Wood is, by far one of the most sustainable building materials that has been used since the onset of building construction. Today, there are so many commercially made products which are ruining the environment and directly or indirectly, creating more problems than solutions for the inhabitants and surroundings.
Use of wood for building industry is also strongly supported by the US Forest Service.
The Forest Service would like to stress that to enhance the environment, life cycle analysis have to be promoted in building codes and standards. Read more here


When we talk of sustainable building project, what constitutes sustainability?
There are some fundamental thumb rules to sustainable building: siting and structural design, energy efficiency, material efficiency, indoor environmental quality; operations and maintenance; and waste reduction. Sustainable practices and technologies are constantly evolving and may differ from region to region and so it is difficult to standardise that.
 A great article in the Architectural Record on material efficiency and what the relevance of wood is to sustainable design in the context of environmental, social and economic factors. Read more here

The toughest thing for any parent to endure is seeing their child being ill. And if it is a prolonged illness with very long stays in the hospital, this can add excess stress over the already exhausted family. The drab walls, uncomfortable chairs and cold corridors provide little comfort to the sick child or their families. But a lot is changing now with many hospitals transforming their facilities to accommodate the needs of the families with more private rooms, comfortable sofa-beds and noise reduction  through a voluntary but very influential non profit organisation called Families Guidelines Institute that helps federal agencies regulate the design and construction of health care buildings. Read more here

In 2007, a National Green Schools Campaign was launched with LEED for Schools rating system. Out of this was established the USGBC's Center for Green Schools which has a Fellowship program wherein sustainability experts are sent to cash-strapped public school systems for three year terms. They conduct energy audits, create edible gardens, boost green initiatives and promote sustainability in the educational sector at all levels.

Boston school district is making large strides in becoming the leader in sustainability with the help of the above program. Many school districts around the country who are adopting this program are seeing vast savings in energy bills. Demand for green buildings are on the rise despite the slump in economy and the education-construction market coming to a standstill. An article in the Architectural Record talks on this in detail and can be read more here

I am always gravitating towards articles on the web about sustainable construction or products. Didn't think much about environmentally conscious demolition till this article in the Daily Mail about a huge skyscraper in Japan being taken down inch by inch from the inside, temporarily holding up the roof. This reduces the noise and dust considerably and they can work every day without the natural elements having an effect or disturbing the residents nearby. Due to frequent earthquakes and natural calamities Japan faces, the buildings have to be demolished every 30 or 40 years for more efficient structures. Read more here

Another article in the Daily Mail about eco-friendly structures is about a resort in beautiful Canada built by Farrow Partnership Architects. E'terra Samara's new resort with 12 tree houses in the Bruce Peninsula forest of Canada consists of one bedroom villas shaped as a samara seed suspended from tree trunk and not nailed onto the tree, complete with composting toilet and eco-friendly shower. They are strategically positioned so each has its own privacy while taking advantage of the site features and lighting and the shell of the structure is self cleaning and helps neutralize airborne pollutants and odour. Isn't that pretty amazing? Read more here

Glass Products
There is a constant innovation in glass design for the building industry. It's as if there is no limit to what glass can do! A few such products are featured in the March 2012 edition of the Architectural Record and can be read here

One of my greatest passion has always been to showcase the new products that are released from time to time into the market! It amazes me to see how some manufacturers strive to improve on issues and products and bring something better every so often....

One such product is the The Schlüter-BEKOTEC-THERM underfloor heating system which is a water based heating element and a modular screed panel and can be used with heat pumps or other low energy sources. Read more here

Another range of flooring products that I came across in the Architectural Record is from the NYC based Architectural systems. Their products are either natural or engineered stone, or hardwood flooring. Their latest is called Restoration Rubber Tile which comes in square, hexagonal or rectangle shape and in vintage colors. Read more here

Also in the same article as mentioned above is a prefinished hardwood flooring line called Mirage from a Canadian company Boa-Franc. The company is very conscious of sustainable development and the affects of deforestation on the environment so it selects material only from responsible buyers, financially supports reforestation, and uses only non toxic manufacturing products. Read more here

A great recycled flooring is called Ecosurfaces which is made from 100 percent recycled rubber tire. Check them out here

Cork is always a favorite as a renewable source and so this range of flooring from Unicork Natural which is manufactured, installed and maintained with environmentally friendly materials is an easy pick for the environmentally conscious buyer. Look them up here

Came across a good educational advertisement in the April 2012 edition of the Architectural Record about socially sustainable design for a greener future.
The article talks about things to consider when renovating which haven't been taken into consideration before like accommodating children with autism and dual sensory impairments or design with extra care and detail for seniors so they can live independently and with dignity. Using alternate material to cement, which requires high energy and CO2 is one way of rethinking building construcion for greener structures. Geothermal energy and using existing material for renovations of buildings is another way of reducing our carbon footprint. Read more here