Eiffel Tower Gets a Birthday Makeover
from Times Online
Paris recently celebrated the 120th birthday of its “Iron Lady,” treating the Eiffel Tower to a facelift a century after it was supposed to have been dismantled. A team of 25 steeplejack painters from the poorer fringes of Europe clambered to the top and started brushing on 60 tons of semi-gloss, the 17th coat it has received since its opening on March 31, 1889. More

Pittsburgh Undergoes Green Building Renaissance
from The New York Times
In a contemporary retelling of Aesop’s fable of the tortoise and the hare, Pittsburgh is finding recession-era advantages in a slow-growth legacy. The city, which has lost half its population since 1950, had a well-chronicled change of character over the second half of the 20th century: from a center of the steel industry to headquarters for many large corporations to a much more diverse economy that encompasses health care, education, finance and technology. As it shrank, the city had relatively little new construction compared with many United States cities. But it was in the forefront of the movement to conserve existing structures and clean up the contaminated industrial sites called brownfields, becoming a leader in the field of sustainable building. That is now serving Pittsburgh well during the economic downturn. More

Tips for Creating a "Friendly" Workplace
from Reuters
Now that you realize that discrimination and harassment are illegal, here's what can you do to prevent improper behavior in the workplace. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has stated that preventative measures are one of the best ways to combat workplace discrimination and harassment. Saying that, however, is easier than accomplishing it. Here are some tips on how to create a friendly workplace, where discrimination and harassment cease to exist. More

Carbon-neutral, Five-Star Hotel Planned in China
from GreenerBuildings
Mayland Seaside Hotel, a five-star hotel project to be situated along the Zhujiang River, will feature an architecture style focused on sensibility to social responsiveness, energy use, urbanism and ecological awareness. The hotel is currently in the design phase and is due to be completed in 2012-2013, according to Narendra Patel of Patel Architecture, Rancho Mirage, Calif. More

Energy Labels for Buildings may be Key to Saving Energy
from Building Design & Construction
The United States needs more research into high-risk energy-related technologies, and the Department of Energy is the right agency to lead it. The DOE has a dozen national labs that employ thousands of highly qualified engineers and scientists. The Obama administration’s proposed budget calls for US$129 billion for renewable energy technology. There’s another US$400 million in the stimulus package for a new DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy. More

Singapore’s Stunning Digital Cloud Skyscraper
from Inhabitat
This incredible pixelated skyscraper by Singapore-based Design Act was a finalist in a competition to design a pavilion for the World Expo 2010. Entitled “My Dream, Our Vision,” the project uses permutated cubes to generate a spectacular modular sculpture that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Singapore as an efficient, dynamic, cosmopolitan and forward-looking nation. More

Dos and Don'ts: Workplace Internet and E-Mail
from Reuters
So, everyone at your company now has access to the Internet and e-mail. Great! Now make sure it stays that way, by following a few simple "DOs and DON'Ts." More

Google Shows Alternative Energy Firms the Way
from San Francisco Chronicle
Picking the right place for an immense solar power plant or wind farm is a tricky business, one that can turn natural allies into enemies. An open stretch of desert might look empty to a renewable-power developer who wants to blanket a few hundred acres with solar panels or mirrors. To environmentalists, the same spot could be vital habitat for an endangered lizard or bird—an ecosystem too delicate to touch. Now, a collaboration between Google and two leading environmental groups intends to head off those fights. More

Automated Building Standards Dissected for 2009
from Automated Buildings
For some time now global warming or climate change has been the driver for various green building initiatives. More recently attention has been brought to limitations in our energy sources. One result of these restrictions has been increased energy prices, and despite the increasing pressure for fuel-less sources such as wind and solar, prices will remain high for some time to come. More

New Zealand: Workplace Illness Costs NZD$2 Billion a Year
from The New Zealand Herald
The cost of illness to New Zealand employers is likely to be NZD$2 billion a year across the whole workforce, or more than NZD$1,500 per employee, a new study has found. More