Sustainable Tax Practices

Saving energy and creating jobs is a key challenge facing the design and construction industry, and a strengthened federal Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction (179D) is the proposed solution. The AIA’s ongoing advocacy of this tax incentive, established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), as well as its continued efforts to increase awareness of the benefits within the industry, is a clear sign of the importance of this issue.

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The First Line of Defense for Masonry Buildings

There are certain things in life that one may count on. The sun will rise in the east and set in the west; winter follows summer; and you will be required to pay taxes. We can add one more certainty to the list: Buildings will leak. Read more...

Materials: Masonry Cleaning & Restoration

As in all aspects of masonry, there is a great deal of artistry in restoring older and historic masonry. When tackling a new project, the artisan mason, while not looking for originality, needs to have a vision of the tradition of the structure, the composition and formulation of the original materials, and knowledge of the technology of the period in which the original was created. Read more...

Green Masonry

Last year during the Greenbuild Conference & Expo, a panel presentation on Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, caught my attention. According to the panelists, Abu Dhabi has the largest per capita carbon footprint in the world. To counteract this problem, Abu Dhabi has plans to build the first carbon-neutral, zero-waste city in the world. Read more...

Building Green Today For a Cost-Effective Tomorrow

For the past several years, the U. S. economy has seen a tremendous amount of growth in the adoption of sustainable practices. Organic and natural products now grace the isles of almost every grocery and department store. Consumer awareness has grown as more people try to purchase organic and locally grown produce. Read more...

Materials: The Temple That Siva Built

Centuries into the future, travelers may one day chance upon a fabulous Chola-style temple on a Hawaiian island and wonder what age, what civilization it belonged to. They will learn about a blaze of faith, a celebration of Hinduism, which took place in the 21st century, thousands of miles away from India. Read more...