Helping others vote is critical this year. (Image: Seattle Municipal Archives. License: CC BY 2.0.)
Op-Ed
In the 2020 Elections, Voting Isn’t Enough
Our democracy is at risk. There is more work to do than going to the polls.
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WORKSHOP SERIES
Deeper Funner Virtual Facilitation Boot Camp
Want to make your virtual meetings wildly effective, connective, and fun?
Thursdays this fall
Join one session—or all five
News Analysis
Implicit Bias Training: Is It Right for Building Professionals?
With equity on the minds of many in the green building community, some are looking to bias training—but it might not be as effective as you expect.
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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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Bloom hydrogen fuel cells could provide resilient, onsite, carbon emissions-free power. (Photo: Jakub Mosur. License: CC BY 2.0.)
Product Review
Fuel Cells: The Promise of Hydrogen Power
Bloom Energy fuel cells provide on-demand electricity but use natural gas and release CO2. Switching to hydrogen could help change our energy future.
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News Analysis
AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence: A Hook for Firm-wide Change
With design awards on the line, architecture firms are starting to require sustainability tracking across all projects.
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News Brief
Contractors Move to End Construction Waste
Nearly 70% of waste in the U.S. comes from construction and demolition. Contractors in the Bay Area want to bring that down to zero.
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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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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.
