Codes & Certifications
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Codes & Certifications
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Community-Scale Sustainability: Accelerating Change for People and Planet
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By working at the neighborhood scale, designers and developers can more dramatically improve environmental performance and social equity.
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Affordable Housing and Sustainable Design: The Goals Are Aligned
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Green building is not just for those with means.
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The Sound of Sustainability: Acoustics in High-Performance Design
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Acoustic performance is often overlooked by human-centered design. A holistic approach shows how to navigate the complexities of “sustainable acoustics.”
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The Death and Rebirth of DC Power
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Direct current is replacing AC in microgrids and other setups that maximize the efficiency of lighting, HVAC, and onsite renewables.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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The Lacey Act and the Building Industry: Sourcing Legal Wood
Explainer
Lumber Liquidators will pay millions for importing illegal wood products. Could architects or contractors be fined for buying them?
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Green Chemistry Meets Green Building
Explainer
What is green chemistry, and how does it fit into LEED? We explain the relationship—and some tensions.
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Is Particleboard Deadly? Formaldehyde Emissions Explained
Explainer
Formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products will soon be strictly regulated in the U.S., but questions remain.
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The Problem with Red Lists
Explainer
Having a short list of toxic chemicals to avoid is convenient, but nasty “alternatives” can sneak in the back door. Hazard screenings help solve this problem.
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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Experts Disagree on IRA Tax Credit for Ground-Source Heat Pumps
News Analysis
Millions in tax credits are available from the Inflation Reduction Act, but even some long-standing rules are now being questioned. Lean on your tax advisors, and expect updates as the first projects go through the process.
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New Climate-Smart-Wood Guidance and a Call for Pilot Partners
News Analysis
As more project teams question timber’s “carbon neutrality,” a growing coalition blazes a common-sense but potentially perilous path forward.
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Existing Building Performance Standards Urgently Needed
News Brief
The pressure is on in the U.S. to mandate existing building decarbonization. ACEEE has analyzed domestic and international laws for best practices to broaden the reach of this climate change mitigation tool.
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Goodbye, Denial: Free Tools Expose Localized Climate Realities
News Brief
The Climate Explorer and the CMRA translate nerdy climate projections into eye-opening images that should be well worth more than a thousand words in the push for resilient design.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Finding the Building Products You Need to Do WELL
Blog Post
The WELL Building Standard has stringent transparency and health criteria for products and materials. Here’s how to find what you’ll need for certification.
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Finding HPDs: How We Do It At BuildingGreen
Op-Ed
There are several ways you can find Health Product Declarations. Here’s a look at them, including what BuildingGreen offers.
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Can the Living Building Challenge Scale Up?
Op-Ed
The stringent system has already changed the world, but to reach beyond demonstration projects it has to help everyday buildings succeed.
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Architectural Board Should Reinstate Sustainability Criteria
Op-Ed
Collaboration skills and sustainability concepts are being “elevated” by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)—but it’s really a demotion.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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