Green Building

Oregon’s Zero-Energy Office Tower

Written by Ryan Hollitz | 02 June 2010
Posted in Blog - Green Building

West coast leadership! Woot! I can't wait to see the buildings of the future that consume no energy! Soon Oregon will have one!

via [inhabitat.com] by Andrew Michler, 06/01/10

The Oregon Sustainability Center is getting ready to build the largest Living Building Challenge-certified office tower in the world. The Portland-based skyscraper is being developed using the LBC’s doctrine of neither taking resources nor causing environmental harm — this means that the building will produce all of its own water sources and energy. That’s a tall order for a tower, but the collection of non-profits that comprise the Center, along with a strong community, feel up to it. Ground breaking is projected to start by the end of the year.

living building challenge, net zero-energy, net zero-water, natural cooling,Portland Oregon building, low impact building, worlds largest zero energy building, solar electric facade,

To achieve a net-zero energy footprint the building uses many passive design features. These include a floor plan and building materials that maximize natural cooling in the building, which mean that they will forgo any traditional AC. Natural lighting is, of course, a big part of the design. Just as important is a system that provides feedback to the occupants, to assist them in reducing personal energy consumption, which is upwards of 40% of the building’s total energy footprint. Because the energy load is so greatly reduced, a series of solar panel arrays will allow them to realize net-zero energy consumption. The panels will also shade windows and provide outdoor covered spaces.

The grey-water from toilets will be recycled using a living machine system and then treated and discharged within the development’s footprint. Rainwater will be collected for irrigating the many trees and plants that will be incorporated to make the space feel more natural for its fortunate occupants and visitors. The building will be used as a laboratory and educational facility to substantiate the Living Building Challenge. Many building professionals believe this system to be the next step beyond LEED certification.

+ Oregon Sustainability Center

Via eVolo

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Towering Vertical Wooden Tennis Center For Sweden

Written by Ryan Hollitz | 23 December 2009
Posted in Blog - Green Building

Man this is sweet tennis center. I would totaly play tennis in this highrise.

via [inhabitat.org] by Bridgette Meinhold

The building you see above may look like a gigantic piece of shredded wheat, but it’s actually a (very) non-traditional tennis complex for Vaxjo, Sweden! David Tajchman, a Paris-based firm, designed the aptly named Tennicalator to be made out of locally sourced wood as part of an international design competition, but the woven facade isn’t the only cool thing about it. Since the area and neighboring buildings have a strong connection with the surrounding nature, David Tajchman decided to take the Tenniscalator vertical instead of horizontal, leaving the remaining land for beautiful gardens and manicured grounds.

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Green Roofed London Hotel is Buried Underground

Written by Ryan Hollitz | 23 December 2009
Posted in Blog - Green Building

Now these are some sweet diggs.

via [inhabitat.com] by Evelyn Lee

Subterranean Hotel, Green Building, Sustainable Building, Green Hotels, Sustainable Hotels, ReardonSmith Architects, Hersham Golf Club, London Green Belt, Green Roofs

This five star hotel is going under – underground that is! Designed by ReardonSmith Architects for a proposed development at Hersham Golf Club in Surrey, London, this new subterranean hotel will pay its ultimate respects to London’s Green Belt by placing all 200+ guest rooms underneath it! The entire scheme is covered with a plush green roof that takes its cue from the surrounding countryside.

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Infrared Light and Nanomaterials Could Yield Non-Toxic Corrosion Fighters

Written by Ryan Hollitz | 22 December 2009
Posted in Blog - Green Building

We can't always "just build another one". Here is some good news from our scientists that can help preserve the infracstructure we have.

via [cleantechnica.com] Written by Tina Casey

A new anti-corrosion coating that uses infrared light to bond new nanomaterials to steel could yield a more sustainable, less toxic substitute for the massive quantities of hazardous chemicals that are currently needed to hold our aging infrastructure together.

The technology is being developed by MesoCoat, the Edison Materials Technology Center, and Polythermics, LLC, under a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. Aside from the green benefit of cutting down on hazardous chemicals, the new approach promises lower costs and higher performance, winning sustainable points for extending the lifecycle of steel infrastructure elements and perhaps consumer products as well.

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New Biomass Plant for the UK Looks Like a Giant Green Volcano

Written by Ryan Hollitz | 22 December 2009
Posted in Blog - Green Building

A blend of new technology and old asthetics brings this new design for a Biomass Power Plant. Beautiful!

Via [inhabitat.com] and Dezeen by Bridgette Meinhold

The United Kingdom is splattered with fossil fuel based power plants and concrete cooling towers which are major carbon producers as well as eyesores. Luckily, plans for a new biomass power plant covered in native grasses in the UK have just been released and they will complement the surrounding ecology as well as decrease carbon emissions by 80% compared to coal or gas fired power stations. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, a London-based firm, the 49.3 MW power plant located on the banks of the River Tees will be a man-made mountain covered in plants and will certainly be a welcome replacement to the older, pollution-spewing plants around the country.

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10 Sensational Homes Built from Straw

Written by Ryan Hollitz | 19 December 2009
Posted in Blog - Green Building

New building materials could really make your house green from the ground up! Straw! :)

via [thedailygreen.com]

More homeowners are discovering the beauty, comfort and energy savings of new straw bale construction techniques.

In the classic story of the Three Little Pigs‚ a naive piglet decides to build his home out of straw, which soon gets the huff and puff treatment by a big bad wolf, resulting in the poor little pig's untimely end. But perhaps unbelievably to some, straw homes do really exist, and they are a lot safer and sturdier than their mythical counterparts -- not to mention beautiful and stylish.

Many may wonder why a person would want to build a home made out of straw, but apart from providing a place to hide from the big bad wolf, they have some substantial benefits. They are undeniably green‚ as straw packed tightly in the walls helps to retain heat, keeping a home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, minimizing the home's carbon footprint. Straw is also a sustainable material; it is the leftover stalks from grain that would otherwise be burnt. Aside from the environmental issue, straw homes are also often beautiful structures crafted in such a way to reflect the thick curved walls of a primal era, and envelop the inhabitant in a special, unique retreat that personally expresses their respect and care for the environment.

Read on to discover just how right that first little pig was to build his home out of straw.

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Norway’s Most Energy-Efficient Office Building Unveiled for Cop15

Written by Ryan Hollitz | 11 December 2009
Posted in Blog - Green Building

This is a great step in the innovation of Green Building! Just the leadership we need to promote!

via [inhabitat.com] by Olivia Chen

At Inhabitat, we’ve been showing our support for COP15 by telling our readers about the need to take action on climate change. Various Architects in Oslo, Norway has taken a different path and did what they do best – designing a concept for an ultra energy-efficient building that could help mitigate the world’s climate problems! The building features a variety of energy-saving measures including operable insulated shutters on the building’s facade, wind turbines, a green roof, and the use of local and sustainable building materials – sounds like a pretty fitting tribute to COP15 if you ask us.

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This is the Future of Green Building Management

Written by Ryan Hollitz | 09 December 2009
Posted in Blog - Green Building

This is going to be the future. We will all need to start accounting for everything we use from gas in your car, to electricity for your hairdryer. Monitoring and alerts will definatly impact the bottom line.

For years, both commercial and residential property managers have adhered to a fixed set of job responsibilities – collecting rent, coordinating maintenance requests, renewing leases and attracting new residents.

One more job responsibility – managing and forecasting a building’s carbon footprint – should be added, according to Ross Sharman, director of Australia-based Knowledge Global and Oracle Magazine’s 2009 Green IT Architect of the Year.

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Green Building

Oregon’s Zero-Energy Office Tower

Towering Vertical Wooden Tennis Center For Sweden

Green Roofed London Hotel is Buried Underground

Infrared Light and Nanomaterials Could Yield Non-Toxic Corrosion Fighters

New Biomass Plant for the UK Looks Like a Giant Green Volcano

10 Sensational Homes Built from Straw

More homeowners are discovering the beauty, comfort and energy savings of new straw bale construction techniques.

Norway’s Most Energy-Efficient Office Building Unveiled for Cop15

This is the Future of Green Building Management