GAB Report library
Historic Preservation
-
Facades+ San Francisco
The symposium program includes three sessions covering issues unique to the region, including innovative building skins, high performance facades, and the future face of San Francisco.
-
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,…
-
Green Adaptive Reuse Project Trumps Demolition
Adelaide, Australia-based Woods Bagot & Tridente Architects were recently announced as the winners of the WAN Adaptive Reuse Award 2015 for their Tonsley Main Assembly Building and Pods mixed-use project in Clovelly Park, Australia. As the master planners for the 61-hectare Tonsley Park Redevelopment site, the lead architects Woods Bagot convinced their clients to retain…
-
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.…
-
Hey World, Get Up and Green Up!
World Green Building Week is here! During the week of September 22-27 2014, Green Building Councils in countries in the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Middle East and North Africa and representing more than 27,000 organizations will host more than 200 events to celebrate World Green Building Week under the theme: “Get Up, Green Up.”…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Juvenile Detention Home Revived As Green Home for Veterans
The historic landmark at 150 Otis Street in San Francisco, California has seen much in its lifetime. It was designed by architect Louis Mullgardt and built in 1916 as the City’s Juvenile Court and Detention Home. Throughout the years, it has served as an office for the City’s Department of Human Services, a storage space,…
-
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…