GAB Report library
Building Materials
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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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Ecobuild, What Happened to Green Innovation?
I only attended the last two days of Ecobuild in London this year. On the first day there, I was fully absorbed in finding the booths that shouted “this is the Landscape Architecture section,” never really bothering to slow down and take a look around. I found very few booths representing the field of landscape…
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Find Your Ecopath to Cleanliness
Having been raised in an Asian household, I was trained to remove my shoes upon entering a home so that I wouldn’t track in any dirt and debris. I have maintained this ritual throughout my life and most recently learned that many Canadian and Swiss households do the same thing. Less debris equals less floor…
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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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Rubber Tires Find New Life as Modular Flooring Tiles
During a road trip from San Francisco to Southern California, I observed the many facets of the landscape: beautiful rolling valleys, pervasive big box stores, and stockpiles of vehicle tires piled high and awaiting their uncertain future. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, this is prevalent throughout the United States scenery. California has been actively finding ways…
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Introducing a Green Replacement for Plywood
Can the construction industry help divert plastics from the world-wide waste stream? Could a green replacement for plywood be one of the ways to help solve the problem? During my attendance at Ecobuild 2010 in London earlier this year, I came upon a smartly designed exhibitor booth. I was drawn to its interactive displays, see-through…
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New Directions for Living Roofs and Walls
The evolving technology of green roofs has been leading to the use of greater diversity in their designs. After years of implementing green roof designs, the industry has seen a steady move towards more diversity in both elements of construction and plant materials. What is most fascinating of the improvement in green roof design is…
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How Green Is Your Building’s Wood?
How can architects, developers and builders know for sure that lumber for building their projects comes from sustainably managed forests? Sustainability is defined internationally as: meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising that ability for future generations. Translated to forestry, sustainability strives to balance the interdependent and sometimes competing interests of the environmental,…
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City of Ann Arbor Pilots LED Street Lights and Reduces Costs
LED (light emitting diode) is a solid-state semiconductor device that converts electrical energy directly into light. Its development started in the 1960s and has been typically utilized as indicator lights in numerous electronic products, signage and flash light applications. Just in the last few years as its technology advanced, LEDs are now used in real…
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Ecobuild 2010: Learning From Our European Counterparts in Green Building
I’ve been reflecting on my whirlwind tour at Ecobuild 2010, a conference and tradeshow focusing on sustainable design, construction, and the built environment, as I sit at London Heathrow airport awaiting my delayed flight. During my two and a half days traversing London Underground’s network of tubes (a.k.a. subway lines), attending numerous educational sessions, and…