Post-consumer recycled glass can be used as a replacement for portland cement, a major source of carbon emissions.
Feature Article + CEU Spotlight Report
What Makes a Product Green Today?
Lots of manufacturers call their products “green,” but are they? Here's our guide to the high-performance attributes that matter.
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BuildingGreen
PEER NETWORKS
Private communities that facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration between sustainability professionals
Learn more »News Brief
Net-Zero Embodied Carbon by 2050?
A group of structural engineers has released a plan to eliminate the embodied carbon of concrete, steel, and wood within 30 years.
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There are several net-zero standards now, and they all look quite different. (Image: Joshua Radoff/WSP)
News Analysis
A Review of the Current Net-Zero Energy and Net-Zero Carbon Certification Programs
Until recently, there was only one game in town when it came to net-zero energy and carbon. Now there are several certifications.
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News Analysis
Approaches to Building Re-Entry During COVID-19
Private consultants, along with LEED, WELL, and AIA are all offering strategies for re-occupying buildings without unduly compromising occupant health.
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News Brief
2021 Energy Code Prioritizes Electrification of Residences
Electric outlets must be placed by parking spaces and combustion-based appliances to allow for easy conversions.
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News Brief
ASHRAE Releases COVID-19 Recommendations
From dilution to humidity control, ASHRAE offers guidance on how to reduce the spread of aerosolized pathogens in buildings.
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News Brief
Which Multifamily Buildings Should Be Electrified First?
Significant challenges prevent the great majority of existing NYC multifamily buildings from being electrified, but these 480 buildings are prime candidates.
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A new study from architecture and design firm Hawley Peterson Snyder suggests interior products are more important than we realize. (Image: Hawley Peterson Snyder)
News Brief
Interior Products Can Have Enormous Carbon Footprint
The structure and envelope have the most up-front embodied carbon, but replacement cycles may make interiors more important than previously thought.
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A New report from the CaGBC outlines how to leverage the recession to jump-start green building. (Image: Canada Green Building Council)
News Brief
Strategies for a Low-Carbon Economic Recovery
Stimulating the building industry is crucial to getting out of a recession, but let’s do it right, says the Canada Green Building Council.
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News Brief
New AIA Contracts Reinforce Sustainability Plans
New to creating a sustainability plan for an AIA agreement? Latest guidance references COTE TOP Ten metrics, ASHRAE 209, among others.
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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 »
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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.
