Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) were brought on board to bring a 1958 SOM skyscraper up to LEED standards. Architects found that the original plans, which weren't implemented, looked pretty good by today's standards.
The original design of the Inland Steel Building included double-paned glass for better insulation.
Alexandra Lange writes, "Other features of the original building sound like they could have been specified yesterday. Graham moved the support piers to the perimeter-where they form striking stainless-steel ribs on the exterior of the building along South Dearborn Street-to create 58-by-178-foot open floors. He integrated electricity and telephone lines into the floor as part of a modular system called 'Inland Cellufloor,' which shares much in common with today's energy-efficient floor delivery systems."
Read the full story: Sustainably Retrofitting a Mid-Century Skyscraper
A Cautionary Tale of Mega-Project Planning
"There’s a dramatic difference, Cityfront Center shows, between real estate success and building a great city."
Two Skyscrapers Will Finally Rise Above the Failed Location of the Chicago Spire
Two towers, one reaching 1,100 feet and the other 850 feet, will take their place in the Chicago skyline.
How Energy Efficient are the World's Tallest Buildings?
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai has one of the world's largest condensate recovery systems that diverts and reuses water from air conditioning. One World Trade Center in New York will use 30% less water and 20% less energy.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority