Will the buildings of the future be printed? Chinese construction materials company Winsun New Materials says it has printed 10 houses on its new 3-D printer that cost them about $3.2 million to develop and took 12 years to build. Winsun’s 3D printer is 6.6 meters (22 feet) tall, 10 meters wide and 150 meters…
Author Archives: Dawn Killough
21
Apr
Apr
Borrowing from Discovery.com’s 2012 top ten list of natural building materials, here are ten earth-friendly building materials, some old and some new. 1. Rock Locally sourced rock is the most earth-friendly, due to short transportation distances. Extraction may be the most energy intense part of the life cycle of this material. Rocks can be mortared together…
21
Apr
Apr
Globus Cork has announced the winner of its 1st Annual Globus Cork Floor Design Competition. Ms. Carlotta Valsecchi, a student at the NY School of Interior Design (NYSID) is this year’s winner. Ms. Valsecchi is in her final year of the BFA Interior Design program at NYSID. Globus Cork Vice President Jennifer Biscoe said, “We’re happy…
16
Apr
Apr
Life cycle assessment (LCA) looks at the environmental impacts of a building material over the entire life of the material, from extraction to disposal. LCA attempts to quantify these impacts for the purpose of comparing materials or buildings. What is measured? LCA is a scientific study of the environmental inputs and outputs to a building…
10
Apr
Apr
 In a move that brings science fiction predictions to reality, Philips is introducing its OneSpace luminous ceiling to the world.  OneSpace integrates LED lights with a fabric to create a white light ceiling surface that hides the source of light completely. The result is a smooth and clutter-free ceiling that emits a uniform and glare-free light. “This innovation…
19
Apr
Apr
Inspired by requests from architects around the world, Alcoa scientists in Merxheim, France, developed the Reynobond Design Line, a collection of Colorweld DL paint finishes so realistic that they’re almost indistinguishable from real granite, wood, travertine and terra cotta.
18
Apr
Apr
The iconic Mr. Peanut arrives in his new biodiesel Planters Nutmobile and opens the first Planters Grove, a peanut-shaped eco-urban park in New Orleans’ historic Central City. The public green space is designed to provide a natural, inspirational place for the community to enjoy with many sustainable design elements.
14
Apr
Apr
When we think of hydroelectric power, we often think of large dams blocking rivers and generating large amounts of electricity. The future of hydroelectric, however, may be the exact opposite. Think small scale generators on local rivers and streams providing power for communities. The new hydroelectric infrastructure will be less expensive, more efficient, and make less of an impact on the environment and wildlife habitat.
25
Mar
Mar
KeyBank’s renovation of three floors in the historic Higbee Building on Public Square in Cleveland, Ohio has been awarded LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The building features a number of sustainability features, from automated lighting and ventilation systems to a design that maintains the building’s historic charm. “This renovation represents KeyBank’s commitment…
18
Mar
Mar
Managing a building or remodeling project means keeping up with a myriad of details, as any trade professional knows. Now, GE offers help in the form of BuildWithGE.com, a website that offers convenient access to a wide variety of practical information — without the need to register, or remember a password or sign in.
12
Mar
Mar
In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans were desperately looking for answers to their usable housing shortage. The now infamous FEMA trailers were brought in to provide residents semi-permanent housing. At $70,000 a piece, it quickly became clear that the trailers would just be too expensive. 170 participants,…
03
Feb
Feb
Chicago’s first green parking garage is not as green as it appears. From wind turbines that do not turn to encouraging occupants to drive gas-guzzling cars, the project is under scrutiny from local residents.
21
Jan
Jan
Dancing may not be seen as a way to save the environment, but at a London club it powers the air conditioning, saving precious energy. The science behind the technology, piezoelectricity, creates a current when crystals under the floor press against each other.
14
Jan
Jan
Several projects were honored at Greenbuild in November, including a LEED Platinum house built for under $100 per square foot, an affordable housing project named after General Colin Powell, and the most prolific LEED for Homes provider in the nation.
20
Dec
Dec
Wasco Skylights now incorporate electrochromic glass into their products. This allows the glazing system to be part of the energy management system, responding in real time to changes in light levels.
13
Dec
Dec
What to get the “greenie” on your list? How about a rechargeable flashlight that can charge your cell phone, iPad, and iPod? Great for emergency kits, too.
19
Nov
Nov
In today's closing plenary, USGBC presented its Leadership Awards and the inaugural Richard M. Daley Legacy award.
05
Nov
Nov
Passivhaus is a type of design for homes that are super efficient. It was started in Germany in 1996 by physicist Dr. Wolfgang Feist. He developed the design based on superinsulated homes built in the United States and Canada during the 1970s. There are five basic elements in a Passivhaus design: High levels of insulation Reduce thermal…