the systems they install. Most systems are not Internet protocol (IP) that allows data to be sent or received over the Internet. (more…)
March 27th, 2008 in Buildings No Comments
This article shows how historic preservation and the latest in environmentally friendly technology can combine to inspire the design of a building that will serve as a workplace and as an educational center “where people can view the workings of ‘green’ building technology.” The author tells of the efforts taken to match the structure to the character of Placerville’s historic main street business district as well as the designs that the developers hope will make this building the first one in the county to be registered and certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. (more…)
