It isn’t easy being green, but thanks to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), there is a framework for practical, green building design, construction, operations and maintenance. The tools are in place, but it takes dedication, persistence and hard work to make sustainable building a reality. Achieving [...]

The decisions you make at the earliest stages of your project are the most critical. It is your building project, and you don’t want to leave your schedule, cost or quality to chance. Setting priorities early on will be the best way to get a finished project you deserve.
Your project may require unique expertise. For [...]

The Design-Build project delivery method is gaining popularity, and it looks as though continued growth can be expected. The process, by definition, is so collaborative it is likely that more segments of the A/E/C marketplace will embrace it. This method provides the following:

Mission Control - Design Build will grow in popularity as will trends toward [...]

When you think of green building design, how often do you think of manufacturing buildings? We hear and read about schools, office buildings and environmental centers much more often than we do about manufacturing facilities. McGraw Hill Construction, which tracks the construction industry, found that today, green building comprises roughly 30 percent of the market where in 2005 [...]

Despite a challenging housing market, the demand for home technologies shows no sign of declining. Clearly consumers want technology in the home, but many might be unaware of the available options. Marketing home technologies is an incredible opportunity for builders to gain additional business. Learn about the TechHome Rating System, find an Electronic Systems Contractor (ESC) in your area and check out other resources available to the builder community.

In the May 19th issue of the NYTimes, Alec Appelbaum writes a well positioned Op-Ed piece on the question of green, LEED-rated buildings potentially loosing their luster once in full operation.  Mr. Appelbaum essentially promotes the idea of a creating an incentive program for buildings to go beyond LEED certification, a benchmark that many new [...]

The economic benefits of deconstruction are substantial - One of the biggest challenges to “greening” businesses is overcoming the false perception that environmentally-sound business practices necessarily will increase costs and decrease profits. Building deconstruction is helping break that myth.

Industry Questions

The “Green Revolution“ has brought about many changes to not only the building industry but also to others including the insurance sector.  The insurance industry is certainly not without questions when it comes to insuring green risks.  Which companies are going to underwrite these risks? What coverage will be available? What are the unknowns [...]