EDUCATION FACILITY DESIGN

The Windhover Contemplative Center & Art Gallery
The building was designed in conjunction with Nathan Oliveira’s Windhover series: five paintings inspired by kestrels swooping above the Stanford foothills. Susan Duca and her husband, the main patrons, commissioned the building with the intention that it would pair art and nature to help facilitate contemplation, seeing it as a way to “recenter oneself”. Located in the center of the campus, the building is easily accessible to the entire Stanford community, while the building’s form ensures access to the artwork and surrounding landscape even during off-hours.
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New England’s first Zero Net Energy academic lab science building
The team made a strategic investment to develop a Zero Net Energy (ZNE) design, which would balance annual energy consumption with renewable energy generated on site. With few comparable built examples, the question was: how to achieve ZNE for an energy-dense program in a cold climate?
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Dr. Jared Cohon Leads Carnegie Mellon University to Unprecedented Sustainability Success
As CMU’s third-longest President and current Director of the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, Dr. Jared L. Cohon has been a devoted catalyst for the university’s sustainability policies, practices, and successes. From energy efficiency and conservation to renewable energy, green buildings, sustainable product research, and much more, Dr. Cohon emphasized environmental sustainability from the start of his CMU presidency in 1997. He directed the university to reduce dining hall waste by switching to washable dinnerware and banning plastics, unveiled a new central recycling education center, and created a full-time environmental coordinator staff position.
read moreSustainable Building

San Francisco International Airport’s new air traffic control tower meets high-performance design and LEED Gold criteria
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) first-of-its-kind airport traffic control tower and integrated facility relies on Wausau Window and Wall Systems’ high-performance products to meet the multiple performance requirements. The new $80 million, 221-foot-tall, torch-shaped tower has improved safety, security and design standards, and has obtained LEED® Gold status. The seismic design for the tower allows for the structure to withstand a Richter magnitude 8 earthquake.
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Sustainable stone certification now recognized in both LEED v4 and LBC
The NSC established the sustainable stone certification standard in 2014 with two important goals in mind: to provide natural stone quarriers and fabricators with third-party verification of their sustainable practices and to give the building and design community confidence that certified stone is a sustainable material choice.
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New Aluminum in Green Buildings Guidelines
The Aluminum Association released Aluminum in Green Buildings – A Guide to Environmental Declarations and is available online on the Aluminum Association’s website. The Guide is part of a series of guidelines that the Aluminum Association is developing for the building and construction market sector.
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Frost School of Music, University of Miami (USA)
Today, a new LEED® Platinum twin-building complex at the Frost School of Music is bustling with nearly 800 students and 125 faculty members. The facility offers more than 40,000 square feet of acoustically engineered teaching spaces. Rooms are also comfortable and daylight-optimized, due to electronically tintable SageGlass dynamic glass installed throughout.
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Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
When Paul Asteris of FKP Architects first conceived the signature façade of the newly expanded Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, his vision was to have the glass and metal framing mimic the protective framework of an arbor. The use of Duranar Sunstorm coatings by PPG combined with his by-chance discovery of Azuria glass by Vitro Glass helped make that idea a reality.
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SolarWindow surpasses critical milestone for manufacturing electricity-generating windows
SolarWindow Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: WNDW), the developer of electricity-generating coatings for commercial glass and flexible plastics, announced that its SolarWindow™ coatings successfully performed under test conditions designed to simulate the high pressure and...
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ProHealth Care Cancer Treatment Facility
As the design of a health care facility plays more and more into the patient’s choice of care, designers are looking for innovative ways to create healing environments. The UW Cancer Center at ProHealth Care in Wisconsin is warm and inviting, promoting comfort while easing stress. The team from Cannon Design, ranked the #5 firm in Health Care globally, selected Mosa’s world class porcelain for floors and feature walls in public and patient care areas to address their key objectives. We sat down with one of the designers to see what went into this world-class patient care design.
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LMN Architects debut plans for Seattle’s Asian Art Museum expansion and renovation
LMN Architects, a multidisciplinary design firm with a reputation for community-focused and impactful civic projects of all scales, announces the initial design for an expansion and renovation to the Asian Art Museum in Seattle. As Seattle Art Museum’s original home located in the Olmsted-designed Volunteer Park, the museum is set to receive its first substantial renovation and expansion since it was completed in 1933. The goal of this long-overdue renovation is to ensure this historic landmark remains an important cultural resource for future generations.
read moreSalesforce Tower becomes the tallest building in San Francisco
Boston Properties, Inc. (NYSE: BXP), a real estate investment trust, and co-development partner, Hines, announced that on Friday, October 14, 2016, Salesforce Tower will officially be the tallest building in San Francisco. Soaring to new heights – Salesforce Tower surpasses the famous Transamerica Pyramid at 853 feet when it reaches 867 feet on Friday.
read morePhelps Construction Group begins construction of new Statue of Liberty Museum
Phelps Construction Group, a full-service construction management firm, participated in a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, October 6 for the new 26,000 square foot Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, a project of The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. (SOLEIF) working in partnership with the National Park Service.
