Design Process
Parent
Design Process
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Wood: Is It Still Good? Part Two: Moving from Carbon to Climate
Feature Article
Mass timber at scale could make climate change worse. Instead of embodied carbon alone, “climate-smart” practices focus on our increasingly fragile forests.
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Keeping PFAS Forever Chemicals out of Building Products
Feature Article
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked to negative health and environmental impacts. Getting them out of our building products is going to require work.
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IRA Tax Breaks May Reinforce Inequities, So We Need to Help
Feature Article
Four tax provisions could be used to include disadvantaged communities in the clean energy transition, but equity outcomes are unclear.
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The Missing Embodied Carbon Link: Construction
Feature Article
Some researchers say construction emissions could account for as much as 30% of a project’s embodied carbon. What can be done about it?
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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30 Years of Green Building in the U.S.
Infographic
As The BuildingGreen Report (formerly Environmental Building News, or “EBN”) celebrates its 30th year of publication, we decided to track the growth—and explosion—of the green building movement. We start in 1990 with the founding of AIA’s Committee on the Environment.
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Social Equity Frameworks for the Building Industry
Infographic
Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) issues have come to the fore for many firms. But how do you assess, implement, and evaluate your efforts? These frameworks can do the heavy lifting.
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Carbon Offsets and How to Select Them
Primer
With more owners looking to reverse the embodied carbon impact of their buildings, it’s important to know how to buy legitimate offsets.
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Social Sustainability and Architecture
Primer
Architects can increase social value through thoughtful design of the built environment.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Electric Construction Equipment: Fewer Emissions and Healthier Jobsites
Product Review
Construction equipment that burns fossil fuels accounts for a significant amount of a building’s initial carbon emissions. Volvo’s line of electric equipment is out to reduce that.
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Countertops
Product Guide
Select the surface that meets the design objectives, meets health and environmental criteria, and has the greatest durability.
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Textiles
Product Guide
These high-performance, low-impact fabrics are painstakingly vetted and include biobased synthetics and some natural fibers.
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Wallcoverings
Product Guide
These durable wall treatments have no PVC and no toxic phthalates. This mitigates health concerns with this important design choice.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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How to Use the Right Tools to Design for Climate Change
News Analysis
Weather files that help designers plan for climate change will soon be readily available. But legal liability remains until ASHRAE catches up.
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3 First Steps to Break the Chains of Slavery in the Supply Chain
News Analysis
Forced labor is embedded in many common building materials. The building industry can’t solve this alone, but we can ask the right questions.
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Amid a Silicosis Surge, We Need to Rethink Countertops
News Analysis
Engineered stone countertops may be causing a spike in silicosis, with cases seemingly tied to the material’s unique properties. Find out what design and construction teams should do.
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Seeking a Just Transition to a Decarbonized Built Environment
News Analysis
Community Climate Shift funds projects driving community-led decarbonization and building performance standards.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Want to Love the Future? First, Figure Out What It Looks Like
Op-Ed
Bringing forth a habitable planet will require energy, ambition, and purpose. What will fuel this work? Not data and doomsaying—instead, imagination.
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What’s up with LEED v5? Coffee Talk Follow-up and Recording
Blog Post
Our guests reply to the Qs we didn’t get to during our July 26 event. Plus, here’s the recording if you missed it, and USGBC will host several v5 update sessions at Greenbuild.
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“Happy” Earth Day? Here’s What Young People Think
Op-Ed
Three Millennials and ten members of Gen Z share scorching, optimistic, and skeptical thoughts about their future and the future of the planet.
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Field Notes from BuildingGreen’s Integrative Process Facilitators
Op-Ed
As integrative process consultants, we can help owners become better clients.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Wood: Is It Still Good? Part Two: Moving from Carbon to Climate
Spotlight Report
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The BuildingGreen Guide to ESG
PDF Guide
How to keep up with the environmental, social, and governance programs that are changing the building industry.
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Keeping PFAS Forever Chemicals out of Building Products
Feature Article
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked to negative health and environmental impacts. Getting them out of our building products is going to require work.
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Wood: Is It Still Good? Part One: Embodied Carbon
Spotlight Report
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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An Artificial Intelligence Cautionary Tale
April Fools
The new tool OpenAI-Architect proves problematic with the design of the new Leave It to Beaver Center at Disney World.
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Americans React to Latest IPCC Report
April Fools
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report outlines some of the significant impacts of current and future carbon outputs. What do Americans think?
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A Mind-Expanding Addition to LEED v4.20
April Fools
USGBC adds psychedelic Integrative Process prerequisites designed to be a paradigm-shifting expansion of LEED.
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Leaked IPCC Draft Struggles with Messaging
April Fools
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released part two of its Sixth Assessment Report in February—but it left out some strong feelings.
