Laura Rote

Chicago

Managing Editor at Sixtysix

Managing Editor at Green Building & Design (gb&d)

Managing editor @gbd_mag and @sixtysixmag. West Virginia girl now in Chicago’s Avondale.

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Articles

5 Stone Looks Inspiring Design Inside and Out in 2025

6 days ago | gbdmagazine.com | Laura Rote

Story at a glance:These are some of the latest in stone and stone-inspired looks, indoors and out. More and more stone looks are going large-format and emphasizing cleanability. Modern stone and stone looks are giving architects and designers more sustainable options for residential and commercial projects alike. Here are some of the top looks of 2025.
16 Inspiring Design Highlights from KBIS 2025

2 months ago | sixtysixmag.com | Laura Rote

A return to simplicity and elegance seemed to dominate new products across the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) as well as much of the co-located International Builders’ Show (IBS), held this year at the Las Vegas Convention Center in late February. The largest kitchen and bath trade show in North America wrapped on Feb. 27, after three days of new product launches, exciting demos with big names, networking, and more.
13 Sustainable Products We Saw at KBIS and IBS 2025

2 months ago | gbdmagazine.com | Laura Rote

Story at a glance:Sustainable solutions are here to stay if the offerings at this year’s KBIS and IBS are any indication. Nature-inspired looks and materials continue to dominate the latest building products. Earthen looks, clean lines, a return to simplicity, and continued commitment to sustainability dominated this year’s International Builders’ Show (IBS), which took place Feb. 25 to 27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Skanska USA Launches Supply Chain Sustainability School

Feb 10, 2025 | gbdmagazine.com | Laura Rote

Story at a glance:Skanska USA launched a new Supply Chain Sustainability School as a founding partner in January 2025. The free online training platform for the construction industry addresses compliance, supplier diversity, sustainable procurement, and more. The program is already a success overseas, having trained more than 137,000 professionals in sustainability, supplier diversity, and compliance.
A Guide to Every Sustainable Event in 2025

Jan 30, 2025 | gbdmagazine.com | Laura Rote

Story at a glance:The trade fair industry is booming in 2025. Here are 29 of the top events in sustainability so far this year. Trade shows, expos, conferences, and in-person classes have seen a rise in popularity in recent years, as many people working in the built environment and sustainability are looking for in-person expertise and hands-on training. Here are some of this year’s most popular sustainable events in 2025. January 2025 EventsJan.
Exciting Innovations in Sustainable Construction Products

Nov 14, 2024 | gbdmagazine.com | Laura Rote

Story at a glance:Materials matter, and sustainable solutions every step of the way ultimately add up to a better project in the long run, architects says. Leaders like GCP Applied Technologies are continually stepping up to fill the need for innovative, sustainable construction products. Big or small, the choices architecture and design teams make every day add up to whether a project contributes to a more sustainable world or not. “It’s incredibly important.
Outdoor Living Rooms

Nov 13, 2024 | gbdmagazine.com | Laura Rote

Story at a glance:Across workplace, hospitality, and residential, large outdoor spaces are now a must. Outdoor heating increases the utility of spaces year-round when high-efficiency radiant heat technology is used. Zoning, scheduling, and dimmability of heating sources furthers efficiency.
Exteriors with Magnet Spaces and Shade Solutions to Attract Users

Nov 13, 2024 | gbdmagazine.com | Laura Rote

Story at a glance:Shade solutions are a critical part of outdoor spaces as more and more people look to work, study, or simply be outside. Tuuci furniture leverages more than 25 years of leadership in the outdoor world to create a versatile, nautically engineered set of collections that enhance indoor and outdoor living. Now more than ever people want to live, work, play, and socialize outdoors.
Why Bird-Friendly Glass is Better for Everyone

Nov 13, 2024 | gbdmagazine.com | Laura Rote

Story at a glance:Bird-friendly glass offers increased energy efficiency and more benefits in the latest innovations. Recent research shows bird deaths from collisions far surpass previous estimates—more than one billion annually in the US alone. New solutions to reduce bird collisions with glass can offer very low visibility to humans when compared to alternatives.
Gensler on Designing Year-Round Outdoor Spaces

Nov 13, 2024 | gbdmagazine.com | Laura Rote

Story at a glance:The line between indoors and out continues to blur as architects push the boundaries of inspiring outside design. Projects like 167 Green Street in Chicago, designed by Gensler and developed by Shapack and Focus, pushes outdoor views and access to the next level. Projects across higher ed, too, are showing a high demand for outdoor spaces with comfortable places to sit and hang out for hours.