Recent sustainability news

Here are a few articles and announcements that have been shared at recent meetings.

MIT wants A/E teams to submit the embodied carbon of their projects to a public database: http://www.gostructural.com/article/9630/participating-in-an-embodied-carbon-database

Even though the showing has past, the movie sounds interesting if you can find it. 
https://www.historicseattle.org/events/eventdetail.aspx?id=594

The Greenest Building explores the myth that a “green building” is a new building and demonstrates how renovation and adaptive reuse of existing structures fully achieves the sustainability movement’s “triple bottom line” - economic, social, and ecological balance.

A summary of the Timber Tower Research Project by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill: http://www.structuremag.org/article.aspx?articleID=1825

A series of articles on current green practice in the Pacific Northwest:
http://www.djc.com/special/green2014/

Sustainable Structures Symposium. A conference at Portland State University April 17-18, 2014

http://web.pdx.edu/~cgriffin/symposium/

Two projects by KPFF feature cross-laminated timber roofs:

http://www.djc.com/news/co/12063234.html

Right-sizing under-slab insulation.  Cheaper, less-stiff insulation can carry the load.
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b0dfdc2f#/b0dfdc2f/14

A summary of LEED v4 items that are relevant to structural engineers:
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b0dfdc2f#/b0dfdc2f/28

Local LMN sustainability architect, Kjell Anderson, just published a book: "Design Energy Simulation for Architects."  This interview discusses case study experiences:
http://aiawa.org/2013/05/28/interview-design-energy-simulation-for-architects-w-kjell-anderson-aia/