From our work with sustainable buildings, Cornerstone has become engaged with issues involving the effective use of sustainable technologies in society as a whole. This includes interaction with organizations like ASHRAE, Athena, Bullfrog, and Aging 2.0.
The resources below are some of those we consider to be timely, authoritative, and thought provoking for others who may be interested in this complex emerging field. Please let us know your thoughts by sending us an email at cornerstone@cornerstonearchitecture.ca
Shift 2019 Infrastructure Architecture Challenge
The Challenge was to identify and address an infrastructure issue, either physical or social, where using architectural thinking can advance insight and innovation. We, anticipating the eventual decline of traditional rail freight, offered a vision for transforming the rail line into a green corridor through the City of London. Click the link above for a copy of the design panels for this project and view the actual presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEt1VVJQetk
Green vs. Blue Roofs
This article, from the current edition of High Performing Buildings Magazine, is based on Richard Hammond's Masters research on green versus blue roofs. Flat roof surfaces are a huge untapped resource and this discusses how to make the most out of them, depending on what kind of building you have and were it's located.
Cornerstone Factfulness Quiz 2018
Our staff took this Factfulness Quiz at our annual Christmas party. Here is a copy in case you would like to see how your friends do.
Richard's Required Readings
A list of great books covering the spectrum of debate over the future of culture, technology, and the idea of sustainability
Green Buildings: Past, Present and Future, March 2018
A review of the history of the green building movement, highlights from our recent green building projects, and a look ahead at the exciting opportunities on the horizion. View the actual presentation here: https://youtu.be/e-lp9CrF4ac
Green Building Principles & Practices, February 2018
A review of the evolution of LEED green building standards and their application at Western Engineering's Three C+ Project
Green and Blue Roofs Thesis Presentation, February 2017
Master's thesis defence presentation comparing the benefits of green and blue roofs, with recommendations for deciding where best to use them.
Sustainable Cities and Low Impact Buildings, January 2013
A presentation as part of Fanshawe College's Sustainability Speaker Series.
Rainwater Harvesting - Theory and Practice, October 2011
A presentation on rainwater harvesting and use in buildings with case studies from our green building projects.
Wealth of Nations, SEED online, November 2010
A fascinating discussion of the emerging market in the 'exchange of ecosystem services' as a practical way to pay for the impacts of development on the earth's atmospheric, water, and land resources.
Decoding Copenhagen, January 2010
An insightful evaluation of some significant shifts in thinking, in spite of no binding agreement, and their implications for the global economy, from Jeremy Oppenheim of McKinsey Quarterly.
Climate Skepticism Versus Consensus, December 2009
An excellent summary of the arguments and evidence on both sides of the climate debate, from David McCandless of www.InformationIsBeautiful.net: you be the judge!
Overview of LEED ND, June 2009
A concise summary of the proposed LEED for Neighbourhood Development standard presented to a symposium for the City of London in conjunction with Enermodal Engineering
Will the Future be Geo-Engineered? SEED Magazine, April 2009
A debate about climate management: how can we risk taking over responsibility? how can we not?
Earth Hour in Ontario LFP, April 2009
An op ed piece written for the London Free Press explaining how Earth Hour in Ontario actually added more CO2 to the atmosphere: illustrating how little we understand the way we use energy and its impacts
From Human to Transhuman TPL, October 2009
A transcript of the Templeton Pulbic Lecture by Braden Allenby explaining the implications of current technological trends in changing what it means to be 'human' and what that will mean for the idea of 'sustainability'
ALFA Green Easy, August 2008
A list of the top ten practical ideas for for improving the performance and reducing the impact of existing buildings, from the Assisted Living Facilities Association
The Power of Green NYT, April 2007
An article in the New York Times by Thomas Friedman, discussing the potential of the emerging 'green' economy to transform U.S. society