This Stantec-designed hospital in British Columbia earned the LEED pilot credit Social Equity within the Project Team. Achievement requires a focus on firm-wide EDI. (Photo: Stantec Architecture Ltd./Stantec Consulting Ltd.)
Feature Article + CEU Spotlight Report
Re-forming the Building Industry: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
People from marginalized communities are shockingly underrepresented in the U.S. building industry. It’s past time to change that.
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BuildingGreen
PEER NETWORKS
Private communities that facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration between sustainability professionals
Learn more »
LIVE WEBINAR
Whole-Building LCA Tools for LEED v4 and v4.1
HOW TO USE THEM
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
2:00pm Eastern Time
Designers used projected weather data to assess stormwater infrastructure for the new San Francisco International Airport project. They decided to install a larger pipe to prevent flooding. (Photo: San Francisco International Airport)
News Analysis
Stop Designing for the Past: Your Future Could Depend on It
Considering projected weather is a new design imperative. You could even face lawsuits if you don’t.
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Here at the Clif Bar Headquarters Building, wooden overhead screens bring in a natural analogue while providing a sense of refuge without sacrificing daylight. (Image: Robert Canfield)
Feature Article + CEU Spotlight Report
How to Access the Full Power of Biophilia
People wither physically and mentally without nature. Biophilic design is a remedy and a foundation for regenerative design all at the same time.
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Product Review
Mag Lev Chiller uses Low-Global-Warming-Potential Refrigerant
YORK YZ Magnetic Bearing Centrifugal Chiller is the first chiller to be optimized for use with a low-GWP hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerant.
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News Brief
Structural Engineers Study Embodied Carbon of 600 Buildings
More than half of a building’s embodied carbon is in its bones, prompting research—and soon, a new Revit tool.
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Firecode X generates 25% less CO2 during manufacturing than standard 5/8" Type X and is lighter, saving transportation energy. (Image: USG Corporation)
Product Review
BuildingGreen Announces Top 10 Products for 2020
These innovative products reduce carbon emissions’ impacts and include energy-saving windows and insulation, plus low-carbon pavers, gypsum, and MDF.
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News Brief
Boston Pushes Flood Resilience with New Design Guidelines
More than 6,500 parcels may be subject to new design guidelines designed to protect against sea-level rise.
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News Brief
Marin County First to Adopt Low-Carbon Concrete Code
A California county has the first code to address both concrete performance and concrete’s carbon emissions.
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Featured Topic
Explore our full knowledge base »
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.
