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There’s a lot to love about bridges: they’re practical, beautiful and connect communities that might otherwise be a lot less accessible (think Manhattan with only ferries). But bridges also have a nasty habit of falling apart—fast, by engineering standards. Stretch a span of gravity-defying metal across a wet, windy river and send thousands of thundering [...]
In an era of LEED-certified construction and growing concern for sustainability, it comes as a surprise that constructing new, energy-efficient buildings can be less eco-friendly than renovating old ones. A study by the Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation shows building reuse almost always has fewer environmental impacts than new construction—which means we’d [...]
It’s been tough going in the renewable energy business lately. Prices for solar panels have fallen drastically, which is good news for consumers, but not so good for solar manufacturers, who are struggling to survive. Some—like the much-maligned Solyndra, which went down earlier this year after receiving more than $500 million in government loan guarantees—won’t [...]
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have come out with the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design. COTE has been listing the top green projects for the past 15 years—each of the winners will be honored at the AIA 2011 Convention and Design Exposition in [...]
