Buildings & Design: Page 11

  • Aerial shot of waterfront parks and city skyline
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    Seattle’s downtown revitalization push continues with waterfront parks overhaul

    The project will be entirely funded with philanthropic donations and is expected to be completed by 2026, when Seattle hosts World Cup matches.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 29, 2023
  • Two people install rooftop solar on a building. One person is holding the panel and the other person is holding a drill.
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    Joe Raedle/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    On clean energy tax credits, mayors want clearer federal guidance

    New incentives could turbocharge local climate action, but resource-limited cities need clarity on how to use them, over 50 mayors said in a letter to the Treasury Department.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 28, 2023
  • smart city, smart cities Explore the Trendline➔
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

    From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • Twin multi-lane, open bridges filled with cars span a bright blue body of water.
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    The image by Tobias Haase is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Nearly 7% of US bridges in poor condition

    Bridges in Dallas, Seattle and New York City were newly rated in poor condition this year, according to a report.

    By Julie Strupp • Aug. 28, 2023
  • A rendering of a two story building with a glass facade at sunset.
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    Courtesy of Skanska | Emersion Design
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    Cincinnati’s first mass timber project breaks ground

    The $32-million public radio headquarters will also be the Midwest's first two-story mass timber building.

    By Zachary Phillips • Aug. 23, 2023
  • The Colorado flag waves in the breeze in front of an American flag.
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    Colorado mandates new building energy performance standards despite criticism

    The ruling unfairly burdens existing buildings, operators and owners say. The state Air Quality Commission touts the rules’ flexibility.

    By Joe Burns • Aug. 22, 2023
  • A photo of people dining outside.
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    Byron Smith/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
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    New York mayor signs permanent outdoor dining program into law

    Dining Out NYC will address previous concerns over sanitation and quality-of-life issues related to outdoor dining structures and provide a more streamlined process for restaurants to participate. 

    By Julie Littman • Aug. 17, 2023
  • Housing on a residential street with city skyline in background.
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    Boston grants aim to lower carbon footprint of affordable housing

    Building owners can get up to $10,000 each for comprehensive energy assessments.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 16, 2023
  • A tall building obscured behind a tree.
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    Office-to-residential, other adaptive reuse construction reaches record high

    Los Angeles has the largest development pipeline in the country, followed by New York City and Chicago.

    By Mary Salmonsen • Aug. 9, 2023
  • The Executive Order harnesses new capital investments to drive decarbonization by retrofitting or constructing fossil-fuel-free buildings.
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    Boston mayor bans fossil fuels in new city-owned buildings

    The executive order, which also prohibits fossil fuel use in renovations of existing city-owned structures, is part of a larger push for carbon neutrality by 2050.

    By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 8, 2023
  • A shift to remote work has softened the demand for office space, accelerating the need for commercial-to-residential conversions.
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    Deep Dive

    Commercial-to-residential conversions could accelerate under HUD initiative

    Building industry experts say the Housing and Urban Development Department grant will give much-needed guidance on projects stalled by zoning hurdles and outdated permitting processes.

    By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 4, 2023
  • A row of green bicycles on a rack next to a sidewalk.
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    Q&A

    How to safely store e-bikes, e-scooters in apartments

    The uptick in micromobility battery fires shows electrification is "moving faster than we’re able to necessarily adapt to," a fire protection expert at an engineering consulting firm said.

    By Mary Salmonsen • Aug. 3, 2023
  • A man speaks at a podium with out of focus construction machinery behind him.
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    Courtesy of Office of Gov. Josh Shapiro
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    $400M job training program in PA aims to boost infrastructure projects

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has created a workforce development grant designed to help employers pay wages and training costs.

    By Zachary Phillips • Aug. 1, 2023
  • A red construction frame in front of a high-rise building under construction.
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    Apartment construction slows amid difficult financial conditions

    Starts of buildings with five or more units fell 11.2% YOY in June, according to federal data.

    By Leslie Shaver • July 31, 2023
  • U.S. flag reflects on the glass facade of the DOE.
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    Energy-efficient buildings save lives during extreme weather events: Department of Energy

    Meeting or exceeding current codes can improve habitability by up to 140% during extreme heat events, a report found.

    By Joe Burns • July 28, 2023
  • New building codes targeting net-zero and climate goals are placing substantial strain on facilities managers whose roles have traditionally focused on keeping buildings safe and secure.
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    Building code, energy code updates face pushback due to cost concerns

    Codes that seek to curb emissions and fossil fuel consumption will save money in the long run, supporters say, but builders and facility managers wonder if “the juice is worth the squeeze.”

    By Nish Amarnath • July 26, 2023
  • An exterior shot of an Indeed office building.
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    Screenshot: Google Maps

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    Regulations, building layouts impede office conversion projects

    Even as Congress faces pressure to overhaul outdated permitting processes, builders, architects and property owners cite complex zoning laws as barriers to converting existing office space to residential and other uses.

    By Nish Amarnath • July 24, 2023
  • Electric vehicles charge under a solar panel.
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    Colorado releases new statewide building energy codes

    The standards, set to take effect July 1, will require local municipalities to meet minimum requirements, including electric vehicle and solar panel compatibility.

    By Joe Burns • Updated July 25, 2023
  • Exterior view of multifamily residential building under construction.
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    Vermont delays residential building energy code implementation to July 2024

    A legislative committee wants more time to create a state entity to improve international energy conservation code compliance.

    By Nish Amarnath • July 24, 2023
  • Downtown Los Angeles California skyline cityscape skyscrapers
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    California clears path for safe conversion of underused commercial buildings

    The California Building Standards Commission’s vote to amend existing building code allows multiple compliance paths for adaptive reuse.

    By Nish Amarnath • July 24, 2023
  • A low-angle look towards the Charlotte, NC, skyline
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    Cost concerns spur North Carolina’s move to delay vote on building code update

    The state’s Building Code Council has shelved a vote on a proposed overhaul of building energy efficiency rules as it waits for reports detailing the costs and benefits of implementing the changes. 

    By Nish Amarnath • July 24, 2023
  • U.S. Government Accountability Office
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    "Government Accountability Office Building" by kafka4prez is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    Federal agencies struggle with office utilization, excess space

    Officials noted that reconfiguration costs and uncertainty over in-office attendance policies are roadblocks to effective space utilization.

    By Joe Burns • July 24, 2023
  • Sustainable glass office building with trees for reducing carbon dioxide.
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    Northampton mulls adoption of energy efficient opt-in stretch code

    The Massachusetts city is weighing the pros and cons of embracing a specialized stretch energy code to dissuade fossil fuel use in new building construction.

    By Nish Amarnath • July 24, 2023
  • City skyline
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    These 5 cities aim to cool down by scaling up ‘smart surfaces’ in coming years

    The benefits of implementing these surfaces across a city may far outweigh the costs, according to the nonprofit Smart Surfaces Coalition, which is leading the initiative announced Thursday.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • July 24, 2023
  • A view of the Comcast offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Comcast Center is one of the tallest LEED-certified buildings in the U.S.
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    Cindy Ord via Getty Images
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    $90M for greener building energy codes awarded by DOE

    “Modernizing energy codes is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses and make communities more resilient to extreme weather events,” the Energy Department said.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • July 14, 2023
  • A mid-rise apartment building on a street corner.
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    Christian Columbres

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    Oregon plans to install 500,000 new heat pumps by 2030. Who’s going to do the work?

    The state plans to train and provide provide technical assistance on installing energy-efficient appliances to developers, builders, contractors, technicians and others. 

    By Kavya Balaraman • July 13, 2023