There was a big announcement today at the Greenbuild conference, the world’s largest conference dedicated to green building, which is taking place in San Francisco this week. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that Google awarded them a $3 million grant in “an effort to transform the building materials industry and accelerate the creation of healthier indoor environments.”

“Healthy, non-toxic building materials are a critical component in green building,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. “Fostering awareness of the materials we put into our buildings is of paramount importance, since many materials can link to a host of environmental and health issues. Working with Google enables us to broaden our efforts in the materials industry as we prepare for the next version of the LEED green building program, LEED v4. This updated rating system will paint a more complete picture of materials and products, enabling project teams to make more informed decisions.”

“The idea for this project emerged from our own work at Google, where we’re committed to creating the healthiest work environments possible that help employees perform at their best,” said Anthony Ravitz, Google’s Green Team Lead. “USGBC has a deep background in spearheading research, developing a rating system spanning the globe and engaging with the many stakeholders in the building industry, making them the perfect partner to help spur real change on the healthy materials front.”

According to Archdaily, “The new initiatives will be developed over the next two years.”

This week we are counting down the days till opening day of the 2012-2013 ski season in Breckenridge. Helping everyone get into the season of snow is Ullr, the Norse God of Snow, who has made his way back to Breck. For the next several days, Ullr will be playing a little game of hide and seek. If you find him, from now until Thursday, November 8th, you’ll have a chance to win first chair on Opening Day, November 9th.

Ullr will be hanging around the Denver area waiting to be spotted. Like Breckenridge Ski Resort on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter to get clues as to where Ullr will be hiding.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIjiHhe4SzI&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Good luck and may the Norse be with you.

We are gearing up for opening day on Friday, November 9th, here in Breck. Breckenridge Ski Resort, one of the most popular ski destinations in Colorado, has offered world-class skiing and riding for over fifty years. On average, the Ski Resort in Breckenridge receives around 300 inches of snow a year. That’s a lot of powder.

With twenty nine lifts and 2,358 acres of prime skiing and riding, BSki Resort is the perfect place to stay and experience a real Colorado ski town. Whether you are looking for high-alpine terrain or a place to learn how to ski, you’ll find what you are looking for in Breck. There are four peaks for your skiing and riding pleasure– Peak 7, Peak 8, Peak 9 and Peak 10.

What is your favorite run in Breck?

Nothing like a few concept skyscrapers for a post Halloween post. Some of these designs are a little scary.

Photo via Web Urbanist.

Most of these concepts are planned for the hub of extreme architecture, Dubai.

Photo via Web Urbanist.

It seems the architect who thought up this design isn’t a fan of the principle “form over function.”

Are these designs a trick or a treat? You decide.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is reporting that “the Remodeling Market Index (RMI) climbed to 50 in the third quarter of 2012, up from 45 in the previous quarter.” This is great news for the remodeling industry. The increase brings the RMI back to 2005 levels.

“The strength of the RMI, especially in owner-occupied properties, shows that home owners are investing in remodels as home prices stabilize,” said NAHB Remodelers Chairman George “Geep” Moore Jr. “As owners become more confident that investments in housing will hold their value, they are beginning to undertake projects to improve their comfort that they had been putting off.”

According to NAHB, “All three indicators of current market conditions improved: maintenance and repairs rose to 56 (from 50), minor additions and alterations to 51 (from 47) and major additions and alterations to 49 (from 42). Current market conditions improved or held steady in all four regions in the third quarter of 2012.”

What do you think this means for the remodeling industry? Is this a sign that the housing market is picking up?

As the Northeast braces themselves for Hurricane Sandy, we wanted to share these somewhat eerie photos we found on Curbed. According to Curbed, “The MTA put New Yorkers on house arrest last night, shutting down the entire public transportation system for an indeterminate amount of time because of Hurricane Sandy’s looming arrival.”

From Grand Central to Penn Station, it appears the hallowed halls of New York City’s transportation hubs are on hiatus.

Photo via Curbed

Photo via Curbed

Another New York City landmark that was shut down due to Hurricane Sandy was the New York Stock Exchange, which was last closed for weather conditions in 1985.

Photo via NY Post

We wish everyone in the Northeast who is affected by this storm all the best.

Most young kids have a hard time understanding the importance of being energy efficient. Yes, we teach them to put their containers in the recycle bin instead of the trash can, but turning off the lights is a harder message to convey. For some reason when it comes to reducing the consumption of electricity in the homes, kids are missing the mark.

Designer Danny Taylor hopes to help conserve energy in the home with his “Dimmer Switch.”  According to Taylor, “This simple ‘dimmer switch’ humanises an ordinarily ubiquitous object to help the child form a relationship which they will want to participate with and affect. The act of turning the light on creates a ‘sad’ face, and turning it off contrastingly makes the character ‘happy’.”

So next time your kids leave the room without turning out the lights, tell them to turn the frown upside down.

How do you teach your kids about the importance of sustainability?

Photos via Danny Taylor.

Ever wonder how the rich and famous live? Well Curbed is featuring the newly sold penthouse of New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Jeter’s former four bedroom penthouse at the Trump World Tower recently sold for $15.5 million after being on the market for over two years.

Some of the top-of-the-line features found in Jeter’s home–remote controlled privacy shades and entertainment system, billiards room, piano lounge, wet bar, and a 14 seat formal dining room table.

Photo via Curbed

Photo via Curbed

Photo via Curbed

Photo via Curbed

Photo via Curbed

It is rumored that the future hall of famer will be downsizing to a smaller space. What do you think of his former pad?

We wish we had this All Nighter Original poster handy when we were studying 20th and 21st century architecture. This poster breaks down the work of some of the greatest architects of all time. From I.M Pei to Frank Lloyd Wright, you’ll learn the signature styles of each of these 30 iconic architects.

Take a close look at the structures below, there might be a quiz later.

Which one is your favorite? Who would you have added to the list?

Photo Source: ArchDaily

Earlier we featured five of the ten best apps for architecture according to ArchDaily. Here is the continuation of the list for those who are looking for ways to make working on the go that much easier.

1. Photoshop Express– Edit your photographs and renderings like a pro with Photoshop Express.

2.  Flipboard– ArchDaily says, “Flipboard is a free App that turns your life into a Magazine. The App syncs with all your social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.) and news/entertainment providers (Google Reader/YouTube/Instagram) and creates a visually stunning Feed that’s tailor made to you.”

3. Magic Plan– Let MagicPlan do all the work. Magic Plan “MEASURES your rooms and DRAWS your floor plan just by taking pictures.”

4. Houzz– Need inspiration? Search the Houzz database for home design ideas. 

5.  AutoCad WS- A must for architects, AutoCad WS allows you to work virtually from anywhere.

A lot of these apps are free and available at the  iTunes.
Photos via ArchDaily and iTunes