City Gardens

The Sheraton Hotel in Denver Partnered with a Spanish firm and the Mile High Gardening Conference to create a 16 x 20 ft. wall of plants next to the entrance. This garden is not so much of a sustainable matter as is, but shows how people could easily grow gardens in the city on rooftops. These green roofs are an up-and-coming trend to help filter the air in cities and to provide fresh, organic produce for building occupants.

http://inhabitat.com/sheraton-vertical-garden-built-for-mile-high-gardening-conference-in-denver/

Waterfall Wall

In an advertising agency in Denver, there is a really interesting wall that may just make your jaw drop. This wall is not only marvelous because of its waterfall, but is good for the environment. The glass wall allows for more light to shine through the building, leading to a lesser need for artificial lighting. This wall also is used to help purify the air in the building and serves a multipurpose as a whiteboard for discussions and news within the agency's building.

http://www.confluence-denver.com/features/sustainablearch.aspx

The Progression of Sustainable Architecture

Dwell Magazine conducted an amazing interview with architects discussing the progression of sustainable architecture within the last couple of decades starting in the postmodern era (1970s). The architects interviewed had some very interesting things to say about the progression of this important practice, highlighting just how crucial it is nowadays. The interview can be read here.

Net Zero Energy Homes

Net zero energy buildings are a new concept for architecture that needs not power from outside. Which entails that it can produce enough power on its own to sustain itself. This concept is very interesting, and very new. Find out more here.

Sustainable Architecture Firms in Denver

I found some cool and interesting architecture firms here in Denver. Christopher Herr Architects is a firm that designs very modern and sustainable houses. Tomecek Studio Architecture is a firm with some very interesting prefabricated shipping container that are sustainable and modular. Doerr Architecture is another firm that designs homes here in Denver that any typical city-style, small homes that are eco-friendly. All of these firms are innovative in the sustainable architecture revolution currently going on, particularly here in Colorado.

IgCC

The International Green Construction Code (IgCC) is a code from the International Code Council that grades a building on its amount of sustainability from design to completed construction. This code consumes all of the designing process through the construction including everything such as the construction site, materials, waste, etc.

Huffington Post

I found a really cool article today from the Huffington Post highlighting the ten most sustainable architecture projects from April of last year. This is mostly just to look an awe over:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/27/sustainable-architecture_n_5193101.html

Denver Sustainablility

In my quest of trying to find buildings in Denver, I found a website that is the Colorado chapter of the USGBC. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the foremost department of our government devoted to sustainable architecture, it is a well-known organization in sustainable architecture.

Link to website:
http://usgbccolorado.org/index.php

Definition

In trying to define this topic—sustainable architecture—I found a source that is well-accredited to help me define it:

"Sustainable design or ecological design (also referred to as green design, or sustainable architecture) is a philosophy of designing buildings to comply with the principles of social, economic and ecological sustainability."

Class Research Session- Thursday

On Thursday, I found some resources relevant to my topic of sustainability, and focusing more specifically on sustainable architecture. TED Talks was the foundation for my search engine, I found many talks from different people on important factors of sustainable architecture and sustainability in general.