In April, the US Green Building Council rolled out LEED version 3, a significant revision to both the LEED certification process for projects and to the credentialing process for "green professionals" who hold the LEED AP designation. The intention is for the new processes to reflect the rapidly advancing technology and evolving techniques of green building. The credentialing, as universally understood, will be much, much more rigorous for those seeking the new designations, such as LEED AP BD+C. I have found the information about this transition difficult to follow until I saw this article by Tristan Roberts which showed up in my Linkedin update today. As an author for the tests, he has many interesting and useful insights for those looking to stay abreast of this fast-moving field.
Recent Posts
- Norman Alston Architects marks 20 years
- Highland Park rejects Preservation.......again.
- New LEED Standards take effect Monday, August 3.
- Highway rest areas have their preservationists too.
- Email trouble today, Monday, June 29, 2009
- Statue of Liberty to reopen the crown on July 4
- The state of historic preservation according to Architectural Record
- Austin Energy Audits: Commentary in the Advocate Magazine's Back Talk Blog
- Parks Estate receives Preservation Achievement Award
- A visit to historic Fort Sam Houston
Links
- Norman Alston Architects Website
The homepage of Norman Alston Architects - Preservation Nation
- Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation
The basic guidelines for historic preservation. - WBDG: Sustainable Historic Preservation
At the Whole Building Design Guide Site, this site summarizes and discusses many of the ideas of intrinsic sustainability found in historic buildings. - Whole Building Design Guide
A clearinghouse for sustainability information.
Historic Photos
- Photos from the project files.
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July 31, 2009
July 03, 2009
Highway rest areas have their preservationists too.
Waltzing across Texas on our highways is a way of life around here, but with the 4th of July Holiday upon us, many more are set to be on the road the next few days. That's probably why the Wall Street Journal published a story today about the trend among states to close so many of their highway rest areas in a budget-trimming move. The rationale is that so many private fuel stops and restaurants have cropped up that the humble rest area is no longer needed. To the surprise of many, this has not been well received. Truckers associations and the AAA, among others, have begun touting such steps as a threat to highway safety.
The gem of this article to me was to find the web site, Rest Area History.Org, which is dedicated to documenting the history of highway rest areas and preserving them.
As I read the article, I found it strangely inconsistent with what I had experienced lately. It seemed to me that rest areas in Texas were enjoying a resurgence, with large new facilities having recently opened near Belton and Sweetwater. Sure enough, later in the article, Texas is noted as a state bucking the trend, going as far as adding wi-fi hot spots to most of the state's rest areas. TxDOT maintains this interactive map showing locations of the state's rest areas, including a photo gallery of many.
If you're out and about, check out the big new ones in Bell County and Nolan County.
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