Jeff Young visits a super energy-efficient, solar powered house in Maine [BrightBuilt Barn designed by Kaplan Thompson Architects and Bensonwood Homes]. Its owner [Dr. Keith Collins] uses technology he calls “state of the shelf,” rather than state of the art. The goal is a green house that’s as economically affordable as it is environmentally sustainable. (Living on Earth, week of October 23, 2009)

Click here to listen to the Living On Earth story.

Crystals, the retail and entertainment district at CityCenter, has achieved LEED Gold Core & Shell certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the world’s largest retail district to receive this level of recognition. (October 22, PrNewswire)

Visit CityCenter’s website.

Learn more about CityCenter’s green initiatives.

Learn more about the Fore Group’s work on CityCenter’s remaining developments.

New York City’s biggest commercial landlord is making it easier for some of its key tenants to cut their energy costs. Vornado Realty Trust, which controls 17.5 million square feet of office space in 23 Manhattan skyscrapers, is attaching a series of small sensors to the meters in these tenants’ offices, and the sensors are feeding data on energy use to a private Web site every 15 minutes. The tenants can then organize the data by floor. (NYT, October 7, 2009)

Click here to read the full article.

Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont was featured in the New York Times Fall 2009 Design Magazine. Yestermorrow offers over 150 hands-on courses per year in design, construction, woodworking, and architectural craft and offers a variety of courses concentrating in sustainable design.