GBCI begins testing for new LEED professional credentials. The Green Building Certification Institute last week began testing candidates who wish to pursue credentials through the new LEED Green Associate or LEED Accredited Professional Operations and Maintenance programs. The LEED Green Associate program is intended for individuals seeking knowledge and skills in the non-technical fields of green practice. LEED AP O+M is for those seeking advanced knowledge in sustainable operations and specialized expertise in greening existing buildings.Architects rank durability over 'green' in product attributes. Architects say durability is the most important attribute for a green building product, according to a new industry survey commissioned by PPG Industries. Durability was followed by Energy Star compliance, life cycle assessment, no- or low-volatile organic compound (VOC) content, and the ability to source products regionally.Architecture Billings Index falls slightly in April, but shows market improvement. After an eight-point jump in March, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) fell less than a full point in April. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the April ABI rating was 42.8, down from the 43.7 mark in March. This was the first time since August and September 2008 that the index was above 40 for consecutive months. The new projects inquiry score, however, was positive at 56.8.ASHRAE's building energy label set to launch in June. A label for grading commercial buildings according to their energy efficiency is being developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The label, due out in June, will measure both the design efficiency and operational performance of buildings, similar to the government's Energy Star program.AIA names bus shelter, restroom, Cleveland Arts Center among small project winners. The American Institute of Architects has selected 20 recipients of the 2009 Small Project Awards, including: the Media Arts Center in Cleveland, Ohio, by Robert Maschke Architects; the Public Bus Shelters of New Haven Conn., by David Thompson Architects; and the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail restroom facility in Austin, Texas, by Miro Rivera Architects. See below for more on restrooms.Half of U.S. design firms cut staff, profit margins stabilize. Half of architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms cut staff in 2008, while profit margins on net service revenue remained virtually unchanged from 2007 to 2008, according to ZweigWhite's newly released 2009 Financial Performance Survey.DOE sets partnership with hospitals for energy efficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy has launched the Hospital Energy Alliance (HEA), an industry-led partnership between the DOE and national healthcare sector leaders to promote the integration of advanced energy efficiency and renewable technologies in hospital design, construction, retrofit, operations, and maintenance.More than 30 new Marriott hotels seek LEED certification. Marriott International recently announced that its global headquarters building in Bethesda, Md., and more than 30 of its hotels in design or development or under construction are expected to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Related Stories
Architects | Aug 2, 2016
Bradley Lukanic named CannonDesign's CEO
In his new role, Lukanic takes helm of an experienced leadership team crafting and achieving optimal short- and long-term strategies and business outcomes
| Aug 1, 2016
K-12 SCHOOL GIANTS: In a new era of K-12 education, flexibility is crucial to design
Space flexibility is critical to classroom design. Spaces have to be adaptable, even allowing for drastic changes such as a doubling of classroom size.
| Jul 29, 2016
AIRPORT FACILITIES GIANTS: Airports binge on construction during busy year for travel
Terminal construction will grow by nearly $1 billion this year, and it will keep increasing. Airports are expanding and modernizing their facilities to keep passengers moving.
| Jul 29, 2016
Top 35 Airport Terminal Architecture and A/E Firms
Corgan, HOK, and Gensler top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest airport terminal architecture and A/E firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
Architects | Jul 28, 2016
Connecting the dots: Architecture and design in a changing world
What do Tesla, Airbnb and Amazon have in common? They’re all shifting the paradigm for quality of life and the built environment, as CallisonRTKL senior associate VP Jayson Lee explains.
| Jul 26, 2016
ENGINEERING GIANTS: Firms continue to push innovation
Trends include 3D printing, modular hospitals, and fluid dampers.
| Jul 26, 2016
Top 80 Architecture/Engineering firms
Stantec, HOK, and Callison RTKL once again top Building Design+Construction's 2016 ranking of the largest architecture/engineering firms in the United States.
| Jul 25, 2016
Top 35 Engineering/Architecture Firms
AECOM, Jacobs, and Thornton Tomasetti head Building Design+Construction's 2016 ranking of the largest engineering/architecture firms in the United States.
| Jul 25, 2016
Top 100 Architecture Firms
Gensler surpasses $1.1 billion in revenue, topping Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest architecture firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 25, 2016
AIA selects seven winners of healthcare building design award
The National Healthcare Design Awards recognizes functional hospital projects that solve aesthetic, civic, urban, and social concerns. Recipients were selected in three categories this year.