Archinect - News

What's new in LEED v5? Steering Committee chair Anica Landreneau explains

2024-10-22T18:36:00-04:00

HOK’s Anica Landreneau, the chair of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Steering Committee, has sat down for an in-house interview published by the firm in a preview of the changes contained in the LEED v5 update. The new changes align with the Paris Agreement, AIA 2030, MEP 2040, SE 2050 and ASLA 2040 plans.

"The top priority is rapid decarbonization to address the urgency of the climate crisis. Approximately half of the 110 points for achieving LEED v5 certification is based on decarbonization," she explained. "That represents a much greater emphasis on decarbonization than ever before. Then a quarter of the points focus on biodiversity, ecology and the natural world, which promotes resilience but also the survival of all species on the planet. Another quarter of the points focus on human health and well-being—the quality of life and the human experience."

The LEED v5 is designed for use between 2025 and 2030.

You can learn more about the most common environmental certificatio...

3XN and Arcadis IBI release design for new University of Toronto Rotman Commerce Building

2024-07-12T19:09:00-04:00

3XN, in collaboration with Arcadis IBI, has revealed the design for a new, unified Rotman Commerce Building at the University of Toronto. The building aims to prepare students for professional life after university by fueling both learning and networking through open and interconnected spaces.

The current Rotman Commerce program is dispersed across four separate sites across the school’s St. George campus. The new 92,000-square-foot building will comprise five levels above ground and two levels below. It will host a variety of learning spaces, staff offices, and a 200-seat event space.

Image courtesy 3XN

The building’s design is guided by the principle that optimum learning is supported by flexibility, transparency, and interaction. As one moves through the building, the social levels shift, from the lower levels to the more private and quiet areas towards the top.

Image courtesy 3XN

The Rotman Commerce Building is designed in line with the University of Toronto’s Climate Positive ...

Woods Bagot's LAX Midfield Satellite Concourse South expansion has broken ground

2023-07-13T16:42:00-04:00

A groundbreaking ceremony held in late June marks the official start of work on the LAX Midfield Satellite Concourse South project, an expansion of the recently-opened West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal.

The Woods Bagot-designed $400 million MSC South project will add 150,000 square feet, spread across eight gates and two stories, to LAX. It forms part of Los Angeles World Airport’s (LAWA), the airport authority that owns and operates the airport, $14.5 billion capital investment improvement project, which includes terminal renovations, the construction of new ground transportation hubs, and an automated people mover system.

Aerial view of site. Image courtesy of Woods Bagot.

MSC South’s construction will utilize what the architects describe as a first-of-its-kind technique, where its building components will be built offsite and then delivered to the location for assembly.

The new concourse will have an L-shaped layout with an exterior brise soleil that will reduce glare and solar radiation while maximizing outdoor views. The design also draws inspiration from LA’s modernist homes. The project is grounded in sustainable practices as it aims for LEED Silver certification. Completion...

Port Authority of NY & NJ reaches milestone with new low-carbon concrete standards

2023-06-29T14:09:00-04:00

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced earlier this month that it has reached a major milestone in one of the most ambitious low-carbon concrete programs of its kind among U.S. transportation agencies.

Originally introduced in September 2020, the Clean Construction Program aims to reduce embodied carbon, promote the circular economy, and reduce air pollution from construction across all of the Authority’s projects through a range of initiatives. They include the incorporation of LEED and Envision-equivalent standards, utilizing low-carbon concrete, collecting environmental data from contractors, facilitating pilot projects, waste matching for concrete, asphalt, and soil, and requiring low-emissions vehicles on site.

The agency took a major step forward by significantly strengthening its requirements to use sustainable concrete mixes in all future construction projects as part of its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Related on Archinect: UN Secr...

Construction starts on $416 million, mixed-income development in Upper Manhattan

2023-05-11T17:48:00-04:00

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the start of construction of a $416 million mixed-income, mixed-use residential development in the Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan. It will include nearly 700 apartments, including 281 affordable units, and provide a range of carbon-reducing features, including all-electric heating and cooling, in line with the state’s climate goals.

Designed by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects, the development is part of Hochul’s $25 billion Housing Plan that will create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes across New York, including 10,000 with supportive services for vulnerable populations, in addition to the electrification of 50,000 others.

The two buildings that comprise the development are located at 405 and 407 West 206th Street. They will feature a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, with forty percent of them reserved for those earning at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). An additional ten percent o...

