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Architecture

A Metaefficient Bathroom – Environmentally Friendly And Functional

February 27, 2010
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A bathroom may be one of the smallest rooms of a home, but make no mistake – it’s a vital one. Whether you’re building a new home or renovating an existing one, integrating efficient components into a bathroom will add convenience and improve functionality, and also minimize the environmental impact of energy and water [...]

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Green Roofs – Efficient Design Starts At The Top

February 15, 2010
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Green roofs have seen a surge in popularity recently as sustainable building designs become more mainstream. Soil and plantings on a building’s rooftop can help manage water runoff, improve air quality, and reduce energy use by moderating indoor temperatures. They can also prolong the life of a building’s roof by protecting it from the wear [...]

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Southface Energy Institute – A Resource For Sustainable Design

November 30, 2009

Energy efficient building designs and technologies are everywhere these days. In fact, the sheer number of options can seem a little overwhelming for those interested in sustainable construction techniques. But Southface Energy Institute, headquartered in Atlanta, can be a valuable resource for homeowners, commercial or residential builders, or individuals who simply want to [...]

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REI’s LEED Certified Stores

November 11, 2009

REI’s newest LEED certified retail stores are evidence that smart business and environmental responsibility sometimes lead down the same path. These new stores enjoy lower operating costs, and customers appreciate the company’s dedication to sustainable building.

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An Energy Producing Home In Disguise

November 5, 2009

Who says that a home with cutting-edge energy efficiency has to look like an ultra-modern pod? This recently completed Wisconsin home packs so much energy tech that it makes money by selling electricity back to the grid, and it still keeps a low neighborhood profile.

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Hyper-Efficient House Completed In Virginia

June 22, 2009

This new home in Virginia was designed for optimal efficiency. It’s the first to receive LEED platinum in Virginia.
Optimal elements that set it apart: an integrated rain water collection system (the site design features zero site runoff for a one-inch rain event), integrated geothermal wells, and exceptional indoor air quality.

The home was built by Metro [...]

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Chicago’s Green Alley Initiative

May 26, 2009

Urban alleyways. Grubby places that only scrappy cats or cop-show perps could love, right? Not in Chicago, where the Department of Transportation is giving them some serious TLC with its recently implemented Green Alley Program. This city-wide renovation initiative will offer some surprising environmental benefits and improve quality of life for residents.

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World’s First 100% Solar-Powered Stadium

May 15, 2009

A couple of years ago, we wrote about a 1.3 megawatt solar-powered stadium in Switzerland. A new solar powered stadium has been built in Taiwan for the 2009 World Games in July. Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, the stadium incorporates 8,844 solar panels on the roof. The roof will generate enough energy to power [...]

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“Low-E” Windows Maximize Buildings’ Energy Efficiency

April 20, 2009

Low-E stands for low emissivity, and these windows are constructed to minimize heat transfer through the glass. Since windows are essentially huge holes in the walls of a building, choosing a low-E window design that’s appropriate for local climate and architecture can greatly increase a structure’s thermal efficiency, while reducing energy use and utility costs.

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City Of Green Rings To Be Built In Korea

April 20, 2009

A Dutch architecture group MVRDV have won a competition to design a city center for Gwanggyo, a new city which could be built south of Seoul, Korea. The town is planned to be a self-sufficient city of 77,000 inhabitants.

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GreenFiber Cocoon Insulation: Energy Efficiency From Recycled Material

April 9, 2009

One of the simplest ways to improve a home’s energy efficiency and comfort is to make sure that it is properly insulated. Cocoon Insulation from North Carolina-based GreenFiber is a highly efficient insulator, offering more convenient installation and higher R-values than common alternatives, as well as utilizing recycled source material.

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Update: Bank Of America Tower, Greenest Skyscraper In The U.S.

April 2, 2009

A while back, MetaEfficient profiled what could be the greenest skyscraper in America, the Bank of America Tower in New York City. Located in midtown Manhattan at One Bryant Park, the 945-foot tall, 55-story structure is scheduled to open later this year. Here’s a closer look at some of the groundbreaking features that should help [...]

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The Bardessono Inn: 93% Of Construction Waste Reused

March 16, 2009

In Napa Valley, the newly opened Bardessono Inn and Spa is perhaps the greenest luxury hotel in the country. There are several innovative features that make Bardessono a model for green builders. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that 93 percent of the Bardessono’s construction waste was recycled — an unusally high amount. Materials [...]

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Efficient Use Of Solar LED Bricks

September 10, 2008

Looks good! It’s a large-scale installation of Solar LED bricks. I couldn’t identify the location, but the bricks are Meteor Solar LED pavers. Solar bricks are self-contained — during they day they charge via the sun, and turn on automatically at night.

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Office Building Is 100% Sewer-Free

September 8, 2008

The sewer systems we use today are entirely ineffectual and unnecessary. The primary flaw in our design is that we use fresh water to dispose of feces. This is perhaps the most ineffectual thing to do with human manure — it pollutes fresh water, and it requires municipalities to maintain extremely costly sewage treatment infrastructures. [...]

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Highly Efficient House Uses 80% Less Power and Water

September 4, 2008

I have to mention this highly optimal house recently completed in California. Jetson Green has all the details, so I won’t repeat them here. Basically, the Margarido House is on its way to being the first home the nation that’s both LEED-H certified and GreenPoint rated. I’m impressed by how many green elements are incorporated [...]

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Vancouver: All New Developments Must Be Green

August 18, 2008

In June, the Vancouver City Council unanimously approved the adoption the the highest green standards for private sector development in North America. Effective immediately, all new re-zonings for development in Vancouver will be required to achieve or exceed the level of LEED Silver, and they will have to achieve LEED Gold on January 1st, 2010. [...]

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The First LEED Platinum Data Center

August 7, 2008

ADC (Advanced Data Centers), a company based in San Francisco, is set to build the country’s greenest data center. Because of its efficiency, the project stands to save its owner from $1.8 million to $2 million in energy costs. ADC says its new center will be 25-30 percent more energy efficient than the industry standard.
The [...]

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Dockside Green Awarded World’s Highest LEED Score

July 31, 2008

We featured the innovative Dockside Green community previously on MetaEfficient. Recently, the entire community was certified to be built to Platinum LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) standards. It was awarded the highest LEED score in the world.

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75% More Efficient: Blue Ridge Parkway Destintation Center

July 23, 2008

The new Blue Ridge Parkway Destination Center has just been completed in North Carolina. It’s a beautifully designed building that is also highly efficient — it will use 75% less energy than a comparable conventional building. The building has Trombe walls: a very clever feature that will reduce the building’s heating load by 35% alone! [...]

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