read moreCOLOR AND DESIGN
Benjamin Moore reveals “Shadow” as its Colour of the Year 2017
Benjamin Moore, North America’s favourite paint, colour and coatings brand, announced its highly anticipated Colour of the Year 2017 – Shadow 2117-30, a rich, royal amethyst. The colour leader also unveiled Colour Trends 2017, a corresponding palette consisting of deep, saturated hues. The Colour of the Year was unveiled last week to leading interior designers, influencers and media at an exclusive event in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of The New York Public Library.
read morePratt & Lambert Paints names “Leafy Bower” the 2017 Color of the Year
Pratt & Lambert® Paints, an industry leader in innovative and quality paint products, is proud to unveil Leafy Bower (23-18) as the brand’s Color of the Year for 2017. This rich, viridian green emerges as the leading color from the four-trend color story Captivate, identified by Pratt & Lambert’s color and design experts with influences spanning home décor, design, art, fashion and food.
read moreDunn-Edwards Paints names “Honey Glow” Color of the Year for 2017
Dunn-Edwards Paints has announced its 2017 Color of the Year – Honey Glow – a warm, golden yellow with brown undertones. “This is a great color to make a bold statement in a room,” said Sara McLean, color expert for Dunn-Edwards. “Whether it’s applied to every wall or featured in accessories, the cheerful spirit that radiates from this color will re-energize any room.”
read moreURBAN PLANNING
Treasure Island Development plan achieves highest level of LEED certification for neighborhoods
Treasure Island received Platinum LEED certification for implementing measurable strategies and best practices to achieve sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, sea-level rise adaptation and overall environmental quality.
read moreRudolph and Sletten receives 2016 Alonzo Award for the New San Diego Central Courthouse
Rudolph and Sletten, Inc is pleased to announce that it was awarded the inaugural “Downtown on the Rise” Alonzo Award for building the new San Diego Central Courthouse. Receiving this prestigious award signifies that the new San Diego Central Courthouse is a notable presence in San Diego’s skyline, and a cornerstone of the American process that will have a significant impact on so many lives.
read moreJacobs joins 100 Resilient Cities Platform of Partners
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:JEC) announced today it has joined 100 Resilient Cities, pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation (100RC), as a Platform Partner to give urban centers across the world access to tools to help them plan and implement citywide resilience strategies and establish measures for success.
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ASLA launches first landscape architecture VR video
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has released its first virtual reality (VR) viewing experience to the public, featuring exclusive footage of Toronto’s Underpass Park, which won the ASLA 2016 Professional Award of Excellence.
read moreAlmost 600 businesses urge energy conferees to keep 2030 energy conservation targets for federal buildings
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and nearly 600 businesses from across the country today urged Congressional representatives to reject special interest efforts to repeal the law setting goals for cutting fossil fuel use in federal buildings by 2030.
read moreNew construction starts in 2017 to increase 5% to $713 billion according to Dodge Data & Analytics
Dodge Data & Analytics released its 2017 Dodge Construction Outlook, a mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business planning. The report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2017 will advance 5% to $713 billion, following gains of 11% in 2015 and an estimated 1% in 2016.
read moreHISTORIC PRESERVATION
Kelly Sutherlin McLeod Architecture receives two awards for historic preservation from The Chicago Athenaeum
The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies bestowed two 2016 American Architectural Awards upon Kelly Sutherlin McLeod Architecture, Inc. (KSMA), for preservation.
read moreCU Boulder’s Ketchum Arts and Sciences Building retains historical accuracy with Wausau windows
In July 2016, the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder earned LEED® Gold certification through the U.S. Green Building Council for the $9.4 million renovation and renewal of historic Ketchum Arts and Sciences Building. To achieve the project’s aesthetic, sustainability and performance goals, Wausau Window and Wall Systems worked closely with Hord Coplan Macht (formerly Slaterpaull Architects) in Denver, glazing contractor Metropolitan Glass and Fransen Pittman Construction, as well as CU-Boulder.
read morePennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office Awards honor excellence in preservation
Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) announced September 29 the winners of The Community Initiative Awards. These awards recognize historic preservation efforts that are building on traditional strategies and developing innovative tactics to build stronger communities with a preservation ethic.
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LP Building Products repositions as LP Building Solutions
“This change represents LP’s continued evolution as a company,” said Brad Southern, CEO of LP Building Solutions. “With over 45 years of industry experience, we believe this change demonstrates our continued drive to align with our customers. We began as a forestry products company, but evolved to a building products company as we quickly realized our customers were looking for products to help them build better. To continue to lead the industry, today we are taking the next step as we reposition our company, our brand and what we bring to market to reflect a broader approach in developing solutions for our customers.”
read moreVitro Architectural Glass hires Jim Lamm as National Architectural Manager for Midwest U.S.
Vitro Architectural Glass announced that it has hired James (“Jim”) Lamm as national architectural manager for the midwestern U.S., where he will work with architects, designers and specifiers in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and southern Illinois to optimize architectural glass solutions.
read moreIndiana Limestone Company receives ANSI/NSC 373 Certification for quarry operations
Indiana Limestone Company (ILCO), supplier of natural limestone building products and largest limestone quarrier in the U.S., has received ANSI/NSC 373 Sustainable Production of Natural Dimension Stone Certification for its three quarries. This accreditation helps architects and builders who specify ILCO materials ensure the stone for their buildings is produced in an economic, environmental and socially responsible manner.
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