Montgomery Sisam design net-zero timber research center for University of Toronto

2023-02-02T12:05:00-05:00

Toronto-based Montgomery Sisam Architects has unveiled their design for the overhaul of the University of Toronto’s Koffler Scientific Reserve. Situated in a rural site in King Township north of the city, the new campus is intended to accommodate research students and faculty for extended periods of time as they study ecology and environmental biology.

Image credit: Montgomery Sisam Architects

The existing site, stitched together over the course of a hundred years, features an estate house, small farms, and a blend of woodlands, watercourses, and fish lakes. In response to the current lack of housing, teaching, and dining spaces at the KSR, the new scheme includes a purpose-built Dining and Operations Center, as well as twenty accommodation cabins.

Image credit: Montgomery Sisam Architects

Montgomery Sisam’s design approach revolved around their interpretation of KSR’s work, where minor changes in specific plants can yield broader narratives about global issues such as climate change....

Oppenheim Architecture unveils hotel carved into a mountainside

2021-09-29T10:08:00-04:00

Oppenheim Architecture has released details of their Desert Rock hotel complex, situated in the mountains along Saudi Arabia’s west coast. When completed in 2023, the complex will include 48 villas and 12 hotel suites, some of which are carved directly into the mountainside. The Desert Rock hotel forms part of a wider redevelopment known as the Red Sea Project, which is set to comprise 50 resorts across 22 islands and six inland sites upon its completion in 2030.

Image by Luxigon

Oppenheim’s scheme seeks to blend with its surroundings through the use of natural materials, some of which are recycled from the site. During the daytime, the hotel's material palettes and shadow effects blend with the mountainside to conceal the scheme, while at night, the glow of the architectural lighting activates the hillside. The approach to the hotel, along a hidden valley within the mountains, has been further considered to gently reveal the scheme as guests draw nearer, and minimize obstruction of ...

Renzo Piano's Academy Museum of Motion Pictures receives LEED Gold Certification

2020-11-04T16:14:00-05:00

Slowly, slowly, LA's new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is inching towards its anticipated completion.

The LACMA-adjacent, Renzo Piano-designed 300,000 square-foot museum campus on Wilshire Boulevard was forced to push back several official opening dates — most recently, the December 14 opening was rescheduled to now April 30, 2021 — but there appears to be continued progress at the site: the project was recently awarded LEED Gold Certification for its environmental concept.

Bird's eye rendering © Renzo Piano Building Workshop/©Academy Museum Foundation/ Image from L’Autre Image

Contributing to the rating were high-performance indoor environmental systems, solar power systems, waste reduction programs, easy public transportation access, a rideshare pickup and drop-off point, bike racks, a storm water reuse system that feeds irrigation for the museum’s landscaping, and Green Building Education content that will be accessible onsite and online after the museum’s opening.

Firms invo...

USGBC launches new indoor environmental quality guidance in response to COVID-19

2020-06-09T16:08:00-04:00

As the nationwide effort to reopen American businesses, universities, and other facilities gets underway, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has launched a new set of guidelines and metrics for ensuring that these re-opening activities "leverage LEED" expertise to "support buildings and communities in a post-pandemic world."

According to USGBC, "The strategy is guided by the idea that prioritizing the health of people, communities and the planet is the fastest way to rebuild a healthier, more sustainable economy."

As part of the group's new "economic recovery strategy" guidance for post-COVID-19 re-occupation, USGBC offers four new LEED credits tied to retrofitting existing spaces for post-pandemic use and adaptation.

The credits touch on the topics of cleaning and disinfecting, indoor air quality, water systems, and general re-occupancy.

The American Institute of Architects, California announces the launch of the 9th annual Architecture at Zero competition

2019-12-13T14:12:00-05:00

This post is brought to you by Architecture at Zero

*Competition Update: Registration and Submission deadline is May 20, 2020 at 6pm PST

The American Institute of Architects, California (AIACA) announces the launch of the ninth annual Architecture at Zero competition for zero net energy (ZNE) building designs. The competition is open for entries from students and professionals worldwide.

This year, AIACA partners with the San Benito County Free Library in Hollister, CA. ZNE structures are designed from the start to be energy efficient and offset the energy they consume through onsite renewable energy generation such as rooftop solar. Winners are chosen by a panel of international experts and awarded up to $25,000 in total prizes.

“The American Institute of Architects, California is excited to collaborate on this important initiative that affirms the role of architects in leading efforts to use design to curtail climate change,” said Benjamin Kasdan, AIA, AIACA President.

The competi...

Rice University's Jesús Vassallo's mass timber construction project wins Shepley Bulfinch Award

2019-07-29T13:45:00-04:00

The award grants funding to a faculty member — or team of faculty members — to conduct research that investigates materials or sustainability. Vassallo was selected for the award for his project “Tall Timber.”

