Tag Archives: building

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Photo courtesy of
‘windows are my floor’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

I’m fascinated by window washers. Every time I see them setting up at building downtown, I just want to stop and watch them work. I think it’s the combination of being gusty enough to trust your life to a rather thin piece of rope while also having a unique “office” view. The suction cups they use also remind me of 1960s Batman.

So imagine how I feel about Phil’s photo above. Take one part unique perspective, add the mystique of window washers, and then throw in the blown out highlights of the sky; you get one great shot.

The Daily Feed
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Which DC Building Would You Demolish?


1400 Block of Irving Street, NW by rockcreek

Far, far away in the small seaside town of Bournemouth, England, residents were asked which building they would like knocked down.  The winner, or loser in this case, was the waterfront leisure complex.  When it opened in 1998, the citizens of Bournemouth (who were found to be the happiest people in Britain) threw a polite fit, claiming that the complex blocked their beloved view of the water.

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The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Pepco Goes Green?

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Pepco announced a green honor today  — its corporate headquarters has received the city’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance certification, at the Gold level. (See more about LEED and DC’s first LEED Silver office building.)

To earn the recognition, Pepco dropped the building’s energy consumption by nearly 17 percent and water use by 1.12 million gallons through retrofits and energy conservation measures. An audit and education programs increased recycling.

I applaud any efforts toward sustainability, including this one — yet feel I must point out that only about 4 percent of the energy coming over Pepco’s lines today to DC and Maryland is renewable. (Did you know you were burning that much fossil fuel?) To put your utility dollars toward green power, check out Clean Currents.

We Green DC
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We Love DC Green: Lafayette Tower a DC First in Green Buildings

LEED Platinum
The first thing I noticed when I saw Lafayette Tower at 801 17th St., N.W., near the White House, were the windows — lots of glass running from floor to floor, reflecting some fluffy clouds and blue sky. But this is not just any glass. It is triple-paned glass, made to be energy efficient. Its thickness blocks sound, makes it nearly as hard to break as a car windshield, and gives an extra layer on which to put a special coating that keeps heat from seeping through the pane — so the office stays warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

The windows are just one of the many features of this, the first commercial office building in DC to be recognized for its energy efficiency with LEED Platinum certification.

Okay, I hear you. What does that mean?
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