Tag Archive for ‘Green’
New Cost Effective Ideas for Daylighting at NREL
We toured the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Research Support Facility, and were able to see a number of design solutions that were relatively low-cost, but provided a great sustainable approach to many of their design goals. One in particular was with Daylighting. The challenge was that they wanted to be able to redirect light from [...]
Controlling Western Sun Glare with Electrochromic Windows at NREL
We recently had the pleasure of touring the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Research Support Facility and one of the many features we saw that contributed to their net zero building was Electrochromic Windows. To be used in applications where there are great views (and as a result, glazing) to the West, which is extremely common [...]
The Importance of Specifications and MasterFormat
According to the Dictionary of Architecture & Construction a specification is “a written document describing in detail the scope of work, materials to be used, methods of installation, and quality of workmanship for a parcel of work to be placed under contract; usually utilized in conjunction with working (contract) drawings in building construction”. In turn, [...]
Historic Preservation and Sustainability – One Strategy Contributing to Both Goals
Dean and I had a very interesting meeting with the Heritage Resources Program Leader for the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service last week and during our meeting we began discussing the idea of sustainability and historic preservation. This very topic will be the theme of the upcoming 2010 Saving Places Conference which [...]
Visualizing Your Next Project with BIM
As EVstudio moves to full integration of the 3D BIM (Building Information Modeling) software Revit we are doing more and more basic renderings as a matter of course. Currently all architectural projects are completed 100% in Revit. Our structural department is gearing up and is currently completing about 75% of their projects in Revit. With [...]
Top Ten Ways to Reduce Energy Demand in a Net Zero Building
A Net Zero Building (NZB) is simply a building with a zero net annual energy consumption from the grid. While the definition of Net Zero Building is quite simple, achieving it is quite the contrary. Understanding Net Zero involves a number of key points. The first is a focus on reducing the energy demands of [...]
Design by Community: Laying the Groundwork for Innovative Housing Solutions Webinar
Elicia Ratajczyk, Associate at EVstudio will be moderating the August webinar for Housing Colorado next Tuesday (August 23rd) at 2pm. Housing Colorado is the states leading affordable housing advocacy organization and hosts numerous professional networking and education events throughout the year, including the annual Housing Now! Conference and Expo. The Design by Community Webinar will [...]
Three Wood Framing Methods – Balloon, Platform & Advanced
We recently talked about a variety of building methods. Within each method are different ways to build. Here we talk briefly about three wood framing methods. Balloon Framing -This method of framing was fairly popular on the east coast and parts of the Midwest in the past. Today it is not generally allowed by [...]
Double Skin Façade
Most buildings that we see are single skin. In low rise structures the outside will be stucco, siding, some type of masonry etc. In taller buildings the exterior veneer is often more varied and includes glass, metals and other materials. A method of construction that is starting to become more popular is a double skin [...]
Top 10 “Alternative” Construction Methods
There is a lot of conventional wisdom out there about what is “typical” for building construction practices. While the collective experience of available labor and availability of materials tends to drive how things get designed and built, it is important not to get stymied by routine practices. With progressive thinking about sustainable design and new ideas about [...]
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