The Big Picture
It’s easy to get caught up in the details—earning one more LEED point or getting that documentation you need for recycled content.
But it’s a lot easier to achieve all the project goals if the owner and the whole project team are in agreement about why you’re putting in all this work in the first place. Stuff like:
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slowing down climate change
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dealing with global water shortages
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avoiding depletion of nonrenewable resources
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preventing public health problems associated with manufacturing
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righting social wrongs
Here we set the scene, providing context that can help get—and keep—everyone on the same page about project goals.
The Big Picture
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Constructing Change: The Contractor’s Commitment
Feature Article
The Contractor’s Commitment to Sustainable Building Practices calls on construction firms to practice green building. Here’s why the whole industry needs to get behind it.
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No More Red Lines: Undoing Our Legacy of Urban Segregation
Feature Article
Redlining in the U.S. has left us with unsustainable, under-resourced neighborhoods. Inclusive green design can help them heal.
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The Next Four Years
Feature Article
The Biden-Harris administration may be the most important ever relative to the environment.
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Wood: What’s Good?
Feature Article
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.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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30 Years of Green Building in the U.S.
Infographic
As The BuildingGreen Report (formerly Environmental Building News, or “EBN”) celebrates its 30th year of publication, we decided to track the growth—and explosion—of the green building movement. We start in 1990 with the founding of AIA’s Committee on the Environment.
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Carbon Offsets and How to Select Them
Primer
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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Social Sustainability and Architecture
Primer
Architects can increase social value through thoughtful design of the built environment.
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Ethnography: A Creative Tool for Human-Centered Design
Primer
Social science research methods can generate innovative and sophisticated design solutions that respond to human needs and cultural values.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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New Blowing Agents Revolutionize XPS Industry
Product Review
Due to regulatory changes in Canada and certain U.S. states, manufacturers will be offering XPS with low global warming potential starting in 2021.
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Electrical Vehicle Chargers: Keeping Up with Technology
Product Review
EV charging stations are becoming mainstream, but the technology interface and installation are still developing.
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Non-Hazardous Deep-Cycle Batteries for On or Off the Grid
Product Review
Aquion offers high-performance “saltwater” energy storage without lead, sulfuric acid, or flammable lithium salts.
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Solar Farms Offer Renewable Power for the Rest of Us
Product Review
Community solar allows customers with site limitations to purchase commercial-quality photovoltaic systems—and the Clean Energy Collective is making it easier.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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COTE Top Ten for 2022 Elevate Community Engagement
News Analysis
The AIA COTE Top Ten for 2002 went above and beyond to bring stakeholders into the fold.
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AIA Upjohn Awards Support Climate Action
News Brief
The American Institute of Architects has chosen five sustainability research projects to fund through its Upjohn Research Initiative.
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The Future of Designing with Future Weather Data
News Analysis
Energy models that use future weather files instead of historical ones could become the norm as industry standards fall into place.
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Biden Orders Carbon-Neutral Federal Government by 2050
News Analysis
New policies from Biden's executive order will require carbon-free electricity and embodied carbon disclosure for building materials, and could limit procurement of products with PFAS.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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USGBC Response: Help Create the Next LEED version
Op-Ed
The U.S. Green Building Council responds to an earlier op-ed, “LEED Must Lead on Climate.”
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LEED Must Lead on Climate
Op-Ed
The world urgently needs the building industry to tackle climate change, and LEED has to be part of that.
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How to Help Ukraine Now … and in the Future
Op-Ed
What can the green building and resilience communities do to help the people of Ukraine?
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Is BuildingGreen Getting Too Political?
Op-Ed
We believe that social justice issues as they relate to the built environment are relevant to the sustainable design and construction community.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Constructing Change: The Contractor’s Commitment
Spotlight Report
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No More Red Lines: Undoing Our Legacy of Urban Segregation
Spotlight Report
Redlining in the U.S. has left us with unsustainable, under-resourced neighborhoods. Inclusive green design can help them heal.
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Pest Prevention: Steps Designers Can Take
Feature Article
Integrated pest management (IPM) design strategies can reduce structural damage and unsanitary conditions, and improve our community’s health.
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Net-Zero Energy Isn’t the Real Goal: 8 Reasons Why
Spotlight Report
In this report, we list eight ways that NZE projects miss the mark on climate goals, including how they affect the electricity grid, transportation, embodied carbon, and resilience, and how we can course-correct to achieve our goals.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...