A third-party whole-building LCA of the Catalyst building, seen here under construction, projected that the core and shell will nearly offset the project’s entire upfront embodied carbon. (Photo: Katerra)
Feature Article + CEU Spotlight Report
Wood: What’s Good?
Mass timber seems alluring because of its low carbon footprint, but not all wood is equally sustainable. We dig deep into the controversy over which types of timber are “climate smart.”
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SPECIAL REPORT
SPEC THIS, NOT THAT
Avoiding Toxic Chemicals in Commercial Building Projects
CEUs:
3.5 AIA - LU|HSW
3.5 GBCI
News Analysis
Aerosols and Micro-droplets: HVAC Approaches During COVID-19
Good indoor air quality will help if SARS-CoV-2 is airborne, and tried-and-true measures can get us there.
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Though paper towels are wasteful from an environmental perspective (and their dispensers don’t always operate as intended), until we know more about how COVID-19 is spread, they may be our safest hand-drying alternative. (Photo: Louis Wing. License: CC BY 3.0.)
Product Review
Drying Hands in the Age of COVID-19
Electric hand dryers have a lower carbon footprint and save resources compared to paper towels, but COVID-19 has changed how we view these products.
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Alternatives to the “tough-on-crime” model of prison design are emerging, but in the meantime we need to look at the bigger picture.
News Analysis
Rethinking the Architecture of a Racist Legal System
With the conversation on race and justice coming to the forefront, it’s worth thinking through how architecture can contribute to change.
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News Analysis
A Review of Healthy Building Rating Systems
In the world of sustainable building design, one of the most common questions that comes up is: what is the best system to use if you want to build a healthy building?
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News Brief
IMMUNE Building Standard: The Latest COVID Response
Entering a crowded field of building re-entry solutions, IMMUNE is an open-source standard.
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News Brief
“All for Reuse” Looks to Cut Embodied Carbon
The All for Reuse initiative is currently seeking signatories.
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Featured Topic
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SmithGroup uses HPDs in its selection process for projects large and small, including the million-square-foot MGM National Harbor Resort near Washington, D.C. HKS was the design architect. (Image: HKS and SmithGroup)
Material Health
Buildings shouldn’t harm their occupants. Is anything more fundamental than that? Yet many building materials contain toxic substances with the potential to make people sick. Finding and interpreting material health information is an emerging practice among building professionals.
LEARN THE BASICS
- What’s an HPD? Health Product Declaration FAQs
- WELL v2: What’s Changed?
- The High Price of Stain Resistance: Environmental Persistence
- Phthalate Plasticizer Toxicity Explained
GO DEEPER
- LEED and WELL Product Labels: A Guide and Analysis
- Three Hazardous Textile Treatments and How to Avoid Them
- Why “Zero VOC” Was Never Enough
- How to Get from VOC Certifications to Better Products
RELATED TOPICS
Explore our full knowledge base »
Maintain Your Credentials
WELL AP Exam Study Guide
The best and only WELL AP study guide you’ll ever need. Use our guide and you’ll pass the exam on your first try—we guarantee it.
The Urgency of Embodied Carbon and What You Can Do About It
Building materials emit massive amounts of carbon long before the lights go on. In this PDF report, we take an analytical look at the greenhouse gases that are emitted in the process of constructing our buildings in the first place—the embodied carbon. We then offer strategies for reducing embodied carbon, with examples of projects that have succeeded in this regard.
Lighting Design for Health and Sustainability: A Guide for Architects
What do we mean when we say sustainable lighting? In this PDF report, we take a closer look at lighting as an essential element in quality environments that support health and wellness while reducing energy use.
Fundamentals of High-Performance Building Assemblies
This four-part course, designed for architects and builders, provides methodologies for how best to design and manage these details and achieve superior performance—while avoiding expensive pitfalls.
Introduction to Fitwel Certification
Are your clients asking you about wellness? You’re not alone. Employee health and wellbeing has been called the ‘second wave of sustainability.’ In this hour-long webinar, GreenStep Education’s Alex Spilger will walk you through Fitwel certification, including its requirements, lessons learned from Fitwel projects, and how Fitwel compares to other frameworks like WELL and LEED. We’ll also discuss how to earn the Fitwel Ambassador credential.
