This solar-coated high-rise is self-sustaining
A high-rise office building in Melbourne, Australia, boasts a solar facade made up of 1,182 solar panels which, together with additional rooftop solar, sustain the building with renewable power. Helping others by helping itself “The building is designed to be self-sustainable,” says Pete Read More...
These prefab facades could make old buildings carbon negative
Retrofitting buildings so that they consume less energy is key to meeting current climate targets. A company in Germany is working to accelerate that process by building tailored facades with built-in insulation that can fit like a glove onto old buildings to reduce their energy use. Prefab Read More...
Here’s how we can make buildings that capture and store CO2
If we are to successfully reverse the effects of climate change, then we must thoughtfully construct buildings that soak up carbon dioxide rather than produce it. But in order for that to happen, the building trade needs to redirect its focus. So much of the focus of "green buildings" is on Read More...
This discarded 1990s window design could help fight climate change
According to the United States Department of Energy, buildings use about 76 percent of electricity in the US and are responsible for about 40 percent of all direct and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the country. This means that reducing energy consumption from buildings is an Read More...
Rapidly retrofitting old buildings is key for climate goals - Here's how to do it
Buildings account for about 40 percent of annual global carbon emissions. In order to meet our climate goals, every building on the planet will have to be net-zero by 2050. But since most of the current buildings will still exist then, a massive number of homes will have to undergo retrofits in Read More...
New York City moves away from natural gas in new buildings
As cities scramble to meet their ambitious emissions reduction goals, local governments are increasingly looking to shift from fossil fuels to cleaner forms of energy. New York City, for example, has become the latest major city to ban the use of natural gas in new buildings, reports Reuters. As Read More...
This Chicago project raises the bar for sustainable urban development
With city populations expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades, it is essential that we take up a model for low-carbon development that promotes a thriving and sustainable future for urban communities. A recent development proposal in downtown Chicago is the embodiment of such a Read More...
Here are America’s 10 best sustainable buildings of 2020
Buildings generate nearly 40% of the world’s CO2 emissions—and since two-thirds of the buildings that exist today will still be around by the middle of the century, architects need to rethink their design now to have a chance of meeting goals for a net-zero economy. The industry is shifting, Read More...
This high-tech wood reflects sunrays and keeps homes cool
Conventional construction materials used for building our homes are most often inefficient. Cooling our houses during the warm season, for instance, usually requires a staggering amount of energy and associated carbon emissions. In an attempt to find a solution to this, scientists at the University Read More...
NYC approves law that targets its biggest source of CO2 emissions: buildings
Since the building and construction sector is responsible for around 30 percent of global energy consumption and the greenhouse gas emissions that come with it, decarbonizing our buildings is an essential step for curbing climate change. On Thursday, the city of New York demonstrated that it’s Read More...