Spanish architect, writer, and assistant professor at Rice University Jesús Vassallo was selected as the recipient of the Shepley Bulfinch Award. Founded in 1952, Shepley Bulfinch is an international architecture firm that focuses on sustainable design practices. Vassallo has committed much of his work towards design production and housing revolving around realism in architecture.

A licensed architect in Spain, Vassallo received his masters of architecture at Harvard GSD and his bachelors in architecture from Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid. His most recent project, titled "Tall Timber," focuses on mass timber construction systems for housing developments. Vassallo's research emphasizes the need for carbon reduction and awareness by focusing on mass timber construction as an alternative to steel or concrete systems.

Vassallo's previous project "Timber Towers" is a hybrid high-rise in Houston, Texas. Image © Jesús Vassallo

“Anticipating the disruptive potential of...

9 Featured Job Opportunities Focused on Sustainable Design

2019-07-25T12:24:00-04:00

Following Archinect's recent coverage of sustainable design practices this week we have selected nine firms who are seeking to hire candidates with strong backgrounds in sustainable design, analysis and research, LEED documentation, and green construction guidelines.

University of Texas at Dallas, Edith O'Donnell Arts & Technology Building by STUDIOS Architecture. Image © Tim Griffith

STUDIOS Architecture seeks a Project Architect
Location: Los Angeles, CA
The ideal candidate will be able to develop designs with understanding of building systems, sustainability requirements, accessibility and code compliance for solutions that are unique and engaging while tailored to client’s vision and project requirements. Experience in LEED documentation and certification, space programming, space planning, workplace strategy, entitlements, planning approvals, and other relevant facets of commercial architecture and planning are desirable. License or LEED Accreditation or pursuit of license and LE...

Leaders in architecture tend to be LEED-accredited, AIA study reveals

2017-04-04T19:17:00-04:00

What sets apart high-performing architecture firms from their award-lacking brethren? Not surprisingly, a commitment to excellence, which according to the AIA is measured by several factors, including an emphasis on sustainability and diversity. While the full report details the findings from a study of the past twenty years of COTE Top Ten Award-winners, the top eight habits of these firms are:

Unanimous signing of the AIA 2030 Commitment
Significantly high project performance for energy, water, and other metrics
Energy modeling, daylighting modeling, and post-occupancy evaluations as standard practice
Geographic concentration (47% on the West Coast)
Medium size (average staff number of 75)
A high percentage of women in staff (46%) and leadership positions (34%)
Low staff turnover (under 10%)
A high percentage of staff with LEED accreditation (48%)

GKD LEEDing The Way In Sustainable Building Products

2015-10-13T09:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by GKD Metal Fabrics.

In the ever-growing multitude of green building products available in today’s market, one material that doesn’t always come straight to mind is stainless steel. But this often overlooked material holds a wealth of sustainability benefits that grow tenfold when applied and bolstered by technology such as woven metal mesh. GKD-USA has harnessed the inherent sustainability characteristics of stainless steel, using the material as a medium for creating striking, LEED-worthy building exteriors.

Stainless steel by its very nature, offers sustainable characteristics. Depending on the manufacturer, stainless steel used in metal fabrics can contain as much as 35% post-industrial and 25% post-consumer recycled content. This recyclability directly correlates with minimizing waste. The process of recycling stainless steel involves no health hazardous materials. Additionally, stainless steel:

does not require a surface coating that can deteriorate ...

LAX's New Tom Bradley Terminal Receives LEED Gold Standard

2015-04-09T17:35:00-04:00

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the Pacific gateway to the United States, has achieved LEED Gold certification for its new Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), the crown jewel of the Bradley West renovation. This makes the 1.25-million-square-foot facility the largest LEED Gold airport terminal in the United States. Designed by Fentress Architects, TBIT is not only sustainable, it is America’s most technologically-advanced airport to date.

In the press release by the architects who designed the Tom Bradley terminal expansion, they detail some of the projects' most notable aspects:

The interior of the terminal contains "more than 12,000-square-feet of LED tiles and hundreds of LCD screens" to entertain travelers.
The project includes 15-gate terminals and concourse, designed to give room for expansion with LAX now the second-busiest airport in the nation.
Numerous features were designed to make the expansion sustainable, notably the use of low-E glass to minimize heat gain and low-flow water fixtures.

