Ok, so I'm not promoting myself and shit like that, but at the end of the day (when the stars come out), I think it's a great thing to know that an Institution such as ASHRAE wants to market an International version of HLCP. I know of no Indian Architectural or Engineering software which has achieved anything like this.
"If you're not a project manager coordinating with dozens of consultants to get a LEED certified project, then your wasting your time. The exam tests for knowledge gained through administering LEED projects, not what you can study in the guide or how good a green designer you are."
"I became a LEED AP mainly because it was a personal goal and also because I figured it would be a good step toward getting the opportunities to work on green projects."
"The test only cares if you know how to submit a project for LEED certification, not that you can design a high performance/green building."
Sustainable Design Information and LEED Study Resources:
http://www.usgbc.org
The official Web site of the U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees.html
National Institute of Standards BEES 3.0 program, free software to help design green buildings
http://www.aia.org/cote/
The national AIA PIA Web site for sustainable design
http://www.edcmag.com/
Free magazine on the sustainable design industry
http://www.buildinggreen.com/
Sustainable design newsletter
http://leedsource.com/gpage1.html
http://www.usgbccolorado.com/resources/downloads-links.html
http://leedpasstec.com/home
The Solar Ark, a unique, ark-shaped, solar photovoltaic power generation facility, offers activities to cultivate a better appreciation of solar power generation, and thereby of both ecology and science. This 315m-wide, 37m-tall facility is located in Gifu Prefecture, in the geographical center of Japan, and can be seen from the JR Tokaido bullet train, which runs past on an adjacent railway track.
Stationed at the center of the Solar Ark is the Solar Lab, a museum of solar energy and one of the more unusual museums in the world. A unique, hands-on, outdoor light exhibition will be launched here in 2005, for the first time in Japan. In the future, expect a variety of interesting things to emanate from here.
Check out the website for lots more information, specifications and pics.
http://www.solar-ark.com/english/index.html
Crystal Island is a name for one of the world's biggest building projects that has been officially granted for building in Moscow on the peninsula between Moscow River and Andropov Avenue. It will be 450m high, covering a floor area of 2.5 million square meters and near half a million square meters. The cost of building Crystal Island will sum $4 billions.
The Crystal Island is not just an unusual huge building, it is a building-city. How comes? Well if you take the fact that this building will host about 3000 hotel rooms, about 900 serviced apartments, a school, exhibition spaces, theaters, retail and catering businesses, two public viewing platforms, at 150 meters and 300 meters, it's not just a building anymore. It's small city. The exterior facade will use solar responsive panels which, along with wind turbines, will generate electricity for the huge tower. Natural ventilation will be provided thanks to numerous strategically placed large atriums.
This entire project was initiated by Norman Foster, founder and chairman of Foster + Partners. Regarding the Crystal Island project, Norman Foster said: “Crystal Island is one of the world’s most ambitious building projects and it represents a milestone in the 40 year history of the practice. It is the largest single building in the world, creating a year-round destination for Moscow and a sustainable, dynamic new urban quarter. It is a paradigm of compact, mixed-use, sustainable city planning, with an innovative energy strategy and ‘smart’ skin which buffers against climate extremes.”
Project Area:
Total Gross External Area (Above Ground): 1,100,000 m2
Site area: 440,000 m2
Programme:
Public 360deg Top Observation Deck (at 300m level): 3000 m2 gross external area
Public 360deg Main Observation Deck (150m ): 6000 m2
Serviced apartments – approx. 900 units (80m to 140m): 265,000 m2
Hotel – approx. 3000 keys (12m to 80m ): 245,000 m2
Offices (40m to 80m ): 75,000 m2
Retail, Catering, Entertainment (0m to 40m ): 160,000 m2
Museum and IMAX (0m to 40m ); 100,000 m2
Theatres – 1500, 750, 750 seats (0m to 40m): 95,000 m2
School – 500 students (0m to 40m): 4000 m2
Covered Public Space: 150,000 m2
Sub-Total Above Ground: 1,100,000 m2
Sub-Total Above 150m: 3,000 m2
Underground Parking – approx. 14,000 spaces: 525,000 m2
Utilities and services: 875,000 m2
Sub-Total Below Ground: 1,400,000 m2
Total: 2,503,000 m2
Heights:
Top of structure: 450m
Top Viewing Platform: 300m
Main Viewing Platform: 150m
Perimeter building height: 20m
Floor to floor heights (above ground): 4m
Floor to floor height retail: 6m
Floor to floor height parking: 4m
http://whatheck.net/index.php/component/content/article/50-architecture/65-crystal-island.html
