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Elina Thapa
December 18, 2023

Office-to-Residential Conversions: Why So Complex?

As remote work continues to rise, vacant office buildings run the risk of going obsolete. The post-pandemic world has also seen a significant jump in housing prices leading to housing shortage. In this scenario, the question is clear: why not convert the empty office buildings into apartments? While this comes off as a perfect solution, there are multiple factors and several constraints to consider with such conversion projects.

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Elina Thapa
November 2, 2022

Deep Dive into NGBS Chapter 6: Resource Efficiency

Resource efficiency is the technique of minimizing resource exploitation and ensuring that structures can function for an extended period and withstand natural disasters. This is achieved through measures including reduction of primary and non-renewable materials, creation of high-quality products with minimal waste and retention of durable products, and durable construction practices. Various design techniques, construction practices, and choice of materials can help optimize resources used in construction.

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Elina Thapa
October 21, 2022

Accessibility and Universal Design

The benefits of an accessible home extend far beyond individuals with permanent mobility impairment. Accessible features can make a home more visitable, for infants, young children, older adults, or even to accommodate transitory immobility from injuries. The goal of green certification programs like NGBS Green is to minimize the home’s environmental footprint and improve the home’s sustainability, which includes allowing people to remain in their home even when facing mobility limitations.

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Elina Thapa
September 21, 2022

Resiliency and Sustainability

Apart from providing shelter and a place of belonging, a house is also one of the biggest financial investments for many people. Homeowners pour the bulk of their savings into buying a house and then spend half their lives paying expensive mortgages. Imagine all this hard-earned investment wiped out in a single hurricane or torn apart by an earthquake! While there are many unavoidable natural disasters every year, damage to homes could be mitigated by additions/alterations to construction practices—some as simple and low budget as adding hurricane and metal straps to connect the roof and wall members. Sadly, many houses get destroyed each year during disaster events due to lack of resilient construction practices.

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Author Bio
Elina Thapa, research engineer
Elina Thapa
NGBS Green Building Engineer

Elina has been studying various building codes and standards and their cost impacts and researching on disaster resilience policies and retrofit techniques. One of her favorite projects was studying the cost implications of a residential photovoltaic system. After graduating with a Civil Engineering degree in 2016, Elina worked in the reconstruction project where she mostly inspected the construction of houses in a rural village in Nepal. Having worked closely with builders, homeowners, and engineers, she understands the need of sustainability in construction and is glad to be a part of our NGBS Green reviewer team.