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Commercial
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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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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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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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Post-Occupancy Evaluation of a LEED Certified Building
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to experience a LEED certified building as a user. On our drive to Los Angeles, my husband and I had to stop by a DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) so we randomly selected the DMV in the City of Tracy, California. Upon reaching the service counter after a…
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SchoolPictures.com Deconstructs Its Way to LEED Silver
Domino’s Pizza, Ave Maria College, and SchoolPictures.com. How are these 3 connected? The new headquarters of SchoolPictures.com is housed in buildings that used to belong to Ave Maria College which was founded by Thomas S. Monaghan, the founder of Domino’s Pizza. But more important than that fact is that SchoolPictures.com’s new home will become the…
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Fresh & Easy’s Lower Energy Bills Translate into Cost Savings for Customers
We’ve all experienced the typical grocery or big-box store that uses excessive energy. The same thoughts get recycled over and over in my head during shopping trips: Why do I have to freeze in the refrigerated aisles? Do all the lights really need to be turned on? Are there opportunities to bring in natural light? …
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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…
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Affordable Housing Project Incorporates Largest Residential Solar Photovoltaic System in San Francisco
What do you do when your project has close to 40,000 square foot of roof space in one city block, good sun exposure, and no shading impediments? Go solar, of course, and generate your own electricity with a renewable energy source. Mosaica, one of the largest green, mixed-use projects located in San Francisco, California, boasts…
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Kevin Roche’s Landmark Oakland Museum Undergoes Transformation
Cahill Contractors is nearing completion of the first of several phases of construction at the Oakland Museum of California. The first phase of the renovation is scheduled to complete around the middle of June 2009. The renovation project was designed by architecture firm Mark Cavagnero Associates. Other members of the project team include ProPM (construction…