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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Circular Economy at Scale: Six International Case Studies
Feature Article
These teams are applying radical life-cycle thinking to entire projects—and redefining what building ownership means in the process.
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Can Concrete Save Us? Locking Up Carbon in Building Materials
Feature Article
Concrete is responsible for a huge proportion of global carbon dioxide emissions. A few companies want to reverse this cycle by sequestering carbon in building materials.
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Green Design: What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Feature Article
Beauty, place-making, and even love are motivating many green designers, who see these values complementing core sustainability tenets.
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Three Imperatives to Create the Future of Green Building
Feature Article
The industry will be in a better place a decade from now if we master these skills.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Synthetic Gypsum
Primer
Synthetic gypsum, used in drywall, is chemically the same as virgin gypsum but is created from a byproduct of coal-fired power plants. Are designer and contractor concerns about heavy metal contamination justified?
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Permaculture for Urban Design
Primer
Permaculture promotes food production and nurtures ecological systems in both rural and urban environments.
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Using Fly Ash in Concrete
Primer
Fly ash lowers the environmental footprint of concrete and improves durability. Pouring and curing concrete with high levels of fly ash requires special treatment.
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Weighting Environmental Impact Categories
Primer
Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) score products or design options across a series of environmental impact categories. To compare two products with different impact profiles, it becomes necessary to weight those categories, a difficult process.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Old Insulation and HVAC Systems Are Still Depleting Ozone
News Brief
Older buildings are “CFC banks” because of phased-out refrigerants and blowing agents, according to MIT scientists.
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ISO Simplifies Specifying for Circular Design
News Brief
A new standard lays out design guidance for maximizing a building’s adaptability and disassembly potential.
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Resilience Planning Gains Ground
News Brief
GRESB surveys suggest the real estate industry is increasingly paying attention to climate risks and resilience.
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Arup Envisions Plausible Climate Futures
News Brief
Arup’s four 2050 scenarios range from apocalyptic to acceptable
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Building Products Matter Even More Than We Thought
Op-Ed
Operational energy use is critical, but materials might be an even bigger part of the solution to climate change and other pressing environmental issues.
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A Quarter Century of Changing the World
Op-Ed
Going on 25 years, we still don’t have all the answers. What gets us excited about the next 25? Working with you to ask the right questions.
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Building Materials and the Time Value of Carbon
Op-Ed
When you save matters. What you build matters. Here’s why we need to build well and rebuild better.
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On the Path to Net Zero
Op-Ed
At Leonard Farm, we’ve taken another big step in our quest for net-zero energy and net-zero carbon—but we’re not there yet!
Learning Resources
A wide range of education options, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Three Imperatives to Create the Future of Green Building
Feature Article
The industry will be in a better place a decade from now if we master these skills.
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Resilient Design-Smarter Building for a Turbulent Future
Feature Article
Resilience is the new green. With decades of green building experience, we are ready to face climate change.
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Occupant Engagement: Where Design Meets Performance
Feature Article
No matter how carefully you plan a retrofit or design a building, the occupants hold the keys to environmental performance. But design teams can help them unlock any building's potential.
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Re-forming the Building Industry: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Spotlight Report
People from marginalized communities are shockingly underrepresented in the U.S. building industry. It’s past time to change that.
