My family thinks if the sun has set outside, then it's time to use every available watt to illuminate the interior of the house. I, on the other hand, believe ambient light inside the house should follow the circadian rhythm of the day. Read more
Robert F. Fox Jr., AIA, LEED AP, is no newcomer to green design. First at Fox & Fowle Architects and now at Cook+Fox Architects in New York City, he's devoted his career to creating spaces that respect the environment. Read more
Lake/Flato Architects has widened its scope of work to include master planning. One such project, Pearl Brewery, is currently under way along the banks of the San Antonio River, just a mile and a half from the firm's offices. Read more
Those who design high-end custom homes often dream of bringing their skills to a wider audience. For Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, this notion is no longer a fantasy. Read more
The Miller|Hull Partnership of Seattle is known for rigorously designed and executed custom homes and condo buildings, but Safari Drive, a sustainable mixed-use development in Scottsdale, Ariz., marks its maiden voyage as master planner and architect. Read more
smarter choices for the future. Read more
smarter choices for the future. Read more
Like the kitchen downstairs, the loft's master bathroom draws natural light from a single source—this time from the window wall in the adjacent bedroom. A double-wide doorway with a frosted glass sliding door facilitates the flow. Read more
Architect Heather McKinney enhances the limited amount of natural light in her kitchen by using aluminum-framed frosted glass doors, clear glass shelves and artificial lighting. Read more
Say green design, and what comes to mind are geothermal heat pumps, tankless hot water heaters, and roofs that plug into the sun. The most recognizable green features are also the priciest, and sustainable design is still viewed as an upgrade that only the well-off can afford. While there's some truth in that perception, the reality is changing as low-income housing developers join the party. Read more
John Holmes, AIA, and Mack Selberg, AIA, have been talking for years about designing a building based upon fractal geometry. So, when some forward-thinking developers approached Holmes to do a multifamily high-rise in Portland, Ore.'s Pearl District, he called upon his old friend for help. Read more
Sensitive urban revitalization often goes hand in hand with sustainability. When an underpopulated neighborhood blossoms, its city becomes denser and more resource-efficient. Read more
Arthur Andersson, AIA, looked to Southwestern cliff dwellings when designing Block 21 in Austin, Texas. The mixed-use project contains the television studios and performance venue for “Austin City Limits,” office and retail space topped by a W hotel, and private residences. Read more
Rising above the sun-drenched skyline of Miami's Design District, COR aspires to green heights for renewable energy use, water conservation, and indoor air quality. In fact, when the 400-foot tower is completed, it will be the city's first sustainable, mixed-use condominium project, says architect Chad Oppenheim, AIA. Read more
Toronto-based Teeple Architects is interested in architecture that not only occupies its environment, but is a full-fledged extension of it. The 60 Richmond Street East Housing Co-operative project is an application of the principle. Read more
Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, makes no bones about the steamy climate in Nausori, Fiji, where his firm, Studio Pali Fekete architects (SPF:a), is designing a pair of residential towers. Within this extreme environment, Culver City, Calif.-based Pali and his team created an evocative design that turns natural conditions to its advantage. Read more
To satisfy the world's growing housing needs in a sustainable way, many experts are recommending building up, not out. Whether that approach translates into structures of six or 60 stories, it will certainly result in denser neighborhoods, which generally consume fewer resources than sprawling ones do. Read more
The U.S. freshwater supply is drying up. Well-documented shortages in the West have been spreading east to Atlanta, Florida, and the Carolinas, among other areas, and clean-water advocates and government officials are concerned. Read more
Rockhill and Associates: Xcell spray-in cellulose is used in lieu of fiberglass to prevent air leakage more effectively than conventional insulation. Read more
Rockhill and Associates: ECO-TERR's StabiliGrid ground-reinforcement system, manufactured from recycled polyethylene, mitigates stormwater runoff. Read more
Rockhill and Associates: Modular Green Roof Blocks streamline the installation of sod roofs. Read more
Soon after the principals at O'Neill Conrad Oppelt Architects started looking for new office space, they learned their compatriots at Alamo Architects were doing the same. The two San Antonio firms decided to jointly purchase two old warehouse buildings in the city's burgeoning Southtown area. Read more