Designed by Kevin Kennon and dubbed Tian Fang, the 45-story building in Tianjin, China will incorporate biophilic design techniques to mimic the form and growth of a bamboo forest.
Tag Archives | green design
Lessons on Predicting Building Performance from New Yankee Stadium
During the first homestand of the season at $1.6 billion New Yankee Stadium, baseballs flew out of the ballpark at an unprecedented rate; the 20 dingers that were clocked during last weekend’s series against the Cleveland Indians were the most ever in a four-game set to open a new stadium in baseball history. Last season, Old Yankee Stadium saw 160 home runs; the current pace would yield a mind-boggling 351 round-trippers for the entire 2009 season. The Yankees did not anticipate that their new ballpark would turn into a Little League bandbox; dimensions at the new park are the same as they were across the street and engineers performed a wind study in advance of construction that did not suggest any major changes in currents or speeds. So, after witnessing several routine fly balls to right field land halfway into the lower deck last Saturday, it struck me that there are some parallels between what’s been happening thus far at the new ballpark in the Bronx and some of the building performance issues that we frequently discuss here at GRELJ.
The Legal Issues of Green Real Estate Finance
The real estate finance industry has experienced extreme changes in the past eighteen months. The credit crisis and subsequent economic recession have resulted in a severe tightening in the real estate finance market. As a result, the few banks that are still providing financing secured primarily by real estate are able to be far more selective in project selection. Some of these lenders have greatly increased their commitment to providing financing to developers of green buildings. One prominent source of funds has been from Wells Fargo & Company, which has provided more than $2 billion in financing secured by green real estate. As the world financial headquarters has shifted from Wall Street to Washington, D.C., many commentators are expecting that green building will be a common condition of allocation of federally funded real estate projects whether in the form of direct subsidies or grants or public/private partnerships. This article will briefly examine a small portion of the unique legal risks that should be considered by lenders and property owners and developers in regard to obtaining financing for green buildings. It will specifically focus on ways lenders should attempt to mitigate risk through a basic understanding of green building, the careful examination of leases, construction documents and loan document covenants.
Panel to Tackle Preserving & Greening Industrial Buildings at Municipal Art Society
By Stephen Del Percio on October 20, 2008 in Brooklyn Navy Yard, Historic Preservation, New York City
Using former industrial buildings as new manufacturing ventures or adapting them for other uses are just two ways that New York City is exploring how these structures can serve a 21st century economy.
element Ewing: Green Hospitality, Franchise Law in Trenton, New Jersey
Starwood’s element hotel brand is coming to Mercer County, New Jersey, and raises some interesting green legal questions in the context of franchising arrangements.
West Coast Green Panel Discusses Risk Management for Green Building Projects
A panel discussion at the recent West Coast Green conference touched on some important liability issues as they relate to green building and sustainability.
Green LITES: NYSDOT Introduces Sustainable Transportation Design Program
The Department of Transportation’s Green Leadership In Transportation and Environmental Sustainability program is based on LEED and the first of its kind anywhere in the country aimed specifically at sustainable transportation design.
Red-Hot Green Roofs a Hidden Green Building Risk for Owners and Insurers?
Some major insurers are becoming increasingly concerned about risks arising out of green roofs drying out and becoming flammable, particularly in connection with scholastic installations.
Green Building Statistics: Demand is High, Design Experience is Low
While it’s true that statistics don’t always tell the whole story, some recent figures from XL and NAHB have important risk management implications for green building industry stakeholders.
Shaw Development v. Southern Builders: The Anatomy of America’s First Green Building Litigation
It’s happened: the country’s first litigation arising out of a green building project has been reported in Maryland.
