This 15-story, 112-unit Net Zero Energy project will be Seattle’s greenest apartment building when it’s completed. (Image: Sustainable Living Innovations)
Feature Article + CEU Spotlight Report
The Potential of Prefab: How Modular Construction Can Be Green
Offsite modular construction not only cuts costs and construction times but also benefits people and the planet.
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BuildingGreen
PEER NETWORKS
Private communities that facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration between sustainability professionals
Learn more »News Brief
Architects to Join Global Climate Strike September 20
Firms from around the world are mobilizing for the international climate protest inspired by teen activist Greta Thunberg.
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CalPlant 1’s MDF is expected to cost the same as wood MDF and to have equal or better performance, with a significantly better environmental profile. (Photo: CalPlant 1)
Product Review
MDF Made from Rice Straw
In California, rice straw is replacing wood as a raw material in medium- and high-density fiberboards while making use of an agricultural waste product.
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Whole-building life-cycle assessment was used to assess the embodied carbon of the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design at Georgia Tech. (Image: Lord Aeck Sargent in collaboration with The Miller Hull Partnership)
News Analysis
Embodied Carbon Tools: Assessing the Options
Interest in embodied carbon is growing. Here’s a guide to the tools that can help you measure and reduce these emissions on projects.
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Primer
Carbon Offsets and How to Select Them
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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News Brief
People Want a Greener Future but Don’t Know How to Get There
Sixty percent of people in a USGBC survey identified recycling as one of the top three ways to help the environment. Only 7% chose “Live in a green building.”
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Letter to the Editor
One of These Passive Houses Is Not Like the Other
A Passive House Institute U.S. supporter argues that PHIUS rules far exceed the requirements of the international Passive House Institute.
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Featured Topic
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The Bell Museum and Planetarium at the University of Minnesota is being designed to handle a 1,000-year rain event. (Image: Perkins+Will)
Floodproofing
There’s a lot more to floodproofing than sump pumps. First, do you really want to prevent flooding, or do you actually want to let the water in (known as wet floodproofing)? How much do you know about base flood elevations vs. design flood elevations?
These resources will help get you started on one of the most basic resilient design strategies: keeping water from damaging buildings, thus reducing their risk from storms and other flood sources.
LEARN THE BASICS from the Resilient Design Institute
CASE STUDIES
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When Hurricane Harvey Hit, the Texas Medical Center Stood Ready
- Elevated New Orleans Buildings Pass a Flood Test
NEWS & ANALYSIS
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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.
