Sustainability Matters - Blog

Concepts

Fanatic Attention to Detail:
Base Camp Training for Glumac’s Future Engineers

“Fanatic Attention to Detail” is a cultural commitment at Glumac. Whether we’re working on drawings, specifications, qualification packages or planning our next client event, we strive for perfection in every way possible. To this end, we are committed to providing quality training for our employees. In June, Glumac hosted “Base Camp” for 21 of our […]

Expertise

Glumac LA:
An Innovative Approach to the Living Building Challenge in a High-Rise Building

Located in the heart of the Financial District in downtown Los Angeles, Glumac’s new office space sets a precedent for ultra-efficient tenant improvement projects. The office relocation is an opportunity for the firm to chart innovative strategies for existing high-rise buildings by pursuing Petal Certification under the Living Building Challenge (LBC). The LBC is often considered […]

Expertise

Data Centers:
Modularity Saves Energy and Reduces Construction Costs

Trends come and go in every industry. Some end up being passing fads and others transform their respective industries. It is likely history will show that some of the current data center modularity trends added little value to the industry, while others helped sustainably transform it. Modularity is one such data center trend that could […]

Expertise

EcoDistrict Systems:
Buildings Can Be Better Together

As we begin to emerge from the recession that has plagued the last half decade, restorative efforts are taking place in communities across the Pacific Northwest. The key is finding ways to reshape these areas in a manner that is beneficial to the environment, while not straining budgets. One significant approach we at Glumac feel […]

Expertise

Great Projects

New Steps for Sustainability:
Glumac Brings the Living Building Challenge to Asia

The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. ~ Chinese proverb  The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) is making huge strides this year with its signature certification program and green building philosophy, The Living Building Challenge (LBC). ILFI has partnered with Glumac, Gensler and Shimizu to plant the first seed in Asia […]

Expertise

Glumac is Rendering BIM Models 100 Times Faster

Glumac’s mission, to create green buildings that work, requires rapid and iterative analysis of unbuilt projects.  Our growing team of analysis experts leverages Building Information Modeling (BIM) to support design-phase decisions without the delay of building new models for every purpose. But how can software and a design process affect sustainability? Find out how BIM […]

Great Projects

Sustainability + Luxury: Sharing a Common Goal

“Product excellence by itself is not enough, the luxury brand must perform at an experiential level as well.” -Rohit Arora, Strategic Planning Director, BPG Group Many in the hospitality community perceive that sustainability comes at the expense of luxury. However, the market has transformed. Environmental stewardship can in fact attract potential visitors who seek substance […]

Great Projects

Let’s Go to the Beach:
Expo Light Rail Brightens the Future

With phase II of the Metro Expo Rail Line well underway, Los Angeles is on track to becoming a cleaner, more pedestrian friendly, transit-accessible city. Metro’s Expo Line phase I extension from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City prompted an increase of nearly 6% in light rail ridership for 2013, reflecting the need and desire […]

Expertise

Making History:
The Living Building Challenge and Glumac’s Shanghai and LA Offices

The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) is making huge strides this year with its signature certification program and green building philosophy, the Living Building Challenge (LBC). ILFI has partnered with Glumac and Gensler to plant the first seed in Asia with the first registered LBC project: Glumac’s new 6,000-square-foot office TI in Shanghai, China. The tenant […]

Great Projects

Urban Renewal in Salt Lake City
City Creek Center

There’s a new and shimmering upscale tourism and retail destination in the heart of Salt Lake City that’s won the attention of city planners worldwide. Some call it “urban renewal on steroids.” Others regard it as just one more extension of the buoyant and optimistic resource that Utah is. When Salt Lake City planners looked […]

Great Projects

Historic Renovations: Vestas Saves 70% in Energy Costs

To the passerby, the Vestas Headquarters in Portland’s Pearl District, looks like a simple, modern commercial building converted from a historic block structure. Hidden beneath the surface, it is in fact one of the highest performing office buildings in the country. Renovated from the old Meier & Frank warehouse into Class A office space in 2012, […]

Concepts

Shifting Perspectives for a Net-Positive Future

The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) Net Positive Conference in San Francisco this February presented a vision for the environmental performance of buildings that is challenging for many to embrace. The idea of net-positive development, in which a building and its occupants consume less energy, food, clean air, and water than is collected or produced on […]

Expertise

Lighting Control Basics:
Occupancy and Vacancy Sensors Explained

In a high-performance office building, lighting can account for 20% of energy use. Properly applied, lighting controls can easily reduce that portion by 25%. But, as with any high-performance strategy, there are subtleties to the technology and application. In this article, we’ll explain the basics of occupancy sensors and their important counterpart, the vacancy sensor. […]

Concepts

Green Building: Beyond LEED

The USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) was founded in 1993 with the mission “To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.” This is a lofty mission to be sure. Their vision statement goes even further, […]

Great Projects

Commissioning University of Oregon’s Matthew Knight Arena:
From Good to Great

Two years ago, we wrote about Glumac’s Commissioning work at the University of Oregon Duck’s new 12,541-seat Matthew Knight Sports Arena in Eugene, Oregon. The project was designed by a world-class architectural and engineering team. While most sports facilities are just designed to code, this facility was shooting for LEED® Silver and Glumac encouraged the […]

Great Projects

Sokol Blosser’s New Tasting Room Targets Living Building Challenge
and Net-Zero Energy

Over 40 years ago, the Sokol Blosser winery began its journey to becoming a world-class vineyard and an industry leader in sustainability. They had a passion for growing Pinot Noir grapes and creating fine wine which helped shape Oregon’s now-prominent wine industry. They also had a commitment “being good to the earth” and striving for […]

Concepts

StraightTalk Experts Discuss:
The Future of the Medical Office Building

“Medical offices are at the front line of healthcare delivery, with the emphasis on primary care and medical homes. Going forward there will be  much more care and prevention done in medical offices than in past.” ~ Karl Sonnenberg, architect, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP On May 22nd, a panel of five healthcare experts and […]

Concepts

Biomimicry and Engineering:
Doing it Nature’s Way

To Design to Nature, Understand Function First What is the function that you are designing for? That is the first question every engineer should ask when beginning a new project. The function of a ventilation, electrical, or plumbing system for example, must be understood up front or the resulting design will not truly serve the […]

Great Projects

Glumac Portland Office Achieves LEED Platinum

The Green Building Certification Institute announced this week that the Glumac Portland office has been awarded Platinum certification under LEED CI.  Since last year, Glumac Portland has been happily inhabiting a 15,150 sf, office space in the Standard Insurance Center in the heart of downtown Portland. The office is the result of a deep energy retrofit of […]