Apple CEO Tim Cook says new spaceship campus will be 'greenest building on the planet'

2014-09-22T18:55:00-04:00

Apple has previously advertised the environmentally conscious features of Campus 2, most notably on the recently updated environmental section of its website, which states that the building will be "powered by 100 percent renewable energy sources" and rely on natural ventilation instead of temperature control during 75 percent of the year. Apple will also be installing more than 300 electric vehicle charging stations on the campus and planting more than 7,000 trees on the grounds.

Make It Right unveils new designs for Native American housing in Montana

2014-06-23T13:10:00-04:00

The Make It Right foundation has unveiled its new home designs for the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes of Fort Peck, Montana. Following LEED Platinum certification and Cradle to Cradle practices, the foundation is known for building sustainable homes for people in need. For the Ft. Peck project, Make It Right plans to build twenty solar-powered homes for tribal members, and develop a sustainable master plan for the reservation of over 6,000 people.

Designers and architects involved included GRAFT, Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative, Architecture for Humanity, Method Homes and Living Homes. The homes will be available to tribal members with a household income of 60% or lower than the area's median income.

Find more information on the Ft. Peck project from Make It Right here.

"LEED Exposed" Exposed: A look at who's behind the new organization attacking LEED

2014-03-11T19:10:00-04:00

Researcher Anastasia Swearingen claims that "LEED certification is little more than a fancy plaque displayed by these ‘green’ buildings", and compares energy use intensity (EUI) of LEED certified buildings to non-certified buildings. Quoting data from the Green Building Report for the District of Columbia, she concludes that "For LEED-certified buildings, their EUI was 205, compared to 199 for non-certified buildings..."

Editor's Picks #344

2013-12-03T18:49:00-05:00

eric chavkin penned a review of "Glen Small: Recovery Room" an exhibit at Assembly in Los Angeles, organized and curated by Archinect's own Orhan Ayyüce. MightyMike (aka Michael Locke) commented "For local (Los Angeles) fans of Archinect, there's a wonderful example of Small's work in the Franklin Hills...the Leiberman House". For his part davidd felt "This review and Small's work seems to come from an ingroup/niche point of view".

eric chavkin penned a review of "Glen Small: Recovery Room" an exhibit at Assembly in Los Angeles, organized and curated by Archinect's own Orhan Ayyüce. He concluded "Despite the flaws the works of Glen Small offer so much that another architect could base an entire career on re-doing, modifying, repeating any one of his single works".

MightyMike (aka Michael Locke) commented "For local (Los Angeles) fans of Archinect, there's a wonderful example of Small's work in the Franklin Hills...the Leiberman House, designed by Glen Howard Small, AIA c.1989 and completed by Anthony Eckelberry in 1995". For his part davidd felt "This review and Small's work seems to come from an ingroup/niche point of view".

Plus, in latest edition of the series Working out of the Box, Archinect spoke with with Microsoft Design Leads Mary-Lynne Williams and Moneta Ho Kushner.

News
Brian Henry noted a move by Ohio towards banning LEED. katscan thought "It sure is about time, I was wondering why stat...

Ohio Looks at Banning LEED

2013-11-23T12:37:00-05:00

[U]nlike some other states that have moved to ban the use of LEED in public projects this year, [...] the Ohio resolution, SCR 25, takes on LEED v4 directly, asserting that LEED v4 should no longer be used by Ohio state agencies and government entities and that the state's Office of Energy Services begin an immediate review of alternative rating systems, codes, and standards.

Citing LEED's failure to adhere to "recognized voluntary standard development procedures," such as ANSI, the resolution makes a move to ban the use of LEED for its government buildings because of LEED's apparent lack of openness, transparency, and scientific basis in the development of its green building rating system standard. The USGBC has recently had to face similar challenges in other states including North Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.

Brad Pitt's "Make It Right" opens LEED-platinum housing complex in Kansas City

2013-11-11T15:50:00-05:00

Make It Right, an organization that helps communities rebuild after environmental or economic disasters, opened its most recent project in Kansas City, Missouri this past Saturday. The project focused on the abandoned and badly damaged Bancroft School plot, renovating the school building into LEED Platinum apartments, and constructing new homes on the grounds (designed by local BNIM Architects). The community complex also includes an auditorium, gym, computer lab and public gardens.

Originally founded by Brad Pitt in response to the alarmingly slow rate of reconstruction in post-Katrina New Orleans, Make It Right uses urban acupuncture tactics to help damaged cities recuperate. According to Director of Innovation Tim Duggan, projects like the Bancroft School can help "[transform] the focal point in a blighted neighborhood into a catalyst for redevelopment. And we believe this can be a model for communities around the country".

Since its founding in 2007, Make It Right ha...

Just How Green Is The World's Greenest Building?

