“Green” construction in the U.S. has mostly been on a fad diet – one where trimming energy consumption is focused on the present but not the long run. That is the conclusion that New York-based nonprofit Urban Green Council found in their research on “high cholesterol buildings.”
The research is aptly named because how many buildings are insulated today focus more on how aesthetically pleasing the building will look, and all the green technology is clustered into what HVAC and other mechanical systems will the building be equipped with.
One example of such a trade-off of aesthetics and actual sustainability is in the selection of a building’s envelope: subpar walls, windows and roofs. “Unlike mechanical systems like air conditioners and ventilation fans, a building’s envelope is one of its longest-lasting components,” the report says.
A curtain wall made out of, say, glass, a notoriously poor insulator, has been a popular material to design and construct a building. The final building with all floor-to-ceiling windows, as the report boldly says, is as poorly insulated as a building from over a millennium ago.
However, the envelope of a building outlives all the other components; as lighting and HVAC systems are replaced with new, more efficient ones, a poorly insulated envelope will drag down the building’s potential of being at its most energy-efficient (see chart below).
The research pushes for loopholes in building codes to be closed. Currently, most green standards focus more on reduction of net energy consumption, hence, they make a trade-off where “they add more glass and make up for it with superior mechanical systems,” because floor-to-ceiling windows are a great selling or renting point and are in high demand.
Other recommendations the Council makes are for better glass, better design, and better training of contractors and subcontractors to stress on air sealing and elimination of thermal breaks.
The full report can be read in PDF here.
Related Stories
MFPRO+ Special Reports | May 6, 2024
Top 10 trends in affordable housing
Among affordable housing developers today, there’s one commonality tying projects together: uncertainty. AEC firms share their latest insights and philosophies on the future of affordable housing in BD+C's 2023 Multifamily Annual Report.
Retail Centers | May 3, 2024
Outside Las Vegas, two unused office buildings will be turned into an open-air retail development
In Henderson, Nev., a city roughly 15 miles southeast of Las Vegas, 100,000 sf of unused office space will be turned into an open-air retail development called The Cliff. The $30 million adaptive reuse development will convert the site’s two office buildings into a destination for retail stores, chef-driven restaurants, and community entertainment.
Codes and Standards | May 3, 2024
New York City considering bill to prevent building collapses
The New York City Council is considering a proposed law with the goal of preventing building collapses. The Billingsley Structural Integrity Act is a response to the collapse of 1915 Billingsley Terrace in the Bronx last December.
Architects | May 2, 2024
Emerging considerations in inclusive design
Design elements that consider a diverse population of users make lives better. When it comes to wayfinding, some factors will remain consistent—including accessibility and legibility.
K-12 Schools | Apr 30, 2024
Fully electric Oregon elementary school aims for resilience with microgrid design
The River Grove Elementary School in Oregon was designed for net-zero carbon and resiliency to seismic events, storms, and wildfire. The roughly 82,000-sf school in a Portland suburb will feature a microgrid—a small-scale power grid that operates independently from the area’s electric grid.
AEC Tech | Apr 30, 2024
Lack of organizational readiness is biggest hurdle to artificial intelligence adoption
Managers of companies in the industrial sector, including construction, have bought the hype of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology, but their organizations are not ready to realize its promise, according to research from IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. An IFS survey of 1,700 senior decision-makers found that 84% of executives anticipate massive organizational benefits from AI.
Codes and Standards | Apr 30, 2024
Updated document details methods of testing fenestration for exterior walls
The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) updated a document serving a recommended practice for determining test methodology for laboratory and field testing of exterior wall systems. The document pertains to products covered by an AAMA standard such as curtain walls, storefronts, window walls, and sloped glazing. AAMA 501-24, Methods of Test for Exterior Walls was last updated in 2015.
MFPRO+ News | Apr 29, 2024
World’s largest 3D printer could create entire neighborhoods
The University of Maine recently unveiled the world’s largest 3D printer said to be able to create entire neighborhoods. The machine is four times larger than a preceding model that was first tested in 2019. The older model was used to create a 600 sf single-family home made of recyclable wood fiber and bio-resin materials.
K-12 Schools | Apr 29, 2024
Tomorrow's classrooms: Designing schools for the digital age
In a world where technology’s rapid pace has reshaped how we live, work, and communicate, it should be no surprise that it’s also changing the PreK-12 education landscape.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 29, 2024
6 characteristics of a successful adaptive reuse conversion
In the continuous battle against housing shortages and the surplus of vacant buildings, developers are turning their attention to the viability of adaptive reuse for their properties.
