Rampant wildfires are "lifting the flammability veil" with major building science implications, while AI data centers look for energy in all the wrong places. Plus: an inspiring sustainable homes book and the rise of neuroarchitecture.
Could affordable housing be hiding in plain sight? A few weeks after introducing YIGBY—"Yes In God's Backyard"—we bring you YILBY: "Yes In the Library's Backyard." San Diego is studying whether housing can be integrated into public library sites, raising a bigger question: What other underused public properties could help address the housing shortage?
We also spotlight our Editors' Product of the Week, HIMACS Solid Surface from LX Hausys, a durable, low-emission material that supports healthier indoor environments, and recommend Homes for Our Time: Sustainable Living by Philip Jodidio, an inspiring look at residential architecture responding to climate change through practical, resilient design.
Cati O’Keefe is the editorial director of Green Builder Media. She has 25 years of experience reporting and writing on all aspects of residential housing, building and energy codes, green building, and sustainability.
Housing News: Zombie Power Plants, the Private Home Sale Debate, and a New Digital Zoning Tool
Rampant wildfires are "lifting the flammability veil" with major building science implications, while AI data centers look for energy in all the wrong places. Plus: an inspiring sustainable homes book and the rise of neuroarchitecture.
As America struggles with a housing shortage, one of the biggest opportunities may already be standing. Instead of demolishing older homes, research highlights the environmental value of renovating and expanding existing buildings. We explore why preserving embodied carbon may be one of the smartest climate strategies available, and introduce a new generation of free digital tools, like Underbuilt Radar which helps builders and homeowners evaluate renovations, ADU possibilities, zoning restrictions, and more before spending thousands on plans.
Housing affordability is also being influenced by something less visible: transparency. A growing debate over private home sales raises questions about "valuation drift" and whether homes selling outside the public market could affect future prices, appraisals, and affordability for the next generation of buyers.
Inside the home, design priorities continue to evolve. We look at five emerging trends gaining momentum as reported in Go Green Fine Interiors, including a new one to us: neuroarchitecture. They all point toward homes designed to improve health and well-being, not just aesthetics.
Performance is becoming measurable, too. According to RESNET, one in three new homes now receives an independent HERS energy rating, with rated homes averaging 47% greater efficiency than homes built to 2006 standards. Builders are increasingly proving performance instead of simply claiming it.
Artificial intelligence is creating ripple effects far beyond technology. We explain why researchers are calling some aging fossil fuel facilities "zombie power plants," how AI companies are now building their own power plants to support data centers, and what that means for energy demand, emissions, and the future of housing development.
Meanwhile, climate resilience is becoming a national conversation. Scientists warn that a strong El Niño could bring more extreme weather while climate researchers say global warming is "lifting the flammability veil," exposing regions previously considered low-risk to destructive wildfires. Smoke is becoming a building science issue as much as a fire issue, prompting ASHRAE to highlight new guidance for wildfire smoke protection, indoor air quality, and water safety. We also revisit Green Builder Media CEO Sara Gutterman's latest commentary, The Age of Fire, Revisited, which argues that while the risks are accelerating, so are the solutions.
Could affordable housing be hiding in plain sight? A few weeks after introducing YIGBY—"Yes In God's Backyard"—we bring you YILBY: "Yes In the Library's Backyard." San Diego is studying whether housing can be integrated into public library sites, raising a bigger question: What other underused public properties could help address the housing shortage?
Tick tock … time’s almost up to enter our Fall In Love With Nature sweepstakes! Upload a nature photo of any kind and be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 REI gift card!
Watch the full This Week’s Sustainable Building News episode here or wherever you get your podcasts. Rather read the script? Here it is. Have a great sustainability news or trend story? Send it to Cati O’Keefe. Want to get the latest sustainability news and articles from Green Builder Media in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up for our Vantage newsletter here.
Upcoming Building and Sustainability Events
August 31: Fall In Love With Nature Sweepstakes Entries Due
September 9–10: Building Fire Safety Symposium, Chicago
September 15-16: U.S. Heat Pump Summit, Worcester, Mass.
September 16–18: EEBA Summit 2026, St. Paul, Minn.
October 18–21: International Code Council’s 2026 Annual Conference and Expo, Nashville, Tenn.
October 20–23: Greenbuild 2026, New York
October 23: NAHB’s 2027 Sustainability and Green Building Scholarship Application Due
November 4–5: The Building Products Customer Workshop, Nashville
November 18: 2026 Southwest Utility Energy Efficiency Workshop, Santa Fe
November 18–20: 1st International Online Conference on Sustainable Construction (GO BUILD 2026) (Virtual)
December 9:International Conference on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design Engineering (ICSAUDE), New York
January 28-29: ICGBS 2027: 21. International Conference on Green Building and Sustainability, New York
February 2-4, Design & Construction Week 2027 (IBS & KBIS), Las Vegas
By Cati O'Keefe
Cati O’Keefe is the editorial director of Green Builder Media. She has 25 years of experience reporting and writing on all aspects of residential housing, building and energy codes, green building, and sustainability.Also Read