Green buildings must do more to fix our climate emergency
After more than three decades of talk about the potential of building green, we’ve still failed to change the way we design and construct buildings so that the built environment stops being a dominant contributor to runaway climate change.
We could shift to sustainability and save $26 trillion. Why aren’t we doing it?
The costs of the status quo keep rising; the costs of sustainable alternatives keep declining.
What is the Architecture 2030 Challenge?
Architecture 2030 issued a challenge for all industry of the urban built environment to make all new buildings, developments and major renovations carbon-neutral by 2030.
10 innovative affordable housing designs for sustainable living
These affordable housing projects seek to do more than simply create decent spaces for living.
How infrastructure could build Canada’s clean economy
Over the next decade, $180 billion is earmarked for roads, bridges and other public projects. It’s a massive opportunity to cut emissions.
Why zoning is key to combatting climate change
To more effectively combat climate change, it is past time that we rethink zoning – a pervasive regulatory instrument that affects every aspect of the built environment in cities around the world. Janna Levitt and Drew Adams explain.
Reframing climate change as a local problem of global proportion: 4 ways architects can deliver change
The latest UN special report on climate change, released in October 2018, was bleak - perhaps unsurprisingly after a year of recording breaking temperatures, wildfires, floods, and storms.
Architecture Beyond Convention 2019: Presented by Sustainable and Ryerson University
The event will feature a set of key speakers discussing contemporary architectural and other industry issues in the context of advancing architecture beyond convention.
Carbon emissions still climbing. History shows us what we need to do
2018 was not a good year for carbon emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere. Global emissions were up nearly 3% from the previous year. Leading the pack was China, with the U.S. in second place.
Why reusing buildings should – and must be – the next big thing
Sustainability awards and standards touted by professional architecture organizations often stop at opening day, failing to take into account the day-to-day energy use of a building. With the current format unlikely to change, how can we rethink the way what sustainability means in architecture today?
Green building coalition pushes for performance-based building codes
Passive House Canada and Vancouver’s Zero Emissions Building Exchange (ZEBx), participated in the UNECE High Performance Building Initiative at UN Headquarters in New York to establish the International Centres of Excellence on High Performance Buildings.
New zero-energy homes almost to cost parity
A new report from the Rocky Mountain Institute finds cost parity is nearly a reality in some locations in the U.S.
We're looking for a Building Scientist!
Friends, we're on the hunt for a rockstar Building Scientist to join the team.
Passive house affordability competes with mainstream construction
This is a pre-certified Passive House on the road to Net-Zero located in Halifax. t is situated on a new street, with new houses, in a neighbourhood with code built basic construction, which makes it interesting for the community.
Energy-efficiency preferences from the 2018 CHBA study
Energy-efficiency preferences from the 2018 CHBA study.
Built environment emissions key to climate goals: report
Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Canada’s built environment is necessary to the reduction of Canada’s carbon footprint.
Four ways architects can fight climate change
As wildfires and other natural disasters increase in size and frequency, the role architects play in fighting global warming becomes more critical by the day.
Mentorship profile: Steve Socha on Paul Dowsett
The second #blOAAg post for the fall 2018 series #AmazingMentorshipStories features Steve Socha (from @AltiusInc Architecture), on his mentor Paul Dowsett (Principal Architect @sustainableto).
‘Best Design Firm’ Three Years Running!
The results are in! Sustainable has won NOW Readers' Choice 'Best Design Firm' for the third year in a row.
IPCC says we have 12 years to cut carbon by 45%. What does that look like?
A manifesto from a London activist looks pretty scary, but is a great place to start a discussion.