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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What Makes a Product Green Today?
Feature Article
Lots of manufacturers call their products "green," but are they? Here's our guide to the high-performance attributes that matter.
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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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Choosing Windows: Looking Through the Options
Feature Article
We ask a lot from windows: energy efficiency, aesthetics, durability, affordability, and more. Which window frame materials and low-e glazing options balance these choices best? This article explores all the options and decodes the performance labels we see when buying windows.
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A Green Building Wish List: Policies, Trends, and Products for 2011 and Beyond
Feature Article
Guaranteed energy performance of homes. Rapidly renewable materials that don't compete with food production. These are just a couple of the new developments we explore that would help the building industry clean up its act.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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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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The Federal Plan to Decarbonize Buildings and Increase Equity
News Brief
The U.S. General Services Administration has established two task groups in response to the president’s demands on climate and environmental justice.
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From AIA, How to Develop Your Sustainability Action Plan
News Brief
AIA’s “Creating a Sustainability Action Plan That Works” helps firms develop a living roadmap for continuous improvement on the 2030 Commitment and more.
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How Climate Commitments Are Transforming Design
News Analysis
2030 commitments are not easy to meet, but we spoke to three architecture firms that are progressing.
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24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Is the New Net-Zero
News Brief
Des Moines, Iowa, joins Google in aiming for 24/7 carbon-free electricity—a target that necessitates managing energy loads in buildings.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Net-Zero-Energy Schools in a Post-Paris Accord U.S.
Op-Ed
The challenge might seem greater, but focusing on schools is crucial as climate change advocacy moves to local leadership.
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Our Economy is Broken (and We Can Fix It)
Op-Ed
Green building practitioners must take on the challenge of our broken economy, in our work and in our lives.
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Why Standing Rock Matters to Green Building (and How You Can Help)
Op-Ed
The green building community must choose its battles carefully. And Standing Rock should be one of those battles.
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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.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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