Architects can help create healthy communities. When people think of health, often the first thing that comes to mind is the medical industry, doctors, nurses and those who make us healthy when we are unwell.  

After a rainy winter in 2009, and after waiting for the site to dry, construction finally got underway on the Upper Cumberland Regional Health Facility (UCRHF) in Cookeville, Tenn. Owned by the State of Tennessee, the new construction of this 50,000-square-foot facility building was essential for compensating for the recent and expected growth of the regional health department.

 There has been much discussion about environmentally sustainable buildings over the past couple of years.  

 Cities and counties are facing new policy challenges as federal and state regulators adopt greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets and other new environmental performance standards designed to reverse the degradation of our environment.  

 Spring came early to Chicago this year.  

 It’s been called a game changer; a catalyst of sea change.  

Air barriers have recently been identified as one of several effective and viable solutions toward better high-performance buildings. 

 When it comes to energy, data centers are faced with a serious dilemma.  

 “Garbage” just isn’t what it used to be. Instead of throwing everything in one bin and hauling it to the local “dump,” there is increasing emphasis on recovering valuable resources from the stuff we throw away.  

 Why do grandparents carry photos of their grandbabies in their wallets — or perhaps in this age, on their iPhones?