Sustainability Matters - Blog

Expertise

New Updates to Washington State Energy Code Bring Sustainable Building Design to the Forefront

Changes are coming to the Washington State Energy Code. Written to maintain the state’s status as one of the nation’s leaders in sustainable building design, several aggressive updates have been made to the 2015 code, including requirements for dedicated outdoor air systems, and a series of sustainable design prerequisites project teams must choose from. A […]

Great Projects

The Sammamish Community and Aquatic Center Makes a Splash

In the spring of 2016, the Community and Aquatic Center in Sammamish, Washington, opened to large crowds of active adults and playful children. Created in collaboration with the YMCA, it’s a facility that realizes  Sammamish’s goal of creating sustainable facilities for its growing population. Along with architects Barker Rinker Seacat, the City of Sammamish, contractors Porter […]

Great Projects

CSUN Students Pursue Living Building Challenge With New Sustainability Center

California State University at Northridge (CSUN) is located in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley and, like the rest of the state, is not immune to the challenges facing water conservation and access to clean, renewable sources of energy. And with leadership at the university backing a student-driven push for greater levels of on-campus sustainability, the […]

Expertise

Five Major Water Waste Culprits and the Importance of Commissioning

Even when optimized, landscape irrigation is a significant source of water use within an urban community. However, water usage and costs can escalate when systems and equipment are broken or not controlled properly. Here are a few common waste water culprits we find time and again during site-walks. Addressing them with a commissioning team can […]

Expertise

The Year of Water Conservation

Water is becoming a precious resource, particularly in the Western United States, where many of our clients live and work. In 2016, we are invigorating our focus on water conservation in the built environment, and further establishing ourselves as industry leaders in this area. With El Niño forecasting rain to drought-stricken states, we see this as a […]

Expertise

Working by Daylight:
How Circadian Lighting Increases Productivity

By now, we all know that low access to daylight can be detrimental to our health. Eye strain, exhaustion, and weakening mental health are all issues that share a root cause in poor access to light. But what if the implications of access to daylight went beyond wellness and energy savings, and we could prove it […]

Expertise

A New Energy Modeling Standard from ASHRAE Open for Public Review

ASHRAE is nearing the final stages of publishing its own energy modeling standard. Energy efficiency and sustainability are playing an increasing role in design decisions. As such, defining a minimum standard of care for energy simulation is becoming crucial. The ASHRAE standard – open for public comment until May 9, 2016 – is the result […]

In the Community

Grow it Yourself: Five Steps for Starting an Office Garden

For Earth Day 2016, Glumac Sacramento’s Green Team decided to do something that would have both an immediate and lasting impact on our office, employees, and the Earth. So we decided to plant a garden filled with some of our favorite fruits, vegetables, and herbs. To get started, staff donated what they could to keep […]

Concepts

A/E/C Women in Leadership

  When we first started in the A/E/C industry, it was exciting to be a part of the amazing and innovative work involved in creating sustainable buildings. However, from as far back as middle school, being one of a small handful of females in STEM-related courses was the norm. And today, a point of ongoing […]

Concepts

Buildings Need Clean Water Too:
Overcoming the Challenge of Process Water Conservation

Water conservation has become one of today’s most urgent challenges to sustainable design.  As the world becomes more aware and engaged in sustainability at a lifestyle and cultural level, the social and economic benefits of investing in water conservation are becoming more globally apparent and compelling. Solutions like low-flow plumbing fixtures can decrease a facility’s water […]

Expertise

Modular Data Center Design Helps Oracle Achieve Sustainability Goals

With 2014 revenues at $38 billion and more than 130,000 employees company-wide, Oracle has plans. Big plans. These included reaching their internal IT growth targets for 2014 with a forward-looking plan to support IT growth needs for the next several years. Accordingly, Oracle moved forward with the build-out of the UCF Phase 2 Data Center […]

In the Community

Nontraditional Employment for Women

Glumac’s Christine Culver, an electrical engineer and lighting designer based in our Sacramento office, spoke and served as a guest mentor at a Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) program at Sierra College. The event connected young girls with mentors from various industries to encourage the pursuit of nontraditional education and careers that lead to high-wage […]

Expertise

Great Projects

Lean Collaboration + LEED Commitment:
Mission College’s Main Building Targets LEED Platinum

Mission College in Santa Clara, California, is getting a new front door. Soon, the first building you will see when approaching the campus will be the new Phase II Main Building Replacement. Set to complete in the fall of 2017, the 100,000-square-foot, three-story building incorporates multiple programs including Student Services, Counseling, as well as academic […]

Great Projects

Oregon Convention Center Earns LEED Platinum

The Oregon Convention Center’s commitment to sustainability has been evident since construction on the facility was first completed in 1990. Operated by Metro, the Portland area regional governance organization, the Oregon Convention Center was conceived and constructed to serve as a beacon of sustainability in the Pacific Northwest. For the last 25 years, the Oregon […]

Great Projects

Lighting Design Hits an Ace for Indian Wells Tennis Garden

The Coachella Valley has long been home to a cluster of oases in the rocky desert of Southern California. One of these sought out destinations is the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Opened in 2000, the facility, nestled into the Old Hollywood getaway of Indian Wells, has undergone an award-winning renovation – recently having been recognized […]

Great Projects

Optimizing a Landmark:
Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building

Clad in a new envelope of glass and steel with a sloping rooftop solar parasol, the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt (EGWW) building bears little resemblance to the white concrete façade of the original 1970s building. Exterior shading and radiant systems provide excellent comfort and energy efficiency. But energy-optimized buildings can’t be handed over “as is” at […]

Great Projects

Discovery Hall: Building for a Strong STEM Future

The University of Washington Bothell campus had two important needs. As a burgeoning destination for students in the Snohomish and King counties of WA, UW had to increase its enrollment capacity. They also needed to meet the academic demands of its students, local community, and regional industry, specifically in the field of science, technology, engineering […]

In the Community

Folsom High School Students Discover Engineering and New Career Possibilities

Glumac’s Christine Culver, EIT, LEED GA and LC, worked with Folsom High School’s Physics and Engineering classes to bring the engineering profession to life and talk about its career possibilities.  Culver’s visit was part of Glumac Sacramento’s local outreach to celebrate National Engineers Week (Feb. 22-28) and to inform and inspire kids with a passion […]

Great Projects

Levi’s ® Stadium:
Commissioning the First LEED Gold NFL Stadium as New Construction in US

The decision to build the new 68,500-seat Levi’s ® Stadium, a venue owned by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, was never about simply constructing a new home for its city’s beloved football team, the San Francisco 49ers. It was intended to be the first of its kind in sustainability: the first stadium in the United States to receive LEED […]