Construction the No. 2 consumer of plastic products

The construction industry is second only to packaging when it comes to the use of plastic products during production.

By Ron Gallagher • Dec. 8, 2013

With rivals rising, USGBC touts LEED's 20-year success in green building

The organization has published three reports that cover various aspects of LEED's dominance in global green building.

By Ron Gallagher • Dec. 2, 2013

One man's careful, successful route to becoming a green builder

Luis Imery did a careful investigation of the market for green homes in Georgia, went slowly enough to miss the recession, became an inspector for rating systems and then took the plunge.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 26, 2013

Engineers, contractors can help building owners spot operational anomalies

By offering a chance to include measurement and monitoring capabilities in building systems, contractors can deliver buildings that owners can operate at lower costs.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 25, 2013

Greenbuild 2013: Building Product Bingo

Materials matter in controversial new LEED credits.

Nov. 22, 2013

Partnership aims for clarity and certainty about materials' LEED status

The environmental division of Underwriters Laboratories and the U.S. Green Building Council have undertaken an effort to assure correct LEED information.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 18, 2013

Newest LEED standard records first gold effort with Chinese project

LEED v4, approved in recent months, has a gold winner — a showroom-cum-workspace in Beijing.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 14, 2013

GWU paves path to the future with solar sidewalk

You can trod upon the future at George Washington University's Virginia Science and Technology Campus.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 8, 2013

Viewpoint: 'Green building' may be maturing, but need remains

The environmental reasons for "green" building are as acute as ever – induced climate change and other environmental impacts.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 5, 2013

Recycling homes: an alternative to new construction?

Salvaging homes to repurpose materials is popular among those who support sustainable living, but now whole-house recycling is gaining momentum.

By Nicole Wrona • Nov. 5, 2013

Some NYC builders say LEED is OK, but buyers will pay for more green

Some builders of condominiums in Manhattan and Brooklyn are looking for efficiency beyond what LEED likes, and it sells.

By Ron Gallagher • Nov. 3, 2013

Walmart gets a green-roof laboratory

In North Portland, Ore., the new store will have 40,000 square feet of green roof equipped with sensors for performance measurements.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 31, 2013

Latest energy conservation code expands lighting controls, adds HVAC monitoring

The 2015 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code says there should be occupancy sensors in more areas opf buildings, including warehouse space.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 31, 2013

GSA recommends Green Globes join LEED for U.S. construction, but effect is unclear

The General Services Administration told the Department of Energy to use Green Globes or LEED, but LEED carries support among agencies.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 28, 2013

LEED v4 likely to bring changes to construction materials generally

The ;latest version of the leading worldwide standard for green-building certification offers more opportunity to score with materials used in construction.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 24, 2013

Can slower 'high-speed' rail in Calif. keep enough public support?

Five years ago, voters approved $10 billion in bonds to start on a bullet-train connection from Los Angeles top San Francisco, but there is anti-rail sentiment where work is to begin.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 21, 2013

Wis. man tries to make an environmental point with his new home

A retired educator decided to teach by example with a new home that is half Energy Star compliant and half adherent to Passivhaus standards.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 7, 2013

Why BIM can be a challenge for home builders

The time and money commitments that building information modeling requires to get started are part of the reason the process has not taken a hold on the home-building industry.

By Ron Gallagher • Oct. 1, 2013

NYC ranks high in LEED buildings

New York City contains the highest number of current LEED-certified projects in the nation, encompassing both existing and new construction.

By Nicole Wrona • Sept. 30, 2013

New Zealand now has a 'paper' cathedral

There are acrylic panels and concrete and shipping containers, too, but 2-foot-diameter paper tubes are the soaring rafters of the Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 25, 2013

An invisible skyscraper and rooftop solar: The week's most read construction news

Need to catch up on the week's construction news? Now is your chance.

By Brian Warmoth • Sept. 20, 2013

Economical green building and retrofitting require solid project management

Building green does not have to be an expense burden, but making sure that work stays on track is essential.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 18, 2013

Chicago says energy data from large buildings now mandatory

A new law in Chicago requires owners of buildings of 50,000 square feet or more to file annual energy reports with the city, and data verification is required every three years.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 13, 2013

USGBC chapter is asking designers, contractors to share best green practices

On Florida's Gulf Coast, the USGBC chapter is surveying professionals in hopes of eliciting best practices and raising vision beyond specific systems.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 11, 2013

Texas builder says insulating slab foundations makes sense

Matt Risinger says foam around a slab-on-grade foundation can help the house that gets built above it.

By Ron Gallagher • Sept. 10, 2013