Besser, Lilah M.; Lovasi, Gina S.; Michael, Yvonne L.; Garg, Parveen; Hirsch, Jana A.; Siscovick, David; Hurvitz, Phil; Biggs, Mary L.; Galvin, James E.; Bartz, Traci M.; Longstreth, W. T. (2021). Associations between Neighborhood Greenspace and Brain Imaging Measures in Non-Demented Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study. Social Psychiatry And Psychiatric Epidemiology, 56(9), 1575 – 1585.
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Abstract
Purpose Greater neighborhood greenspace has been associated with brain health, including better cognition and lower odds of Alzheimer's disease in older adults. We investigated associations between neighborhood greenspace and brain-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures and potential effect modification by sex or apolipoprotein E genotype (APOE), a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Methods We obtained a sample of non-demented participants 65 years or older (n = 1125) from the longitudinal, population-based Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). Greenspace data were derived from the National Land Cover Dataset. Adjusted multivariable linear regression estimated associations between neighborhood greenspace five years prior to the MRI and left and right hippocampal volume and 10-point grades of ventricular size and burden of white matter hyperintensity. Interaction terms tested effect modification by APOE genotype and sex. CHS data (1989-1999) were obtained/analyzed in 2020. Results Participants were on average 79 years old [standard deviation (SD) = 4], 58% were female, and 11% were non-white race. Mean neighborhood greenspace was 38% (SD = 28%). Greater proportion of greenspace in the neighborhood five years before MRI was borderline associated with lower ventricle grade (estimate: - 0.30; 95% confidence interval: - 0.61, 0.00). We observed no associations between greenspace and the other MRI outcome measures and no evidence of effect modification by APOE genotype and sex. Conclusion This study suggests a possible association between greater greenspace and less ventricular enlargement, a measure reflecting global brain atrophy. If confirmed in other longitudinal cohort studies, interventions and policies to improve community greenspaces may help to maintain brain health in older age.
Keywords
Mild Cognitive Impairment; Ventricular Enlargement; Residential Greenness; Hippocampal Atrophy; Volume; Disease; Environment; Progression; Symptoms; Dementia; Neighborhood; Green Space; Mri; Brain Volume; Hippocampal; White Matter
Chen, Cindy X.; Pierobon, Francesca; Jones, Susan; Maples, Ian; Gong, Yingchun; Ganguly, Indroneil. (2022). Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Mass Timber and Concrete Residential Buildings: A Case Study in China. Sustainability, 14(1).
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Abstract
As the population continues to grow in China's urban settings, the building sector contributes to increasing levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Concrete and steel are the two most common construction materials used in China and account for 60% of the carbon emissions among all building components. Mass timber is recognized as an alternative building material to concrete and steel, characterized by better environmental performance and unique structural features. Nonetheless, research associated with mass timber buildings is still lacking in China. Quantifying the emission mitigation potentials of using mass timber in new buildings can help accelerate associated policy development and provide valuable references for developing more sustainable constructions in China. This study used a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to compare the environmental impacts of a baseline concrete building and a functionally equivalent timber building that uses cross-laminated timber as the primary material. A cradle-to-gate LCA model was developed based on onsite interviews and surveys collected in China, existing publications, and geography-specific life cycle inventory data. The results show that the timber building achieved a 25% reduction in global warming potential compared to its concrete counterpart. The environmental performance of timber buildings can be further improved through local sourcing, enhanced logistics, and manufacturing optimizations.
Keywords
Mass Timber; Embodied Carbon; Climate Change; Carbon Reduction; Building Footprint; Built Environment; Forest Products; Life Cycle Analysis; Environmental Impacts; Wood Laminates; Geography; Concrete; Flooring; Manufacturing; Global Warming; Concrete Construction; Construction Materials; Emissions Trading; Greenhouse Gases; Residential Areas; Energy Consumption; Life Cycle Assessment; Greenhouse Effect; Life Cycles; Construction Industry; Logistics; Floor Coverings; Urbanization; Timber; Urban Environments; Building Components; Emissions; Residential Buildings; Carbon Footprint; Urban Areas; Environmental Impact; Building Construction; Case Studies; Wood Products; Mitigation; Buildings; Timber (structural); United States--us; China
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) recently announced 20 shortlisted projects for the 2022 Award cycle. The projects will compete for a share of the US$ 1 million prize, one of the largest in architecture. The 20 shortlisted projects were selected by an independent Master Jury from a pool of 463 projects nominated for the 15th Award Cycle (2020-2022). The Aga Khan Award for Architecture was established by His Highness the Aga Khan in 1977 to identify and encourage…
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Ken Tadashi Oshima is Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he teaches trans-national architectural history, theory and design. He has also been a visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and UCLA, and has taught at Columbia University and the University of British Columbia. He earned an AB degree, magna cum laude, in East Asian studies and visual and environmental studies from Harvard College, an MArch degree from University of California,…
Assistant Professor, Department of Construction Management
Fred is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Construction Management (CM) at the University of Washington (UW). Prior to joining UW in September 2021, he was an Assistant Professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX where he taught and performed research in the areas of concrete materials, durability, and sustainable infrastructure construction. He received his PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2016.
Dr. Aguayo is interested in research application that contribute to facilitating the implementation of sustainable and novel cement-based systems in infrastructure and building applications such as alternative cement binders, supplementary cementing materials (SCMs), recycled aggregates, and high performing concretes. His research group focuses on evaluating and characterizing deterioration processes in new and existing cementitious materials, while also developing test methods to predict and enhance their performance and durability in the field. He primarily examines durability-related issues in cement-based materials such as corrosion, carbonation, ASR, sulfate attack, and early-age volume changes.
Dr. Aguayo is a well-established researcher with over 13 years of experience and over $1.2M in funded research projects as either PI or Co-PI since 2016. His work has been supported by both private industry and public agencies including LarfargeHolcim, Texas DOT, Minnesota DOT, New Mexico DOT, National Research Road Alliance (NRRA), and the Portland Cement Association (PCA). He is an active member of the American Concrete Institute and ASTM International, and participates in several committees related to concrete durability (ACI 201) and material science of cementitious systems (ACI 236).
Research Interests: Designing built environments to enhance human happiness, and related principles: Justice, Nature Integration, Access, Identity, Well-Being, Resiliency.
My research interests are in lean construction principles with a focus on lean project delivery systems, offsite and prefabrication construction, construction supply chain networks, and target value design. In addition to that my interests include life cycle project economics and modeling, building economic and quantitative risk analysis, a public-private partnership for projects, value engineering and management, and new technologies in construction.