GAB Report library
Buildings
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Building Dormitories With Local, Recycled Timber and Renewable Bamboo in Thailand
The armed conflict that has persisted for decades in the Karen State of Myanmar results in a daily flow of refugees and immigrants to neighbouring Thailand. In the Thai town of Mae Sot, a few kilometres from the Burmese border, numerous schools and orphanages offer accommodation and education for the refugees and immigrants. One of…
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Don Hisaka, FAIA: Architect, Mentor, and Friend
Earlier this year, an architect very dear to my heart peacefully passed away at his home in Berkeley, California. The late Don M. Hisaka, a world renowned architect, was my professor at UC Berkeley, a former boss, a long-time mentor, and a friend who taught me many things about life. During the twenty plus years…
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Drawing More Power Than You Think
Energy efficient building design has come a long way to improve building system energy performance. But what happens when the users move in? Additional equipment and appliances added after occupancy can dramatically impact actual building performance with surprising and expensive results. Plug loads and process loads have been long considered outside the design team’s scope…
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New Orlean’s First LEED NC-Silver Multi-Family Development
In just over two weeks, it will have been six-years since the the category-5 Hurricane Katrina crossed into the United States and rebuilding efforts continue to this day. New Orleans, Louisiana, was one of the hardest hit areas along the Gulf of Mexico. It received much attention from people across the country and many organizations…
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Exploratorium’s New Home Addresses Historic Preservation Design and Construction Challenges
When I was working as a construction manager, I was involved with a handful of complex historic preservation projects including the conversion of a historically significant church into affordable housing (Buena Vista Terrace) for seniors and the renovation of a small historic landmark (The Fireside) into a community center. Historic preservation often presents additional challenges…
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San Francisco Exploratorium’s New Home to Become Largest U.S. Net-Zero Energy Museum
Salty air breezes off of the Bay. Seagulls are flying about. A six foot diameter concrete pile gets driven into the sea floor. An energizing hum of activity reverberates throughout a waterfront construction site–the future new home of San Francisco’s Exploratorium. In October of 2010, the Exploratorium–the Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, broke…
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Energy Strategy Brings About ROI for Santa Clara University
Few universities can claim to have a 1-megawatt solar PV system, a wind turbine, a 60-collector solar thermal system, and a smart microgrid system that monitors and regulates the campus energy sources. Santa Clara University isn’t afraid of experimenting with renewable, clean technology that will help it work towards achieving reduced energy consumption and climate…
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A Green Transformation of Eichler House Model MS-134
My first in-depth encounter with Eichler homes was a few years ago on a blazing hot 90°F Saturday afternoon in Palo Alto, California. I participated in a self-guided Eichler Home Tour which benefited Habitat for Humanity. It was such a treat to get a glimpse into what lay within the Eichler homes that modernized the…
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Ecobuild 2011: A Global Exchange of Green Building Knowledge
Grey skies with a hint of spring and a peek of sunshine. I called London my adopted home for a few days last week while I attended Ecobuild 2011, held at ExCel London, from March 1st through 3rd. It was called “the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment and the…
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Cradle to Cradle and Beyond
Warren Buffet, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Ford, Brad Pitt, and me. What do we have in common? We all believe in the power of William McDonough—architect, instigator, and inspirer of change and optimism. During my senior year design studio, Professor Galen Cranz organized a field trip to New York City to meet architects at the forefront…