Zipcar finally made it to Houston in March and offers a new alternative form of transportation; car-sharing. Very similar to a rental car, Zipcars are designed for those who don’t own or need a car on a regular basis. Zipcar requires membership and the … [Read more...]
Foley’s Demolition and Embodied Energy
On the morning of September 22, 2013, the 1947 art-deco Foley’s (Macy’s since 2006) Building, once known as the most modern department store in the U.S., was reduced to rubble. My office has the fortune to be only two blocks away and positioned perfectly for … [Read more...]
Greening The City: Houston 2012 Report on Sustainable Buildings
In response to repeated requests for USGBC to establish a benchmark of Houston’ s progress in the adoption of green buildings practices, primarily via the prevalence of LEED projects, Angela Bejarano and I co-authored Greening Our City: Houston 2012 report on … [Read more...]
Houston joins the U.S. Better Building Challenge
The City of Houston and the U.S. Department of Energy announced today that the city has joined the Better Building Challenge and has pledged a 20% reduction by 2020 in 30 million square feet of public and private buildings. The U.S. DOE press release can be … [Read more...]
Green Building Bills Pass Texas Legislature
Texas politics are maddening. Every other January we dive in full of hope and every other May we go home empty-handed. And those are the good years. Then 2011 rolls around with astronomical budget deficits, education issues and redistricting…and look what … [Read more...]
Federal and Local Incentives to Build Green
Some framework is in place for green building tax deductions at both the national and the lower levels. At both the federal level and local level, tax benefits exist to help promote green buildings in Houston. These benefits not only affect owners, but some … [Read more...]