Sustainability Matters - Blog

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 […]

Expertise

Nature-Inspired Design

Nicole Isle, chief sustainability strategist with Glumac’s Portland office, believes more building designs should capitalize on the human attraction to nature. Isle, who has a background in biology, is leading the engineering firm’s investigation into biophilic design. The emerging philosophy is based on the concept of biophilia, which means “love of life,” and seeks to […]

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 […]