Buildings & Design: Page 6

  • U.S. flag reflects on the glass facade of the DOE.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Timothy Epple via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Porcorex via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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
  • smart city, smart cities Explore the Trendline➔
    Image attribution tooltip
    jamesteohart via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    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 in 2024.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • An exterior shot of an Indeed office building.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Screenshot: Google Maps

    Image attribution tooltip

    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    Even as Congress faces pressure to overhaul outdated permitting processes, builders, architects and property owners cite complex zoning laws as barriers to converting existing office space to residential and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.
    Image attribution tooltip
    John Moore via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sundry Photography via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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
    Image attribution tooltip
    dszc via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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
    Image attribution tooltip
    Darwin Brandis via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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
  • Sustainable glass office building with trees for reducing carbon dioxide.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Fahroni via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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
  • U.S. Government Accountability Office
    Image attribution tooltip
    "Government Accountability Office Building" by kafka4prez is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    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
  • City skyline
    Image attribution tooltip
    RoschetzkyIstockPhoto via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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 • 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.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Cindy Ord via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    $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 • July 14, 2023
  • A mid-rise apartment building on a street corner.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Christian Columbres

    Image attribution tooltip

    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
  • Daytime scene of a housing and shopping district in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona
    Image attribution tooltip
    adogslifephoto via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Scottsdale, Arizona, greenlights commercial green code for new construction, renovations

    Scottsdale is Arizona’s first city to implement an amended edition of the 2021 International Green Construction Code.

    By Nish Amarnath • July 10, 2023
  • An aerial view of the iconic pier and boardwalk on the beach in Santa Cruz, California.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Granite Construction
    Image attribution tooltip

    California greenlights $4.3B funding for energy efficiency, targets underserved and rural communities

    The funding will support energy efficiency efforts from 2024 through 2027. Regulators also approved a forecasted budget of another $4.6 billion from 2028 through 2031.

    By Kavya Balaraman • July 5, 2023
  • Skyline and reflection in the water
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sean Pavone via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Massachusetts city mandates net-zero emissions for some large buildings by 2035

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, touted its new requirements as the most aggressive in the country, as building performance standards emerge as a key tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing buildings.

    By • June 30, 2023
  • In an aerial view, cars drive by the San Francisco skyline as they cross the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
    Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    San Francisco invites proposals to convert downtown office spaces into housing, other new uses

    The city’s initiative to repurpose underused downtown commercial space solidifies legislation passed last week to simplify commercial building conversion processes.

    By Nish Amarnath • June 29, 2023
  • two girls ride bikes away from the viewer on a tree-lined street partially covered with water from flooding.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Brendan Hoffman via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Coastal cities are sinking as sea levels are rising, increasing flood risks

    Individual communities are limited in their ability to stop either phenomenon, experts say, but governments can take steps to minimize the flooding that might result.

    By Adina Solomon • June 28, 2023
  • Facilities retrofit
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    US will need to triple building retrofit rate to meet decarbonization targets: report

    The report urges building owners and occupiers to strengthen their relationships, upskill the labor force and electrify major building systems to avoid a “brown discount” on lease negotiations.

    By Joe Burns • June 26, 2023
  • Modern residential buildings with trees and grass in the foreground.
    Image attribution tooltip
    sl-f via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    To improve multifamily housing energy efficiency and resiliency, HUD offers $4.8B for retrofits

    The first round of the $4.8 billion GRRP covers upgrades for 28 rent-assisted properties.

    By Mary Salmonsen • June 22, 2023
  • Houses and parked cars along a street lit with an orange glow. An open, brightly-lit garage at center. Trees, smoke and a line of wildfire on hills in the background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    David McNew via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    When wildfires hit, homes built under fire-resistant codes are surviving. Communities are noticing.

    Building code changes resulted in more saved homes in the 2018 Camp Fire in California. With more frequent, intense wildfires likely, Western communities are taking a look but hearing concerns about costs and property rights.

    By Amanda Loudin • June 16, 2023
  • Seattle skyline.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Philip Kramer/DigitalVision via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    To reduce carbon footprint of existing buildings, Seattle proposes new standards

    Mayor Bruce Harrell called the legislation “among the most impactful proposals [the city] can advance to reduce emissions.”

    By • June 15, 2023
  • Close-up of a gloved worker fixing pipes on a heating system.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Vasil Dimitrov via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New York City Housing Authority says heating system improvements reduced outages by 9%

    New York City’s upgrades are just some of many taking place in municipalities across the country, with others also using energy performance contracts to save money to fund future installations.

    By Joe Burns • June 12, 2023
  • Downtown Los Angeles aerial view.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stein Photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Land-use reform efforts could bring 135K new homes to downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood

    To address its acute housing shortage, the city is allowing greater housing density, relaxing parking requirements and creating affordable housing incentives and mandates in updates to decades-old community plans.

    By Kalena Thomhave • June 12, 2023
  • Courthouse building
    Image attribution tooltip

    iStock / Bob Weston

    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by Schneider Electric

    Federal funding fuels modern infrastructure and economic recovery

    How to leverage funding to make long-term investments that stimulate economic recovery and promote growth.

    June 12, 2023
  • City skyline from above over highways.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sean Pavone via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Dallas in the homestretch of ransomware attack recovery

    Security operations and tools are also getting a refresh as city officials rebuild impacted systems and make upgrades across multiple departments.

    By Matt Kapko • June 8, 2023