Recent Articles

Web Exclusive Q&A: Biosciences Research Building

Co-authors of Andrea Love and Kevin Sullivan discuss the natural ventilation, tight budget, and post-occupancy evaluation of the Biosciences Research Building.

Web Exclusive Q&A: The Evolution of Sound Masking

As open plan offices grow increasingly common, so does the need for strategies to lessen noise from office activities. Niklas Moeller discusses advancements in the technology behind sound masking systems and how to achieve acoustic control and occupant comfort.

Eyes on the Prize: Communities Share Lessons from Energy Savings Competition

As communities across the U.S. race to conserve energy in pursuit of a $5 million prize, they are discovering what it takes to motivate energy-saving changes. One of the keys: Know your audience.

Web Exclusive: TWIN Elevator System Coming to U.S.

Phase 2 of midtown Atlanta’s Technology Square project, known as Coda, includes a 21-story collaborative building developed by Portman Holdings for Georgia Tech, and will feature a unique elevator system installed for the first time in the Americas.

Brock Environmental Center: Virginia Beach, Va.

For buildings to withstand sea-level rise, coastline erosion, and hurricanes, they need to be built to work with nature, not against it. The Brock Environmental Center is a living example of how to minimize impact on the environment while being resilient to future challenges. The triple net zero building is the latest to receive Living Building Challenge certification and is the first in the U.S. to receive a permit for drinking rainwater treated to federal standards.

Web Exclusive Q&A: Brock Environmental Center

Resilient design is gaining traction, but costs and predicting future climate change effects pose barriers.

Web Exclusive: Pavement, People and Floods

Houston's recent floods demonstrate the disastrous consequences of putting people, pavement and buildings in vulnerable places.

Web Exclusive: Top Ten AIA Projects Redefine High Performance

AIA COTE jury member Margaret Montgomery shares top trends seen in this year's winners.

WaterHub at Emory University: Atlanta

As water resources grow increasingly taxed and scarce in communities across the U.S., an Atlanta university is turning to an unlikely resource to reduce its drinking water demand: the local sewer. The WaterHub at Emory University turns waste into a resource, recycling wastewater via an ecological treatment facility–the first of its kind in the U.S. Its sustainable treatment process sets an example of how adaptive technology can be used to meet water needs while reducing water costs.

Stevens Library at Sacred Heart Schools: Atherton, Calif.

For schools in drought-stricken areas, net zero energy and water strategies help future-proof against utility rate hikes. But, the price tag for net zero can be too high for school budgets. Fortunately, a library project at Sacred Heart School in northern California illustrates that it is possible to deliver a net zero energy building within a conventional budget while teaching kids about the value of conserving resources.