Green Building - Articles

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Implementing Onsite Water Reuse Using the Risk-Based Framework, Part 1

A case study on the Mission Rock neighborhood — San Francisco’s first district-scale blackwater treatment system.

January 5, 2026

This case study explores how a risk-based, multi-barrier blackwater treatment system at San Francisco’s Mission Rock meets stringent microbial log reduction targets to enable safe, large-scale onsite non-potable water reuse.

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Code Classroom

Rotary’s Global Impact: Plumbing Solutions for Health and Sustainability, Part 2

Through initiatives like Sewing Seeds of Hope and partnerships with programs such as Days for Girls, the international group helps young women stay in school and gain skills for self-sufficiency.

January 5, 2026

Ron George

From building schools to empowering women and improving health care, Rotary International’s Ghana mission highlights sustainable education, economic development, and life-changing support for children and families.

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Sustainability Flows into Plumbing: Green Building Trends 2025

Learn more about the key innovations that are currently driving the integration of sustainable plumbing practices.

October 1, 2025

From rainwater harvesting to geothermal systems and smart leak detection, John A. Mullen explores how cutting-edge plumbing strategies are reshaping sustainable design in 2025 to meet the challenges of climate change, efficiency, and public health.

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New Texas Building Sets Records in Height, Piping Design

The use of plastic pipe wins industry award for Waterline project.

September 1, 2025

Austin’s tallest building, the 74-story Waterline, uses PEX and CPVC piping to boost energy efficiency, cut installation costs by 20%, and meet LEED Gold goals—earning Project of the Year honors.

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The Game-Ready Plumbing Design Behind the Historic CPKC Stadium

Teamwork and coordination during design and construction resulted in a widely celebrated venue listed on Time magazine’s World’s Greatest Places of 2024.

September 1, 2025

What does it take to build the world’s first stadium for a professional women’s soccer team? At CPKC Stadium, sustainable plumbing, smart drainage, and innovative design come together to redefine game day — and green building — in Kansas City.

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Green Plumbing Trends in Action: Making the Case for Rainwater Reuse Systems

Sustainability and performance can go hand-in-hand when water is collected, treated and recycled throughout the life cycle of a building.

June 2, 2025

From stadiums to civic offices, cutting-edge rainwater reuse systems are transforming green plumbing from theory to reality—saving water, slashing costs, and reshaping the industry’s role in sustainability.

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Building Smarter With Off-Site Manufacturing

Controlled approach enhances quality control, reduces errors and streamlines communication.

April 3, 2025

Off-site manufacturing is shifting the building process to a controlled manufacturing environment.

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A Geothermal System Grows in Brooklyn

The project includes 321 vertical boreholes drilled nearly 500 feet deep, using advanced HDPE piping for efficient energy transfer.

March 3, 2025

The 1 Java Street project in NYC’s Brooklyn borough is the largest mixed-use development in New York state to incorporate a ground-source geothermal system for heating and cooling.

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PAE Living Building: A Roadmap to Net-Zero Water

With far-reaching goals for providing a roadmap for water use in Living Buildings, this project is an attempt to close the water cycle.

October 2, 2024

A contestant in the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge, the PAE building’s sustainable water management showcases a comprehensive approach to achieving net-zero water use while redefining traditional notions of waste and promoting a closed-loop water cycle within the building.