Category: Sustainability

June 20, 2024

In the early 1900s author Ellen Burns Sherman is said to have penned what would become the rationale for biophilic cities more than 100 years later: “The more civilized man becomes, the more he needs and craves a great background […]

June 13, 2024

A life cycle assessment of buildings conducted by RMI showed that 65 to 85% of embodied carbon in buildings—representing up to 9% of total global carbon emissions—comes from raw material extraction, transport, and manufacture. In a similar assessment, WSP Engineering […]

June 11, 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of building construction, there’s a growing awareness over indoor air quality. And for good reason. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has discovered that air inside buildings can be two to five times more contaminated than the […]

June 6, 2024

A recent study suggests that our home galaxy, the Milky Way, cannot be seen by one-third of humanity. Why? Millions of city lamps brighten our cities every night, but only part of their light is used to actually illuminate streets […]

May 24, 2024

Maximizing natural light in buildings is popular and can save on energy costs. However, traditional glass roofs and walls also present problems such as glare, lack of privacy, and overheating. Alternative solutions, such as coatings and light-diffusing materials, have not […]

May 13, 2024

Reducing the environmental impact of our built environment is imperative to ensuring a livable, healthy, and fulfilling future. Over the last several decades many organizations have committed themselves to this goal, with the Green Building Initiative being one of the […]

April 26, 2024

Roughly 280 million tires are discarded annually by American motorists, according to the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. REGUPOL is taking that tire waste and turning it into something good for the built environment—sustainable rubber flooring. Here’s how […]

April 24, 2024

Studies have shown that the built environment is responsible for 40% of the world’s total carbon emissions, while the construction and demolition industry as a whole generates approximately 30% of the globe’s waste and accounts for over one-third of global […]

April 23, 2024

At a time when sustainability and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) concerns are prevalent, there is a crucial need to focus on a sector that accounts for 38% of all global CO₂ emissions and consumes 30% of global resources: the […]

April 2, 2024

When discussing sustainability in construction, we are used to an approach based on complex technological solutions, expensive sensors, costly materials and, most recently, artificial intelligence. But what if everything we are looking for (in terms of sustainability) could come from […]

March 29, 2024

The new Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance will serve as the dedicated practice facility for the four‐time WNBA championship team the Seattle Storm. The building’s design includes two side‐by‐side basketball courts, the “Storm Team Center” with locker rooms, a […]

March 27, 2024

Turner Construction Co. and local ready-mix producer Boston Sand & Gravel report they are the first to place concrete with Sublime Systems’ zero-carbon cement in a mud mat for a building. Turner would not disclose the specific site but said […]

March 26, 2024

When considering traditional brick facades, we usually conjure up images of solidity and robustness. Solid ceramic blocks, recognized for their ability to withstand compression and offer strength and durability to structures, are materials frequently used in architecture. However, innovation in […]

March 18, 2024

For a long time, the construction industry has followed a linear process – extract raw materials, build structures, demolish them, and then dispose of the garbage in landfills. This approach has serious negative effects on the environment and society and […]

March 15, 2024

An estimated 1.4 million legal accessory dwelling units—or ADUs—exist in the United States, with that number growing steadily larger each year. Housing experts, real estate agents, and urban planners alike have posited that this rise in ADU popularity could be […]

February 13, 2024

Bricks are part of the collective imagination when thinking about construction. These are elementary, ubiquitous, modular, light, and reliable materials for erecting buildings. However, traditional ceramic block manufacturing relies on burning clay in kilns at high temperatures, often powered by […]

January 23, 2024

The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has provided a further infusion of financial help for a long-delayed $12-billion high-speed passenger rail line from Las Vegas to southern California. DOT on Jan. 23 announced it is allocating $2.5 billion in private-activity bonds […]

December 28, 2023

In the ever-evolving landscape of urban development, cities are faced with an array of challenges that demand quick and innovative solutions, ranging from the critical issue of affordable housing to the pressing need for efficient and decongested infrastructure and sustainable […]

December 14, 2023

The supply chain and overall construction industry is truly made up of its people. It is common for crews to work together for years, spanning the globe together and learning to rely on one another and the skills they have […]

December 11, 2023

Large construction projects have numerous stakeholders who are responsible for different aspects throughout the construction lifecycle, managing stormwater runoff is critical since active construction sites can be a large contributor to pollutants entering a community’s waterways if not managed properly. […]