Proposal would make all new buildings in Los Angeles carbon-neutral

Los Angeles may become the next large city to ban fossil fuels from new construction if legislation recently introduced in the city council becomes law.

The proposal calls for a ban on gas hookups for new buildings. Every new dwelling and commercial building would be fully electrified—including to power heating and cooking elements.

The measure would ask city departments to devise a framework to implement the gas ban by January 2023. If the plan becomes law, Los Angeles would join other Californian cities including San Francisco in banning fossil fuel from new buildings.

Multiple city council members expressed support for the measure, indicating that it stands a good chance of passing. The city councilor that introduced the bill says that 43% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the city can be sourced to buildings.

Learn how MG2’s Sustainable Materials Evaluation System helps clients, prospects, and staff choose the most environmentally feasible materials for their building projects. Candon Murphy, LEED GA, Assoc. IIDA, Design Lab Manager and Materials & Sustainability Specialist with MG2, speaks with BD+C Executive Editor Rob Cassidy.

Planning for hospital campus access that works for people

This course defines the elements of hospital campus access that are essential to promoting the efficient, stress-free movement of patients, staff, family, and visitors. Campus access elements include signage and wayfinding, parking facilities, transportation demand management, shuttle buses, curb access, valet parking management, roadways, and pedestrian walkways.

For glass openings, how big is too big?

Advances in glazing materials and glass building systems offer a seemingly unlimited horizon for not only glass performance, but also for the size and extent of these light, transparent forms. Both for enclosures and for indoor environments, novel products and assemblies allow for more glass and less opaque structure—often in places that previously limited their use.

Codes and Standards | May 2, 2022

Developer Hines, engineer MKA develop free embodied carbon reduction guide

Real estate management and investment firm Hines has released the Hines Embodied Carbon Reduction Guide. The free guide, produced with Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA), is the result of a two-year effort, relying on MKA’s industry-leading knowledge of carbon accounting and involvement in programs such as the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) Tool.