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Laundry Facility Reincarnated as the First LEED Certified Residential Building in Northern California
Why would a developer save part of an unreinforced brick building when it has no historical value and would cost more money to save than to demolish it? Because saving one façade would help provide an extra layer of interest to the design of the building, preserve the fabric of existing store fronts, and retain…
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Sripadanna Residence: Synergy in Sustainability Part II
In a previous article, “Sripadanna Residence: Synergy in Sustainability Part I,” we discussed the relationship of synergies generated by a combination of design measures such as: building orientation to take advantage of the sun’s path; predominant shed roof and high ceilings with exposed framing made of reclaimed wood; clerestory windows that bring sunlight and warmth…
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What is Your Building’s Carbon Footprint?
As design professionals and consumers, we have become smarter about the decisions we make in selecting building products and we are asking more questions of the vendors and manufacturers. We now have the knowledge to evaluate and select green materials such as FSC certified wood or a solar photovoltaic system. However, we can take it…
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Rising Tides Competition Exhibit Opens in San Francisco
A unique exhibit featuring innovative ideas related to coastal development and sea level rise opens on Friday, July 10, at the historic San Francisco Ferry Building in downtown San Francisco and runs through July 19. The exhibit, called “Rising Tides,” is the culmination of an international design competition hosted by the San Francisco Bay Conservation…
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Sripadanna Residence: Synergy in Sustainability
Architects have been practicing principles of sustainable design for a long time even before the term sustainability became popular. With increasing popularity of sustainable design, it is important to understand that sustainable design is more than a collection of credits. The key is to create synergy between building systems and practices that multiply each other’s…
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Award Winning Two-in-One Solar Roofing System Launched at PCBC 2009
The PCBC 2009 featured 400+ exhibitors but only Custom-Bilt Metals won the Cool Product Competition in the “Saves Energy” category with their FusionSolar system. I had the opportunity to discuss the product with two of the owners, Joe and Steve Chiovare. The What: Custom-Bilt Metals, a manufacturer of metal roofing and rain gutter products, has…
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Optimism Key to Building Industry Recovery
PCBC (formerly known as the Pacific Coast Builders Conference) kicked off its 50th anniversary in San Francisco, California on June 17–19. The theme, “the New Age of Invention”, was apropos. In this economic climate, it’s time for us in the design and construction industries to re-invent ourselves, innovate, and work towards a more sustainable way…
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Simple Yet Smart Technology Helps Conserve Water
Having lived in California for the past 26 years, I know what it is like to go through droughts – it is scary. The most recent period of insufficient rainfall has forced public utilities to urge water conservation at all levels and enforce water use restrictions in many areas including the city in which I…
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Green Agents of Change Convene at Green Building Summit
The need for energy efficient and sustainable buildings has finally started gaining mainstream recognition in the United States in the last 5 years, not only from the design and construction industries, but also from homeowners, the financial sector, and government agencies including President Obama’s Administration. More recently, the momentum of call to action has also…
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Transforming a Concrete Box into a Net-Zero Energy Building
Editor’s Note: The IDeAs Z2 Design Facility is now the San Jose office of the Integral Group. At the AIA 2009 National Convention, I was pleased to find a handful of educational sessions, led by San Francisco Bay Area architects and engineers, that focused on net-zero energy building design. One of the featured projects, the IDeAs…
