GAB Report library
Energy Efficiency
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ZNE Buildings Achievable in Every U.S. Climate Zone
Do ZNE buildings make sense in all climate zone types? Apparently they do, and have proven that it is possible to build successful ZNE buildings in every type of U.S. climate zone. New Buildings Institute recently released its 2018 Getting to Zero Status Update and Buildings List, which includes verified ZNE projects and proves that…
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Living Future 18
The What: In May 2018, a global community of changemakers will converge at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland to turn ideas into action! The Living Future unConference is the leading event in regenerative design. Join a community of changemakers. This year’s theme is AUTHENTICITY & ACTION, Where Big Ideas Gain Momentum. Living Future is all about cross-industry collaboration.…
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100% Natural Ventilation at Harvard’s HouseZero
A pre-1940s-residential building situated in Harvard University’s campus is being renovated to inspire others on how old and conservative design can be altered to create an ultra-efficient facility with ambitious performance targets. The building, which is to be completed in the spring of 2018, will house The Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities’ headquarters,…
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Sonoma Academy Wins Beyond Green High-Performance Building & Community Award
Another win for Sonoma Academy – the school’s Janet Durgin Guild & Commons recently won a Beyond Green High-Performance Building and Community Award from the National Institute of Building Sciences. This is on top of its achievement of the AIA CC Leading Edge Award and AIA COTE Top Ten Award, the industry’s best-known award program for sustainable…
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BuildingGreen’s Top 10 Products for 2018
BuildingGreen’s team recently announced its 2018 Top 10 Products List, a list that is well respected and one to which I always look forward. I’m particularly excited about the AirFlow Panel and the VersaDry Drywall Track, both of which revolutionize the standard methods of building to make it fundamentally simpler for designers/engineers and builders in terms…
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Triple Bottom-Line Bank Is Net Zero Ready
Beneficial State Bank has a challenge for its customers and depositors. It is to “build something beautiful.” For its new headquarters in Oakland, California, the bank commissioned Gelfand Partners Architects to realize the bank’s mission of community and sustainability through the remodel of an office suite in an existing downtown building. The 6,680 square foot…
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Calling for Nominees for the California ZNE School Awards
With 27 zero net energy (ZNE) schools operating or planned, California is leading the nation in driving K-12 schools and community colleges to ZNE performance. These projects represent high performance buildings that combine energy efficiency and renewable resources to produce at least as much energy as they consume annually. To honor early innovation and leadership…
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Partner in Reconciliation: Building for the Indigenous People of Canada
The University of British Columbia (UBC) was honoured with a Sustainability Award from APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities, for the second time in six years in August of 2017. It was a no brainer to have AYO Smart Home’s Pilot House share this stunning and innovative campus. The idea for the AYO Smart Home came…
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It’s Time to Provide Leadership
Hosted by the USGBC Northern California Chapter and following a hiatus since its last conference, GreenerBuilder 2017 came back strong and was a stimulating success, well attended by over 360 attendees. It took place at the Zero Net Energy Center in San Leandro, California, a 1980s tilt-up building that has been transformed into a breathable…
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Student Competition: INNOVATION 2030
Climate change is the design challenge of our time. Architects play a critical role in addressing both the causes and effects of climate change. Design is the key to producing a built environment that adapts to projected climate impacts, protects inhabitants during unanticipated stresses, and produces no greenhouse gas emissions. INNOVATION 2030 is a student…