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Like a runaway recycling truck, green building’s momentum hasn’t been stopped by the economic recession and will keep speeding through the recovery, according to a report released just prior to the construction industry’s annual green-building conference. At the same time, experts say building owners are looking to go green more for economic reasons than environmental ones. “Green building is the silver lining creating opportunity in the down economy,” says Harvey M. Bernstein, vice president of McGraw-Hill Construction (ENR is a unit of McGraw-Hill Construction). “And with this growth comes increasing attention on the value and performance of these buildings.” Related

“A lot of those projects should be coming up for certification soon,” Cheatham explains, adding that the economy’s shaky condition is “setting the stage for a project not obtaining certification becoming the subject of litigation.” Related Links: Greenbuild 2010: Full Coverage Passive House Program Gains Momentum in U.S. Robert Redford Teams Up With USGBC for Schools Summit USGBC, LEED Targeted by Class-Action Suit Supporting these fears is data showing that the appearance of LEED in project specifications is on the rise; furthermore, it is rising on the more high-stakes projects. The number of project manuals referencing LEED increased to 25.9%

Underscoring the difficulties facing the rebuilding effort in Haiti, a government-sponsored competition to create housing for the earthquake-ravaged nation has been delayed. In October, winners of “Building Back Better Communities” were scheduled to begin exhibiting models of their designs at an expo in Port-au-Prince. To be built on a 12-acre former sugar plantation, the homes would be toured by government officials, who in turn would commission some to be constructed in decimated neighborhoods. Image © John McAslan +Partners The expo is slated to be built on a 12-acre site in Port-au-Prince. Related Links: Haiti Launches Housing Design Competition Special Report:

At 1,322 feet, the St. Petersburg skyscraper would be Europe's tallest building. UNESCO is threatening to revoke the city's heritage status if the tower gets built. November 23, 2010 A skyscraper that would be Europe’s tallest is one step closer to reality, even if controversy continues to dog it. The Okhta Centre in St. Petersburg, Russia, which is being designed by London-based RMJM, received a key approval last month from Glavgosekspertiza, the federal building agency, according to news reports. That approval was required because the steel-and-glass tower, which is to stretch to 1,322 feet, will be three times taller than

The Irish capital revamps its riverfront industrial lands, creating a mixed-use development with architecture by design luminaries such as Libeskind, Roche, and Calatrava. Photos courtesy DDA The Grand Canal Theatre, by Studio Daniel Libeskind (above). Click on the slide show button to see more images of architecture in the Dublin Docklands. The economic boom that began in the mid-1990s and transformed Ireland from one of Europe’s poorest countries into a Celtic Tiger has been all but dead for several years. However, the fruits of the more prosperous times are evident everywhere, including in the Dublin Docklands — about 1,300 acres

Whether the still unopened Harmon Hotel inside the CityCenter resort in Las Vegas is demolished or remains an expensive billboard is now part of yet one more legal battle stemming from the struggling mega-resort’s many financial woes.

Photo courtesy Wikipedia The Original Passivhaus, in Darmstadt, Germany. Photo courtesy North American Passive House Conference About 350 practitioners from across the U.S. attended the North American Passive House Conference, held November 4 to 7. Just a few years ago, the first North American Passive House Conference was attended by a handful of passionate adherents trading tips around folding tables in Urbana, Illinois. But this year, with a keynote speech by green energy prophet Amory Lovins, and attended by roughly 350 practitioners from across the country, the 2010 conference, held from November 4 to 7 in Portland, Oregon, helped establish

When it came to sourcing materials for a new office building for a steel fabricator in Washington, Olson Kundig Architects didn't have to look too far. The firm's striking design calls for giant steel pipes made on site. Images courtesy Olson Kundig Architects The 11,700-square-foot office building will adjoin an existing steel factory. Related Links: 1111 E. Pike Rolling Huts Wing Luke Asian Museum Kundig Wins National Design Award 2009 Firm of the Year Founded in 1966, Olson Kundig Architects has become well known over the years for incorporating raw materials and metal gadgetry into its buildings. In its design

The award-winning actor and director Robert Redford has long used his star power to champion environmental, social, and artistic causes. Roughly 40 years ago, he purchased a tract of land Utah’s Wasatch Mountains that would evolve into the 5,000-acre nature preserve and eco-resort known as Sundance. He later established the Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute, and the Sundance Channel—all dedicated to supporting independent artists. Photo © Jack David Allred Dozens of educators and civic leaders gathered at the Sundance Resort this month for a green schools summit. The event was organized by the Redford Center, USGBC, and ICLEI USA –