2013-08-07T20:06:00-04:00

According to data released by New York City last fall, the Bank of America Tower produces more greenhouse gases and uses more energy per square foot than any comparably sized office building in Manhattan. It uses more than twice as much energy per square foot as the 80-year-old Empire State Building. - Sam Roudman

The Bank of America tower in NYC, winner of Platinum LEED certification and (according to Bank of America) "one of the world's most environmentally responsible high-rise office buildings", is under scrutiny for its environmental claims, in a debate hosted by the Fast Company blog, Co.Design. A recent article by Sam Roudman for the New Republic questioned the building's actual environmental impact, and the effectiveness of LEED certification by extension. Roudman's piece prompted a counter-defense from the sustainability blog, Treehugger, and Co.Design has published the two sides of the conversation.

Canadian telecom giant TELUS taps BIG for landmark tower in Calgary

2013-07-09T17:13:00-04:00

The 750,000 square foot vibrant mixed-use tower will incorporate office, retail and residential space. There will be 430,000 square feet of office space, of which 155,000 square feet will be for TELUS. The development, scheduled for completion in the fall of 2017, will provide approximately 250 jobs for Calgarians, and engage local trades and companies to complete our vision.

$400-million, 750,000 square foot LEED Platinum project to transform Calgary’s skyline with an architectural marvel, creating a dynamic community of blended urban living and working

Calgary, AB – TELUS is reaching for the sky with a new architectural landmark in Calgary’s downtown core, transforming the entire 7th Avenue block into one of the most technologically innovative and environmentally-friendly sites in North America.

“The TELUS team is tremendously proud of our longstanding history in Alberta and thrilled to announce the development of TELUS Sky, which will stand as a lasting symbol of our passionate commitment to the Calgary community, our customers, our team members and to the province of Alberta,” said Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and CEO. “Our new development is a powerful contribution to Calgary’s economic strength, culture and social vitality. Notably, TELUS Sky will inject millions of dollars into the community and create hundreds of local jobs while...

The Bullitt Centre: A Green American Icon

2013-01-16T12:54:00-05:00

A brand new green building project is set to become one of the world’s most sustainable commercial office builds not for the new and innovative technology it has implemented but for the unique approach to green building the developers have taken.

Chemical Industry Attacks LEED

2012-06-08T14:20:00-04:00

A developing focus on chemicals of concern in the LEED rating systems could make federal buildings less energy-efficient, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

Building Science Pioneer Dr. Joe Lstiburek on the Good, Bad and Ugly Side of Buildings

2012-05-16T19:37:00-04:00

The term ‘building science’ is used quite often now in sustainable building circles, but much of what we understand of it can be traced back to the work of Dr. Joe Lstiburek, founder of Building Science Corporation. Many of the building standards today have his finger prints all over them, and his tough love criticism of building design is undercut with his wry humor and encyclopedic knowledge of building construction.

Leave your preconceived ideas at the door.

SFO Terminal 2 is the First U.S. Airport to Achieve LEED Gold Certification

2011-12-08T12:47:00-05:00

With innovative mechanical systems, natural daylighting, clear signage and a variety of behind the scenes sustainability strategies, San Francisco International Airport's Terminal 2 has become a destination unto itself. And the LEED Gold certification? Well, that's just an added bonus.

San Francisco's Terminal 2 just became the first airport in the United States to achieve LEED Gold certification, and Inhabitat hit the scene yesterday to bring you exclusive photos of the airy, energy-efficient building renovated by Gensler.

Foster + Partners Unveil Plans for Solar-Powered LEED Gold Kuwait International Airport

2011-10-04T16:27:26-04:00

Foster + Partners just announced they will be designing the new Kuwait International Airport - and they're aiming to make it the world's first LEED gold certified passenger terminal! The stunning design is sure to be an eye-catcher from both the ground and the sky, and it will raise the environmental bar for airports everywhere with a smart set of green features that will reduce the building's energy use and keep it cool in one of the hottest places on earth.

CA Academy of Sciences Crowned World’s Largest Double LEED Platinum Building

2011-09-27T14:29:34-04:00

Today the California Academy of Sciences achieved a groundbreaking feat of sustainable design as the U.S. Green Building Council presented it with its second LEED Platinum certification, making it America’s first double platinum museum, and the world’s largest double platinum building.

Empire State Building Achieves LEED Gold Certification

2011-09-14T13:44:58-04:00

It’s official — the Empire State Building has been awarded LEED Gold certification. Thanks to a massive green overhaul that took more than two years, the landmark is now the tallest building in the United States to receive LEED certification.