LEED for Homes Gets Local Partners
from Custom Home Online
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently announced a program to expand the residential green building market around the country. As part of the program, regional and local green building organizations collaborate with USGBC as LEED for Homes Affiliates, receiving support for education, marketing, and initiatives at the local level and for local programs while promoting LEED for Homes. More

Finalists for 29th Annual Gold Key Awards Announced
from Hospitality Net
The International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show® has named finalists for the prestigious Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design. Finalists were selected by a panel of notable industry experts from more than 225 projects in 24 countries. Alexandra Champalimaud was named "Designer of the Year." More

With Markets Down, Homeowners Turn to Phased Remodeling
from HousingZone.com
According to a recent Consumer Reports poll on home remodeling, 36% of homeowners who plan to remodel plan to do so in phases. For homeowners who can't fund the entire project upfront, breaking elements of a major home remodel into stages can help extend costs over time and buy homeowners more time to save or find funding. Embarking on a series of smaller projects also keeps homeowners less stressed. More

Some Buildings Not Living Up to Green Label
from The New York Times
Builders covet LEED certification — it stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — as a way to gain tax credits, attract tenants, charge premium rents and project an image of environmental responsibility. But the gap between design and construction, which LEED certifies, and how some buildings actually perform led the program last week to announce that it would begin collecting information about energy use from all the buildings it certifies. More

Conversation with a Fibers Designer
from Fast Company
"You can't escape fibers. We're everywhere," proclaims Cayewah Easely, chair of the fibers department at SCAD. Fast Company talks with Easely about fiber design and education. More

Zeppelin House is a Treetop Escape
from Inhabitat
Magically appearing from the trees along Great Ocean Road, Australia is Cocoon, an incredible weekend getaway by the terrific design duo Bellemo & Cat. One part zeppelin, one part finely-crafted yacht, Cocoon was conceived as a "a matchbox inside an egg, a rectangle within an oval." More

Pending Home Sales on a Record Roll
from Realtor.org
Contract activity for pending home sales has risen for six straight months, a pattern not seen in the history of the index since it began in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the housing market momentum has clearly turned for the better. More

An American Perspective: Skyscraper Architecture Goes Modular in the U.K.
from Building Design & Construction
The city of Wolverhampton, England, enters the architectural history books this month as residents move into Victoria Hall, their brand new high-rise modular apartment building. At 25 stories, Victoria Hall is the world’s tallest building built with off-site construction methods. More

Designers Turn the Heat Up on Latest Kitchen Trends
from RocNow.com
It could be a crack in the floor tiles, a nasty chip in one of the cabinets or one too many times reaching awkwardly for a needed utensil. But it’s usually a small defect that starts the ball rolling toward a total kitchen renovation. More