GreenSpec and Pharos Partner on Green Building Product Information

Green building information leader BuildingGreen and advocacy and research group the Healthy Building Network (HBN) have announced that they will link their green building research websites—GreenSpec and the Pharos Project—to provide a single, authoritative source for specifying green building products.

“Feedback from the community has clearly indicated that there is an information gap we can fill by joining forces with HBN,” stated Nadav Malin, president of BuildingGreen. “Through our products—Environmental Building News, GreenSpec, and LEEDuser—BuildingGreen has been a trusted source on the leading edge of green product innovation for 20 years. HBN’s Pharos Project adds a new level of in-depth exploration of the healthfulness and other aspects of these products. Our customers have asked to see these capabilities in one place, and we believe this strategic partnership is the best response to their needs.”

The partners unveiled a new website, www.GreenSpecPharos.com, to provide immediate access to GreenSpec and Pharos from one location as well as updates on joint efforts. Users can sign up for an online tour and free trials for both products. Customers who purchase both products together, or upgrade from one to both, will be offered a discounted combined pricing structure. Joint memberships will be available by mid-2011.

According to the companies, the combined capabilities of their sites will go beyond other product information sites, providing the ability to build a customized “approved” list of products and communicate product preferences directly to manufacturers. The companies believe that the site will not only help designers specify products, but will help shape the market and improve the environmental performance of a wide range of products.

“Accelerating the transition to healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable building products and materials is our mission,” said Bill Walsh, founder and executive director of the Healthy Building Network. “Our partnership with BuildingGreen will enable us to increase the scope and scale of our research, to provide unsurpassed transparency about building material choices, and dramatically enhance our ability to communicate these results to a much broader public.”

The partners also announced the formation of a research collaborative, which will be led by Walsh and focus its work on accelerating the pace of independent research on product toxicity.

Alex Wilson, founder of BuildingGreen, remarked, “From the beginning 20 years ago, we understood that our commitment to establishing and maintaining our independence from paid advertising and manufacturing sponsorships would be a financially challenging path. The community has rewarded us with their trust. HBN has been on this same journey. Together we are committed to ensuring that there is a strong, independent resource for specifying green building products—today, tomorrow and for the future. This will be even more important as the number of green products and environmental claims continue to grow exponentially.”

– Allyson Wendt

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