GAB Report library
Energy Efficiency
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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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2014 AIA COTE Top Ten Green Project Winners Announced
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have just announced this week their selection of the 2014 Top Ten Green Projects, examples of sustainable architecture and ecological American design projects that protect and enhance the environment. The projects include new and adaptive re-use buildings, ranging from government offices to…
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Buildings That Follow the Sun
Can building floor plates rotate in response to sun movement? Sir Richard Branson seems to believe it’s possible. He recently introduced Virgin Buildings, a new generation of ultra-green skyscrapers aimed to positively change the landscape for the environment, architecture, and cities around the world. Sir Branson envisions Virgin Buildings to provide their own food, water,…
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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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CEC Launches Online Green Building Library
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is proud to announce the launch of its online library of green building resources featuring close to 400 publications, databases and articles. Visit www.cec.org/gblibrary to access news and analysis of green building construction in the North American region and beyond: from green policy initiatives and financing models, to training…
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Zero Competition Architecture Responds to California’s 2020 ZNE Goals
Team Folium, consisting of Herman Coliver Locus Architecture, EBS Consultants, and Architectural Lighting Design, won the Special Recognition Award from the Architecture at Zero 2013 design competition. The Folium concept presents a fresh urban design solution that brings a sense of vitality and adds architectural interest to the surrounding neighborhood. A high-density, residential-commercially zoned site…
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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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Karuna House Achieves Green Building Triple Crown
Last December, the Karuna House earned its LEED for Homes Platinum rating with 101.5 points, making it the first home in the world to achieve a total of three green building certifications. The project not only achieved Passive House PHIUS+, but is also the first Minergie-certified home in North America, earning the top rating of…