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building codes
Federal Green Building Code Creates Unnecessary Risks and Costs
Someone recently asked me why I was baffled about the Department of Defense's decision to use both LEED and a green building code. Here are two reasons: 1. The policy is a waste of taxpayer money. 2. The policy unnecessarily increases risks for government contractors.[read more]
The International Green Construction Code is finally here
Today is an important day for USGBC and for green building. It marks the culmination of more than six years of work to turn a crazy idea into a tangible, attainable reality.Today, the nation’s leading code developer, which emerged from the legacy regional code bodies, has published a model green building code. The International...[read more]
"Greening the Codes" Is a Good Start
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) recently published a white paper entitled "Greening the Codes" that is simultaneously very helpful and somewhat frustrating. The most important information is buried on page seven after an unnecessary review of the history of building codes. But if you can get through the...[read more]
Towards carbon neutrality: Impact of building codes
Climate change has become a hot button topic for discussion around the world, with many passionate people pushing forward initiatives to address this issue head on. With the Copenhagen summit, it is clear that passion alone will not solve climate change, given concerns over economics and developing countries. There seems to be an...[read more]
In Solidarity with Haiti
"Residents interviewed through the city said that the cries that they heard emanating from many collapsed buildings in the initial hours after the quake had begun to soften, if not quiet completely." New York Times (Jan 15, 2010) Earthquake response teams in Port-au-Prince explain that there is a 72-hour period in which people...[read more]
Morgan, OTR group propose changes to City code enforcement
A group led by Over-the-Rhine Foundation executive director Mike Morgan and neighborhood resident Danny Klingler has submitted a 29-page report to Cincinnati City Council, outlining changes he believes will both save historic buildings and spur economic development.Calling a recent surge in demolitions an "imminent threat", especially...[read more]
For Green Benefits, Remodel(ing) Building Codes
At the National Association of Home Builders' Green Conference in Dallas this weekend, conversation turned to retrofitting buildings. There was universal acknowledgement among the homebuilders I spoke to that building new homes was going to be dwarfed by retrofitting and renovating existing dwellings for the...[read more]
Sustainable Cities Collective
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“Spot on! I believe that incorporating concepts in anthropology (or biology, and so on) is absolutely necessary for our health in cities. It only makes sense that the environment we evolved in would impact our physiology today. How we can utilize this knowledge and research it further is crucial...”
“Great article, Kaid.Rethinking the future of what will hopefully be the inevitable demise of the suburban strip mall is an important exercise. Whether or not the next generation of strip mall tenants are big business or small scale artisans, does it really help to defuse the underlying flaws in the use patterns of the development type? The choice may change the feel of the suburbs, but isn't ...”