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Since starting our blog in 2013, we have authored hundreds of articles to promote knowledge-sharing within the industry. Within these posts, you will find topical overviews, technical deep-dives, op-ed pieces, and more.

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Timeline: Celebrating 50 Years of Improving the Built Environment

Follow our 50 Years in 50 Days campaign and explore how far we’ve come in creating sustainable, accessible, healthy, and resilient buildings.
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Multifamily building.
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Multifamily building.

Fair Housing – What’s Your Safe Harbor?

Ensure compliance with the accessible design and construction requirements of the Fair Housing Act by selecting one of 10 HUD-approved safe harbors.
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SWA staff spotlight
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SWA staff spotlight

Staff Profile: Thomas Moore – Passive House Consultant in Toronto

In this profile, we’re catching up with Thomas Moore, a Senior Building Systems Consultant located in Toronto, Canada.
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Understanding Accessibility: 5 Significant Spatial Changes in ICC A117.1-2017

The 2017 edition of the A117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities comes with the most significant spatial changes that we have seen in any recent code cycle.
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What Would a Passive House New York City Look Like?

What if the city’s pathway to decarbonization had a single plan of action – to make New York City a Passive House City?
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Disability rights advocates protesting in front of the White House.
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Disability rights advocates protesting in front of the White House.

Understanding Accessibility: Section 504 & Its Impact on Residential Development

Our accessibility consultants answer the most frequently asked questions about Section 504 and how to apply it to residential projects.
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Diagram of a trash chute closet with a conventional swing door off of a common hallway in a residential building.
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Diagram of a trash chute closet with a conventional swing door off of a common hallway in a residential building.

Accessibility Tech Notes: Trash Chute Closet Design

Evaluating the hopper/closet design to ensure that it’s accessible is more complex than one might imagine. Let’s go through how we would conduct an evaluation of the hopper/closet design.
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The DC Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) Compliance Rules Are Here. Are You Ready?

The final BEPS compliance rules from DOEE cover the different compliance pathways and the documentation required for each pathway.
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DC’s Green Building Requirements for Tax Credits and Funding, Explained

Applicants for any public funding for affordable housing must meet stringent energy efficiency targets. Learn more about the green building requirements.
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SWA staff spotlight
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SWA staff spotlight

Staff Profile: Michael Schmidt – Building Systems Consultant

Learn how Michael Schmidt, building systems consultant on our Passive House team in New York City, began his career in the building sustainability field.
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Rendering of gray toned apartment building on a city block. A rock formation and playground are visible at ground level. A green façade works its way up the building and a green house is provided on the roof.
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Rendering of gray toned apartment building on a city block. A rock formation and playground are visible at ground level. A green façade works its way up the building and a green house is provided on the roof.

Inclusive Design and Building Performance: An Inclusive Approach to Improving the Built Environment

What is inclusive design, and how is it different than accessibility and universal design? See examples of inclusive design in practice.
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Section drawing through kitchen sink with knee and toe clearance dimensioned below. A red dashed line shows faucet controls aligned with the front edge of the toe clearance.
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Section drawing through kitchen sink with knee and toe clearance dimensioned below. A red dashed line shows faucet controls aligned with the front edge of the toe clearance.

Accessibility Tech Notes: Obstructed Forward Reach

Technical standards referenced by federal, state, and local laws and building codes include design criteria developed to ensure that operable parts are accessible.
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