-
Elements of Resilient Architectural Design
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Building Features Sustainable design has become an imperative process in architecture through client expectations, regulatory requirements, and global initiatives. This practice centers around metrics of embodied carbon, life-cycle impact, and circular economics. Despite vast amounts of technical data, this information remains disconnected from visual methods commonly used to develop and…
-
Design and Connection Within Urban Communities
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Economic Strategies Circular economies that decoupling growth from resource consumption while creating jobs is a current agenda in business and politics (Bortolottia 2026). This concept coincided with sustainability objectives of cleaner production, increased responsibility and awareness, sharing of products and services, and greater renewable energy, materials and technology. Urban planners…
-
Sustainable Design Goals and Efforts in Construction
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Accumulation of greenhouse gases from burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture, and industry are increasing global temperatures and changing weather patterns. Degradation of natural habitats adversely affect biodiversity. Pollutants from manufacturing are associated with human health issues. Food and water security along with socioeconomic disparity have created a complex worldwide…
-
Design Principles for Healthy Buildings
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Nine Foundations The 9 Foundations of a Healthy Building (see Fig 1) was developed by public health experts at Harvard to define the key factors of healthy indoor environments (Allen 2017). Ventilation brings in fresh outdoor air by mechanical system to dilute indoor pollutants. Air quality is effected by the…
-
The Benefits of Resilient and Adaptable Design
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Civil Engineering Transformations are occurring throughout the civil engineering sector to address global warming, environmental degradation, and resource depletion. Strategic changes towards sustainability involve reducing carbon footprint, improving energy efficiency, employ low-impact materials, and promote circular economies (Yuan 2025). Modular, adaptable and performance-based designs that utilize geopolymers, biopolymers, natural fibers…
-
An Investigation of Renewable Energy Transition
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Energy Resources Carbon emissions, global warming and environmental degradation pose serious threats to our modern world and many living organisms. Population growth, globalized production, and energy consumption are accelerating these negative effects (Khan 2026). The power sector is the greatest emitter of CO2 due to its high utilization of fossil…
-
Renewable Energy Sources and the Transport Sector
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Energy Transition Energy sources can be categorized as fossil fuels, alternative or renewable. Non-renewable sources are carbon-rich substances from the conversion of organic matter by natural processes (CFR 2023). Coal is an abundant rock extracted through surface and underground mining. Natural gas trapped beneath the surface can be obtained by…
-
Toxics Release Inventory and the Future of Food Manufacturing
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Toxics Release Inventory The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) covers chemicals that cause cancer or chronic health conditions, have significant adverse effects, or result in substantial environmental damage. There are 810 chemicals currently listed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the TRI under 34 categories. The Occupational Safety and Health…
-
Developments in Bioenergy Technology
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Carbon Dioxide Conversion Third-generation biofuel technology integrated anaerobic fermentation to convert carbon dioxide into acetic acid with aerobic fermentation to convert acetic acid to lipids including valuable fatty acids. The lipids are then trans-esterified to separate high value fatty acid esters with remaining lipid esters for biodiesel (Puri 2018). The…
-
Biofuel Production from the OMEGA System
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Microalgae Cultivation Preventing climate change, providing sustainable resources, and national security issues are all incentives for transitioning from fossil fuels to biofuels. Feedstock grown in deserts or non-agricultural land from drought resistant or salt-tolerant plants irrigated with seawater or municipal waste water would avoid conflict between food and fuel. Microalgae…
-
Life Cycle Assessment for Biofuel Production
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Life Cycle Assessment Biofuels—liquids derived from biomass—are an attractive alternative to fossil fuels when locally-produced as a renewable resource to reduce dependency on imported oil. Carbon neutrality could be achieved by balancing carbon dioxide from biofuel combustion with the photosynthesis during growth of biomass. Life cycle assessment (LCA), when combined…
-
Renewable Energy from Marine Algae
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Applications for Marine Algae Macroalgae (seaweed) and some microalgae grown in commercial scale produce biomass for production of biofuel, chemicals in food processing, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, soil additives and fertilizers, animal feed, and other products (DoE 2019). Algae has competitive advantages over traditional crops because land, fertilizers and irrigation are…
-
Ford Motor Company: Sustainability Report
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Sustainability Strategy With a holistic approach of 1) continuous learning and adaptive capabilities, 2) flexible organization of collaboration, and 3) inclusive and diverse community, Ford has built a winning culture with a strong history transformed by passion and ambition (Ford 2020). Ford prioritizes quality and customer safety to create partnerships…
-
The Food vs Fuel Debate: Implementing Green Energy
by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Architect Food and Biofuel Production The debate between food and fuel derives from people believing that feedstocks will be used for transportation instead of feeding the hungry, exploring whether land and water should be used for growing calories for people or hydrocarbons for machines (Greer 2025). Converting cropland for renewable energy…
-
Development of Construction Contracts and Case Law
Labor laws regulate working relations between employers and employees to protect the fair conduct of business, reduce risks, and prevent accidents. Construction organizations are tasks with the challenges of performing and competing in an environment fraught by delays and inefficiencies. Lean production, total quality and earned value were developed as methods of analyzing and managing…
-
Roles, Conflicts and Resolution Within Construction Contracts
Construction projects have become more complex during the past century requiring more detailed contracts to facilitate the relationships between owners, designers and builders. Standard agreements and delivery methods should define the roles and procedures to minimize risks and resolve disputes. Clear and common language must be utilized to prevent misinterpretation or misunderstanding that can lead…
-
Utilization of Artificial Neural Networks for Construction Productivity
Artificial neural networks provide methods of processing complex data through simulations that resemble human problem solving. Groups of decision nodes are arranged in multiple layers to predict outcomes based on weighted parameters. These applications include cost estimating, productivity forecasting, energy modeling, structural analysis, collision detection, and flow calculation. Combined with earned value management, critical factors…
-
Theory and Measurement in Construction Productivity
Technological advancements continue to enhance most industries including manufacturing, though labor productivity in construction has actually decreased over the past decades. There is a growing need to streamline operations to increase value and reduce costs, yet complexity and fragmentation remain as barriers to implementation. Productivity metrics and performance indexes provide analytical data but offer no…
-
Lean Principles in Construction Management
The construction industry is experiencing greater client demands and higher rates of failure with rising costs, labor shortages and poor performance. Technologies brought forth by the fourth industrial revolution are beginning to shape the future of construction. Translating concepts successfully from manufacturing into construction requires technical training and stronger leadership. Human activities, environment impacts and…
-
Towards Common Standards in the Construction Industry
Globalization and the fourth industrial revolution have brought a myriad of changes to processes throughout the construction sector. In a heavily regulated industry, standards must be adapted to promote innovation and technology while maintaining the common practices of traditional methods. Implementing new procedures can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, but the benefits of efficiency and cost…
