Vintage postcard of the Merchandise Mart Existing buildings seem to be overlooked when the sustainability topic arises, although USGBC's LEED program has had an EB (existing building) designation for three years now. The shift from new construction to the rehabilitation of the estimated 4.5 million commercial properties already built is one that is necessary, especially considering that commercial buildings account for over 60% of the nation's electricity consumption. One of the largest … [Read more...]
Little Pink Houses
What's not to like about pink sustainable houses conceived by Brad Pitt? In response to rebuilding New Orleans Lower 9th ward - after the (still) devastating effects of Katrina - Global Green, Brad Pitt, Home Depot, and the people of the 9th Ward's Holy Cross Neighborhood Association teamed up to produce the first low-income sustainable housing community. Global Green and Pitt sponsored an international design competition in the summer of 2006. The New York based architecture firm Workshop/APD … [Read more...]
2030 Challenge
If you already didn't know it, the building industry is the largest US consumer of energy, clocking in with a whopping 48% of the total US consumption. Buildings are also the largest source of greenhouse gas emmisions, worldwide. From a positive perspective, this information gives us the most concrete place to have an incredible impact on reversing global warming. And Ed Mazria and his non-profit based Architecture 2030 proposes just that with their 2030 Challenge. The proposal states that by … [Read more...]