Building for the Future
On May 4, 2007, a Category 5 hurricane tore through Greensburg, Kan., nearly wiping the rural town off the map. But since then, Greensburg has been rebuilding with a vengeance, aiming to become one of the greenest cities in the United States. And one family is finding peace of mind in SIPs and geodesic dome design.
Material Review: One to Watch
Paper thin, lighter than glass, nonstick, and recyclable: ETFE is what gave shape to the Watercube and the Bird’s Nest at the Beijing Olympics. Hannah McCann details how one architect is emerging as an ETFE specialist.
Vinyl Roofing Systems: Questions Answered
What are the key characteristics of vinyl that specifying architects should know? What are common misconceptions about vinyl? Walter Scarborough, director of specifications for HKS Architects gets to ask everything he ever wanted to know about vinyl.
Forms and Function
According to the Web site of the North American Insulation Manufacturer’s Association, insulation saves 12 times more energy per pound in its first year of use than the energy required to produce it. Implementing a sound insulation system appropriate to a job, then, is a wise investment in a home’s future.
Watching What We Call Green
The Federal Trade Commission has been busily working to update the Green Guides—the rules by which marketers can claim environmentally conscious features in their products. See where the Feds are drawing the line between green and greenwash.
Surface Attention
In 2008, several AIA Honor Awards went to designs where plastics-drived materials made major design statements, stepping into leading visual roles in both interior and exterior design.