Originally published on November 7, 2016 by BNP Media through the Building Enclosure Blog. The discourse regarding resilient design is evolving. It has been a year since the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) adopted three LEED pilot credits on resilient design and I am excited to see the discussion expand from coastal urban centers and geographical locations on the front-line of climatic extremes to populations with more nuanced threats emanating from shifting climate. For example, the City of Indianapolis’ Office….
Read MoreCategory Archives: Green Building
USGBC State of the Climate Event at the Indianapolis Central Library
State of the Climate This year’s USGBC State of the Climate appeared on its surface to be a review of the alphabet. Between LEED, LBC, GBCI, WELL, PHIUS, BABC, BREEAM, and ENERGY STAR, it is clear that the green building industry loves acronyms. After discussing each of these green building rating systems, it was easy to conclude that while they are all attempting to solve the same problem of reducing negative impacts of climate change, they each go about it….
Read MoreIs a Vapor Retarder Necessary in a Low-Slope Roof Assembly?
Originally published on October 7, 2016 by BNP Media through the Building Enclosure Blog. . If you have designed or built a low-slope roof with a single-ply membrane, at some point you will be confronted with this simple question: Is the vapor retarder necessary? With considerable costs at stake, the prospect of omitting a vapor retarder is always a precarious notion and one that merits careful consideration of the project-specific dynamics at play. Consider the Entire Assembly In order to….
Read MoreWhere the Health and Wellness Movement Meets Building Design
Originally published on September 6, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. An emerging body of work is showing that our buildings have a profound impact on our health, well-being, happiness and productivity. The built environment can shape our habits and choices, regulate our sleep-wake cycle, drive us toward healthy and unhealthy choices, and passively influence our health through the quality of our surroundings. But how does a project team move decisively toward realizing a building….
Read MoreHow to Find the Target EUI for the 2030 Challenge
Originally published on August 15, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. The 2030 Challenge prompts building projects to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 70% below the regional (or country) average/median for that building type. The metric for the 2030 Challenge is site Energy Use Intensity (EUI), not source EUI. But how can a design team quickly determine the appropriate EUI target for a project? Here are three easy ways. Read more…
Read MoreLighting Impacts on Circadian Rhythms
Originally published on July 11, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. With the emergence of human health concerns, wellness, and biophilia as priorities in the building design and construction industry, the lighting profession is shifting its focus toward circadian lighting design. Light is one of the main drivers of circadian rhythms – that is, our internal clock that keeps the body’s hormones and bodily processes on a diurnal cycle, even in continuous darkness. When the….
Read MoreIndiana’s First Net Zero Energy Building Certification is ‘Revealed’
For over half a decade, the Chrisney Branch of the Lincoln Heritage Public Library has touted its intent of producing more electricity than it consumes (a term known as “Net Zero Energy”). However, it has always been difficult to substantiate the claim with stakeholders, patrons, and the general public. In order to reaffirm its commitment to environmental stewardship, Lincoln Heritage Public Library sought to formalize its claim that the Chrisney Branch is the first net-zero energy building in the State….
Read MoreFive Ecotect Functions that Need to Be Migrated to Revit
Originally published on May 18, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. Eight years ago, Autodesk made a bold and decisive move toward prioritizing sustainable design tools when it acquired the assets of Square One Research, including their design performance modeling software Ecotect. To that point in time, Dr. Andrew Marsh had incrementally built the Ecotect platform into a light, versatile energy analysis tool. Its playful graphic outputs and high degree of interoperability made it a….
Read MoreThe Difference Between Permeance and Permeability
Originally published on April 18, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing Blog. All information presented in imperial (I-P) units. Water vapor transmission is a rather confusing issue. The difference in vapor pressure between two sides of a building envelope assembly is the driving force behind vapor transmission. (Although by comparison, gaps in the envelope account for vastly greater amounts moisture migration due to vapor-laden air infiltration.) Vapor = Latent Heat; Air Temperature = Sensible Heat The….
Read MoreBuilding Performance Modeling Tools for Any Designer
Originally published on April 4, 2016 by BNP Media through the Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing website. An adapted version of this column was featured in the Summer 2016 print issue of Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing magazine. The building design and construction industry is becoming ever more attuned to high-performance outcomes. Design teams and clients alike are becoming ever more sophisticated with regard to building science and energy conservation measures. Consequently, there is a growing expectation that project teams leverage….
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