Virginia architect Walter Wildman died late last year on Dec. 2, 2020. Wildman’s daughter Ellen Wildman shares this remembrance of his impact.
More »“Dad always said he never wanted to be wealthy as an architect. He wanted to make a difference in people’s lives through his work.”
An odd feature caught our eye while rehabilitating the historic Brody Jewish Student Center in Charlottesville. This very artistic house on University Circle, historically the domain of UVA professors, was roofed with ordinary asphalt shingles, but the hips and overhangs were softly curved, lending the house a very distinctive appearance in this otherwise safely Jeffersonian Charlottesville neighborhood.
More »Homes that are certified or recognized as “passive” to achieve net-zero status produce as much energy as they consume, and consume energy in efficient ways thanks to design strategies that take advantage of light, heat, circulation, and airflow to be uniquely sustainable. The Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) has certified or pre-certified more than four million square feet of projects, most of them in the last five years. Virginia is home to 20 certified or pre-certified projects, which must secure third-party quality assurance, meet the Department of Energy’s standard for net zero energy efficiency, and gain recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency for indoor air quality, among other qualifications.
More »On Feb. 24, 2021, the Hampton Roads Association for Commercial Real Estate (HRACRE) hosted a virtual event on Virginia’s burgeoning offshore wind future, spearheaded by Dominion Power’s $300 million pilot project consisting of two turbines 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. Reliability testing last year confirmed the turbines’ 12-megawatts of power, which will ostensibly provide energy for an estimated 3,000 homes. Virginia Business reported it will include up to 190 turbines capable of powering 650,000 homes over the next five years. By 2040, more than 200,000 individuals are expected to move to the Hampton Roads region, which the Urban Land Institute called the fastest growing destinations for Millennials.
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Introduction: Adam Cohen is an architect and builder, and an early adopter of both Passivhaus practices represented by the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt, Germany, and Passive House practices represented by the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS). He is responsible for nine of the 20 projects certified or pre-certified by the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) in Virginia. Cohen is currently an Edmund Hillary Fellow and working with the Human Nest Project, a collective of entrepreneurs working to create pathways for sustainable economic and environmental growth.
More »In 2019, Millennials vaulted past Baby Boomers as the largest living generation. That year there were 72.1 million Americans between the ages of 23 and 38, and 71.6 million Americans between the ages of 55 and 73, according to Pew, and this trend will only continue. While their ranks are diminishing, Boomers may enjoy a trend that seems to be going in their favor: Senior communities are also booming and available in a range of options along a spectrum of care, from assisted living to independent living. As Senior Housing News recently reported, even “independent living” is becoming passé in favor of “active living” taglines.
More »The new Molina Family Latino Gallery, scheduled to open in the spring of 2022 in the National Museum of American History, will be the Smithsonian’s first gallery on the National Mall to celebrate the Latino experience in the United States. The 4,500-square-foot gallery will open with ¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States, an exhibition that will shine a light on the historical and cultural legacy of U.S. Latinos, according to the Smithsonian Latino Center, and will invite visitors to “participate in a conversation about our nation’s past, present, and future.”
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