October 16, 2008
Innovation from the Innovators
Metropolis asked some of the world’s most forward-thinking architectural and engineering firms to name their newest green products and systems. Their responses provide a snapshot of state-of-the-art green building.
Course# Met123
This course is AIA/CES registered for 1LU/HSW/SD.
As the LEED ratings system grows and more stringent codes are implemented (such as the California Green Building Standards Code), a new generation of innovative building products and technologies has emerged. Today’s green architecture must address increasingly complex systems in a sustainable and socially responsible fashion. With energy costs rising, developers and architects need to maximize a building’s potential in ways that call for even smarter solutions. Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture’s design for Masdar Headquarters, in the United Arab Emirates, for example, has wind towers that support a large roof canopy and also ventilate the building, creating a comfortable microclimate. And firms like Arup and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill are partnering with manufacturers and suppliers to develop new technologies and applications such as microturbines, prefabricated flooring systems, and the next generation of photovoltaics. We asked 11 leaders in sustainable building to identify an innovative building product, technology, or application that they used in a recent project. We think their responses—which range from an office space entirely lit by LEDs to a “green screen” that helps reduce temperatures by as much as 20° F—will inspire anyone to see the long-term benefits of innovative building.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
– Discuss at least 3 specific architectural innovations that have been used to maximize the environmental sustainability of new buildings
– Identify the sustainability benefits of integrated passive technology in technologically forward-thinking architecture
– Compare top sustainable projects that use similar techniques to various effects
– Integrate thinking about topics such as energy efficiency, water reclamation, wind power, prefabrication and other important ideas in the green building movement into current and future projects
To download the full article in PDF format click here.
To take the participant exercise online click here.
“Innovation from the Innovators” © 2008 by Bellerophon Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
