Category: Resilient Design
Landscape Architects Outline Blueprint for Healthy, Climate-Smart, Environmentally Resilient Communities
Climate change is intensifying the negative impacts of standard development practices and is putting people and communities across the United Sates at risk. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) convened an interdisciplinary Blue Ribbon Panel on Climate Change and Resilience in September 2017, and this week ASLA released a blueprint for helping secure a sustainable and resilient future that summarizes the panel’s work and recommendations.
Read MoreAmerica’s Cement Producers Urge Congress to Reauthorize Legislation to Maintain and Improve the Nation’s Water Infrastructure
The Portland Cement Association (PCA) June 6, urged Congress to reauthorize federal legislation needed to build, maintain and improve the nation’s water infrastructure. The U.S. House of Representatives is considering two-year reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018 (H.R. 8), while the U.S. Senate is considering companion legislation, America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018 (S. 2800).
Read MoreThe International Code Council applauds committee passage of new disaster recovery legislation
The Code Council is working closely with members of Congress and their staff to highlight the importance of pre-disaster mitigation and adoption of the latest building codes. The Code Council recently helped lead a coalition of state/local government, construction industry, and emergency management stakeholders in promoting adoption and implementation of modern codes in disaster recovery reform legislation, as one of the most reliable means to enhance community resiliency.
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The Importance of Garage Door Wind Load
In advance of hurricane season, there’s often a lot of questions about hurricane proof doors and how to protect buildings from damage. It’s no surprise that rolling doors are often areas of great concern, as any opening or hole in the building is a natural pressure point that must be able to withstand great wind forces in a hurricane. That’s where the term “wind load” comes in, and it comes in two flavors – “Design” and “Test.” Let’s take a closer look.
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Ashley McGraw Architects Designs New MacArthur Elementary School in Binghamton, NY
In 2011, the existing MacArthur Elementary School was destroyed when the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers flooded due to Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Irene. The school was the heart of a vibrant city neighborhood and served an ethnically, socioeconomically and racially diverse student population. Ashley McGraw Architects aimed to redefine what an urban elementary school could be, restore and revitalize the surrounding neighborhood and create a deeply sustainable and resilient building and site.
Read MoreANCR announces a distinguished group of specialists to help develop the nation’s first community-wide resilience benchmarks related to buildings
A renowned group of subject matter experts have been selected to assist the International Code Council and the Alliance for National & Community Resilience (ANCR) in the development of the U.S.’s first whole-community resilience benchmarks related to buildings. The American Institute of Architects pledged $500 and the American Wood Council donated $5,000 to ANCR. They join the Dow Chemical Company, Portland Cement Association, Simpson Strong-Tie, Target Corporation and others as ANCR sponsors. These organizations are supporting ANCR’s groundbreaking initiatives to help communities across the U.S. prepare for fires, floods, economic disruptions and other disasters.
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University of Hawai’i Maui College aims to be first campus with 100-percent renewable energy generated on-site
“Hawai’i’s leaders set the national example of sustainability and renewable energy standards with the net-zero mandate by 2035 for UH, and we’re proud to partner with the university to help it reach that commitment and aim for UH Maui College to become the first campus in the U.S. to generate and store 100 percent renewable energy onsite, 16 years ahead of schedule,” said Rod Rushing, president, Building Solutions North America, Johnson Controls.
Read MoreUrban Land Institute Report Proposes Ten Principles for Building Resilience
A new report from the Urban Land Institute’s Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance outlines ten fundamental principles for building resilient cities and regions that successfully anticipate, respond to, and recover from both immediate shocks such as hurricanes and other extreme weather events and long-term stresses such as sea-level rise, poverty, and declining population. Ten Principles for Building Resilience proposes bold guidelines for city and regional leaders as well as real estate and land use professionals to design, plan, and build communities and infrastructure in ways that address vulnerabilities related to climate change and other threats to prosperity and well-being.
Read MoreSeven Cities Receive $10,000 and Technical Assistance to Meet Resiliency Goals
“Resiliency is a key value embraced by strong, economically vibrant communities,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and executive director of the National League of Cities (NLC). “We are excited to work with these seven cities through the Leadership in Community Resilience program to help them achieve their unique goals. While each project will be different, we know the value that cities have in sharing and learning from one another.”
Read MoreSmart Surface Technologies Research Unveiled
The U.S. Green Building Council and Mayor Muriel Bowser will be showcasing partnered research on smart surface technologies focusing on low-income urban areas in American cities: El Paso, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. The report, Delivering Urban Resilience, is a major breakthrough in understanding how cities can become more resilient, healthier and wealthier while slowing climate change. Authored by Capital-E, the report is the result of more than two years of collaborative research and analysis in partnership with organizations including the U.S. Green Building Council, the National League of Cities, the American Institute of Architects, the National Housing Trust, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the cities of EL Paso, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
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Editor’s pick
How to Design Zero Energy Buildings for School Projects by Eddy Santosa, CBCP, LEED® AP BD+C, BEMP . Photo: James Patterson Elementary School - Richmond, Texas (Architect: Huckabee). The building was designed to achieve Ultra-Low-Energy Building and it utilizes extensive sustainable, durable and environmentally sound materials and includes natural daylighting, and good indoor air quality.
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