Green Building Alliance
Promoting Healthy and High-Performing Places to Live, Work, Play, and Learn.
In the early stages of a project’s development, criteria are established for the space’s programming and environmental characteristics, generating a basis-of-design from which the building elements and systems are developed. Once a project is completed, however, the larger question of how the design team and building owners evaluate the project’s success begs consideration. The answer may […]
The Carrick Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) will be the first Passive House certified library in North America. This significant green building achievement tells the story of Pittsburgh: a community for all, where everyone has access to learning opportunities and has access to healthy, safe spaces. What’s the coolest feature of the […]
Urban landscapes represent both the unique ecological challenges of the built environment and the identities of the communities that shape those spaces. Redesigning this landscape to incorporate the natural world not only improves the sustainability of the urban area, but it can also help strengthen the communities that live and work in those spaces. Three […]
Talk about self-driven. Pittsburgh-based startup Aurora Innovation, Co. just received the first ever official (but still voluntary) state authorization to test self-driving cars in Pittsburgh and surrounding municipalities. In April, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Authority urged self-driving car companies to make testing #official, a process which includes filing a safety plan, mapping routes, and […]
Indoor air quality is one of the many emerging topics of environmental health and green building. Humans spend more time indoors than out, therefore the air we are breathing while inside is critically important to our health. As we become more aware of the health impacts of not having a clean breathing environment, products are emerging […]
Money on My Drain. Pittsburgh Water and Sewage Authority is considering implementing a stormwater fee. Though details are still under development, the plan could largely affect “grey” infrastructure such as parking lots. Many such businesses don’t have any water access on their sites and have never been charged by PWSA before. Why? “If we can control the […]
People define place. We know this, because as designers and community builders, we seek to create places that attract people, and eventually future investment. But those working in community development are equally familiar with the tense dynamic of public meetings, and the disjointed processes that are supposed to provide a direct connection to the people […]
A bus by any other name…. Port Authority Buses are getting a rebrand—and we’re not just talking about new colors. This year-long process will promote a new Port Authority philosophy that celebrates fast, clean, and friendly public transit. Want to be a part of making public transportation better for all Pittsburghers? Be a mobility influencer […]
From the very beginning, green building has been an effort of inspired individuals. Every project and every building can be traced to a particular person who wanted to create something better. The results, of course, are immortalized in concrete, in the stunning and intricate structures that form the fabric of our cities. But the movement […]
Liberty Bridge is Finally Free—From Construction: Mostly, anyway. After three years, visible construction on the Liberty Bridge Rehabilitation Project was completed this week. Despite a fire setting back its completion in 2016, the bridge was completed only 2% over budget. The bridge once appeared on 60 Minutes for its structural deficiencies, and now has some […]