GAB Report library
Buildings
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A Green and Healthy Urban Health Clinic
The LEED CI Gold-certified Tom Waddell Urban Health Clinic is a green renovation developed as a part of the overall sustainable development of the Kelly Cullen Community (KCC) located in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco, California. KCC is the result of an environmentally conscious transformation and historic preservation of a 100-year old YMCA building.…
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Sustainability Around the Bay
The 2014 AIA SF Design Awards Gala last month honored San Francisco Bay Area architecture firms for their work in creativity and bringing positive impact to the built environment. Four projects winning in the Energy + Sustainability Category represent a strong testament to our industry’s commitment in making progress towards building net zero energy buildings. Two…
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California’s First Net Zero Energy Library
Editor’s Foreword: During my college years, I used to swing by the West Berkeley Public Library on University Avenue after shopping at the nearby art stores for my studio projects. I remember its dismal entrance, dim lighting, and run-down furniture squeezed into tight quarters. I’m so excited to learn that it has been replaced with…
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Toyo Ito Continues to Inspire
Last fall, I had the chance to meet Mr. Toyo Ito up close and personal soon after I toured the Taiwan National Stadium he designed. It was during a press conference held in Taipei New Horizon, his most recent project completed in Taiwan. He was invited by the Fubon Art Foundation to meet the press in the afternoon and give…
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No Border School Project Empowered by Traditional Construction
Editor’s Foreward: Portuguese architects João Guimarães and Miguel Magalhães of Aware Collective have designed No Border School, a 208 square meter modular and sustainable school for Burmese refugee children in Mae Sot, Thailand. The project is awaiting funding and I hope they will be able to realize such a thoughtful project which could have a…
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Highlights from Net Positive Energy and Water Conference
The 2014 Net Positive Energy and Water Conference took place this February in San Francisco, California. Organized by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), the conference brought together more than 350 passionate attendees concerned with making the world a healthier and more sustainable place to live. The conference started with an optional tour to two…
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Historic YMCA Transformed Into Green Affordable Housing
One of the things I miss most from working at Citizens Housing is my weekly visits to our construction sites. I had the chance to witness buildings get built from the ground up and renovated into modern, seismically safe, and energy efficient buildings. You can imagine the excitement I had when I was invited to…
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Gilroy’s First LEED Platinum Project
Gilroy, California is well known for its garlic crop, but it also has at least three LEED projects within its 16 square miles. The newly built Gilroy Sobrato Apartments developed by South County Housing is the first LEED for Homes Platinum rated project in Gilroy. It provides 25 studio units of permanent affordable housing for chronically…
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Taiwan National Stadium Sculpted from Concrete, Steel, and BIPV Panels
Taiwan has one of the coolest looking and greenest stadiums in the world. I first saw photos of this amazing building, the Taiwan National Stadium, at the Symposium on Taiwan-France Cooperation in Intelligent Green Buildings. Last fall, on a perfect sunny day, I joined a group hosted by the Taiwan Green Building Council for a…
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Växjö Tennis Hall Concept Wins World Architecture Community Award
Editor’s Foreword: Italian architect Alessandro Rollino recently won an award from the 20+10+X World Architecture Community Awards (2013 -14th cycle) for his conceptual project, Växjö Tennis Hall. The project was initially developed for an international architectural design competition held in Växjö, Sweden. The 20+10+X World Architecture Community Awards promotes the talent of young architects and students from all over the…