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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Integrated Project Delivery: A Platform for Efficient Construction
Feature Article
Integrated project delivery, or IPD, is a new contract mechanism for design and construction. Among its benefits for green building, it enshrines integrated design and building information modeling (BIM) into a legally supportive framework.
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Counting Carbon: Understanding Carbon Footprints of Buildings
Feature Article
Everyone seems to be talking about measuring carbon footprints and designing carbon-neutral buildings, but these terms mean different things to different people. Some focus just on operating energy, while others also look at transportation, materials, and other building-related emissions. As with so many things, the results depend on what you count and how you count it.
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Making Air Barriers that Work: Why and How to Tighten Up Buildings
Feature Article
Incorporating a continuous air barrier into a building's design and construction can save energy and improve the indoor environment, among other benefits. The right materials and assemblies can help accomplish that goal, but careful attention during design and close oversight during construction are essential.
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Is Nano a No-No? Nanotechnology Advances into Buildings
Feature Article
Nanotechnology takes advantage of the novel properties that particles can exhibit at a billionth of a meter in size. Those properties are being used in building materials, where they can improve thermal performance and the effectiveness of photovoltaics, among many possibilities. The field has little regulation, however, despite significant health and environmental concerns.
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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Learning from the Best: The 2019 COTE Top Ten
News Analysis
The 2019 winners of AIA’s COTE Top Ten are all about education and connection to place.
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The Green Urban Future Is Taking Shape in Toronto
News Analysis
Sidewalk Labs is validating strategies for carbon-neutral neighborhoods—and finding valuable lessons for any urban development in the process.
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Inquire Within: Realizing Regenerative Design
News Brief
A new “field guide” to becoming a regenerative practitioner suggests starting with oneself.
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Resilient Design and the Standard of Care
News Brief
Designing for climate-change adaptation may be prudent for legal reasons.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Readers Respond to Taunton Partnership
Op-Ed
Readers congratulate BuildingGreen on its partnership with Taunton Press, while discussing some concerns.
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Incorporate Passive Survivability into Building Codes
Op-Ed
Voluntary programs for incorporating passive survivability into designs will not go far enough, fast enough-it's time to use building codes to require these design features in our residential buildings.
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BuildingGreen Partners with Taunton Press
Op-Ed
BuildingGreen, publisher of Environmental Building News, announces a partnership with Taunton Press, publisher of Fine Homebuilding.
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Bringing Water Back into the Discussion
Op-Ed
Most Americans treat freshwater as if it were limitless and free, even as water shortage is becoming a reality in many areas of the United States. But there are many cost-effective ways to reduce that consumption.
Learning Resources
A wide range of education options, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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