Buildings & Design: Page 50


  • UMass opens largest engineered wood building in northeast US

    A glulam frame and cross-laminated timber walls and stairs shape this academic building, which is the first in the U.S. to use a wood-concrete composite floor system.

    By Mary Tyler March • April 26, 2017
  • Deep Dive

    Inside the new, high-tech labs where future building systems are being tested

    Building scientists in Berkeley, CA, and Singapore are using robust new facilities that let them test how building systems will perform in real-life, before installation.

    By Hallie Busta • April 26, 2017
  • Trendline

    Energy Codes and Building Performance Standards

    Cities are using these levers to meet climate goals and address everything from data centers to building decarbonization.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
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    Community First!
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    Deep Dive

    Thinking small: How tiny homes are being used to address housing affordability, supply concerns

    Builders and residents of these small-scale living units face headwinds from zoning to NIMBYism but aren't letting that slow them down.

    By Katy Tomasulo • April 25, 2017
  • Delayed Queens, NY mixed-use development project to break down

    The Crossing at Jamaica Station was part of a 2007 rezoning, but the Great Recession kept the development sidelined.

    By Kim Slowey • April 25, 2017
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    Wikimedia commons
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    Report: Large rooftop solar installers charge more than local counterparts

    A few big companies control a majority of the residential solar panel installation market, which is one contributor to higher prices from those providers.

    By Mary Tyler March • April 25, 2017
  • LG Chem launches a suite of batteries for US residential storage market

    The company will offer a low-voltage and high-voltage version, the latter compatible with SolarEdge inverters to integrate with rooftop solar. 

    By Peter Maloney • April 25, 2017
  • KB Home expands residential solar, energy efficiency in 2016 builds

    The company's annual corporate sustainability report estimates it prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of 335,000 vehicles in 2016.

    By Mary Tyler March • April 24, 2017
  • In water-scarce states, green toilets could save 170B gallons of water annually

    High-efficiency toilets and low-flow fixtures are a common way to reduce a home’s resource consumption for a relatively low upfront cost.

    By Mary Tyler March • April 24, 2017
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    Montgomery County Planning Commission
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    Rising sea levels start to take a toll on coastal housing

    Zillow analysis found that 300 cities would lose half or more of their housing stock by 2100; 36 coastal cities could be completely submerged.

    By Katy Tomasulo • April 24, 2017
  • Oregon tops list of 10 states with the best infrastructure

    The U.S. News & World Report rankings look at average commute time, percentage of roads in bad condition, energy from renewable sources and internet access.

    By Kim Slowey • April 21, 2017
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    USDA
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    Deep Dive

    A look at 2017’s greenest states — and how they’re pushing cities toward a smart future

    A study from WalletHub details the states with the best (and worst) environmental policies, highlighting everything from air quality to waste diversion rates.

    By April 20, 2017
  • Wal-Mart launches ambitious project to cut emissions from supply chain

    The retail giant's effort, dubbed “Project Gigaton,” aims to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by one billion tons by 2030.

    By Daphne Howland • April 20, 2017
  • Global renewable energy capacity hit record high in 2016

    Investments in large-scale storage solutions are critical to mainstream adoption of alternative energy sources like wind and solar, according to a new report.

    By Mary Tyler March • April 19, 2017
  • How e-commerce logistics is changing cities

    On-demand delivery shifted consumer expectations and forced supply chains' digital infrastructure to improve. Now, the physical infrastructure is catching up, too.

    By Edwin Lopez , Jennifer McKevitt • April 19, 2017
  • Tri Pointe adds smart-home platform to new-home offerings

    The move responds to growing interest among consumers for the ability to manage thermal comfort, entertainment and security systems through their smart devices.

    By Katy Tomasulo • April 19, 2017
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    Wal-Mart
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    Wal-Mart taps AMS to install 40 MWh of energy storage at California stores

    Advanced Microgrid Solutions will put batteries at 27 of the retail giant's locations, helping reduce peak demand and providing grid services to Southern California Edison. 

    By Peter Maloney • April 19, 2017
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    Christopher Mayer
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    Deep Dive

    A new kind of green: Developers trade golf courses for hiking trails, gardens to draw buyers

    Nature-based amenities are giving residents of master-planned communities a stronger connection to the outdoors as well as to their neighbors.

    By Katy Tomasulo • April 18, 2017
  • Opinion

    Smart home automation: A look at the top 4 barriers to growth

    We've been talking about the rise of the smart home for the better part of a decade, yet most homes still lack any advanced automation. What gives?

    By Anna Johansson • April 17, 2017
  • VR campus tours come to Texas A&M

    Prospective students can now visit a variety of campus locations, receiving information about each via an on-screen display.

    By Roger Riddell • April 17, 2017
  • Microchip implants make data accessible but raise workplace privacy questions

    The RFID microchip implant is designed to take the place of keys, business cards and other items. Will it catch on?

    By Valerie Bolden-Barrett • April 17, 2017
  • Report: Substandard housing contributes to poor mental, physical health

    More than 30 million housing units in the U.S. have major physical or health hazards, per a report from the Urban Institute exploring ways to battle blight.

    By Mary Tyler March • April 17, 2017
  • Deep Dive

    If it's not smart, it's broken: Atlanta burns, other cities learn

    In this series, the editorial team will highlight the leaders, innovations and challenges that are transforming urban centers.

    By Deborah Barrington • April 12, 2017
  • Deep Dive

    A walk through Autodesk's Pier 9 digifab lab in San Francisco

    The software juggernaut is testing the future of digital fabrication technology on a rehabbed pier in the city's Embarcadero district, with more such facilities to come.

    By Hallie Busta • April 12, 2017
  • Stanford researchers explore ‘managed retreat’ for when disaster strikes

    The strategy of abandoning at-risk buildings or relocating communities is most likely when the environmental risks are deemed "intolerable," according to a new report.

    By Jean Thilmany • April 12, 2017
  • Australian builder makes Tesla Powerwall a standard feature

    The electric car maker shows no sign of stopping when it comes to renewable energy innovation, with plans to take orders for its new solar panels this month.

    By Jean Thilmany • April 12, 2017