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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Equity in Design and Construction: Seven Case Studies
Feature Article
From an affordable multifamily building to an iconic museum, these projects are designed and built to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion -
Re-forming the Building Industry: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Feature Article
People from marginalized communities are shockingly underrepresented in the U.S. building industry. It’s past time to change that.
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Passive House on Campus: Eight Exemplary Projects
Feature Article
Passive House has energy, carbon, and comfort benefits for higher ed. But getting the details right isn’t easy.
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The Urgency of Embodied Carbon and What You Can Do about It
Feature Article
Building materials emit massive amounts of carbon long before the lights go on. Here’s how thoughtful design can reduce global warming impact.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Sustainability: Too Much or Not Enough?
Explainer
The drive toward sustainable design is a long one. Are we there yet?
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Ecosystem Services
Explainer
Functions performed by intact ecosystems provide essential support for human life, but how do we quantify their value?
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The Water-Energy Connection
Explainer
The production of electricity is highly water intense, just as the transport, heating, and cooling of water is energy intense. So saving energy saves water and saving water saves energy.
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The Precautionary Principle
Explainer
The precautionary principle employs "guilty until proven innocent" methodology, and suggests that we should avoid using questionable chemicals and materials until we know they're safe.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Building a Better Building Block-Pozzotive Plus
Product Review
Kingston Block & Masonry Supply has introduced a line of CMUs and concrete facing brick made with a post-consumer-recycled-glass pozzolan substituting for 30% of the portland cement as well as about 50% post-consumer recycled aggregate.
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iCrete Mixes Stronger Concrete With Less Cement
Product Review
iCrete is an approach to concrete mix design that uses a proprietary algorithm, informed by detailed analysis of available aggregates, to optimize particle packing and use only as much cement as necessary.
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Bella-Dura Contract Fabric Touts Its Green Credentials
Product Review
Bella-Dura indoor/outdoor fabric offers contract-quality performance in a competitively priced product. The company claims that Bella-Dura solution-dyed polypropylene fibers are colorfast and require less energy and water to produce than nylon or polyester.
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Lime Stucco from American Clay Enterprises
Product Review
American Clay Enterprises, known for its popular natural earth plaster, has introduced a setting lime stucco to the national market.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Environmentalists Stop Petrochemical Plant Construction
News Brief
Environmental activists have stopped permitting of a large petrochemical plant in Louisiana’s “cancer alley,” a rare win for the environment and local communities.
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Reducing Whole-Life Carbon Brings Fringe Benefits
News Brief
The UKGBC says that by pursuing circularity, project teams can add financial, social, and other types of value to buildings.
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Historically Redlined Neighborhoods Still Struggling
News Brief
New data reveal the continued fallout of redlining from the 20th century.
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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.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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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.
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“Code Red” IPCC Report: What It Means for the Building Sector
Op-Ed
The IPCC has an emergency message: buildings need to change. Now.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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The Urgency of Embodied Carbon and What You Can Do about It
Feature Article
Building materials emit massive amounts of carbon long before the lights go on. Here’s how thoughtful design can reduce global warming impact.
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ESG Deep Dive: A Virtual Roundtable
Webcast
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs and reporting platforms are changing how companies do business—including how they think about their building portfolios. These programs, along with emerging public policy, are driving more and more organizations toward decarbonization and other sustainable development goals.
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ESG for AEC: Does it Change How We Approach Green Building?
Webcast
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting is an increasingly common expectation throughout financial sectors, and the real estate industry is no exception.
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The Contractor’s Commitment: Lessons from the First Year
Webcast
The new “Contractor’s Commitment to Sustainable Building Practices" calls on firms to practice green building on the jobsite and beyond.
Just For Fun
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