Comfort
Chartwell School puts students first with an emphasis on natural daylighting and other passive comfort strategies.
A focus on comfort in building design means a focus on people and their ability to work, learn, and heal. The connection between thermal, acoustical, and other types of comfort and productivity in the workplace is well established.
Because of this, investing in the comfort of occupants is one of the most cost-effective green design strategies. It’s also just common sense: buildings aren’t here for their own sake; they’re here for us.
Comfort
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
-
Getting Flame Retardants Out of Foam Insulation
Feature
In an effort to eliminate the use of halogenated flame retardants, building code changes are being proposed by a group of fire experts, architects, chemists, and environmentalists.
-
The Hidden Science of High-Performance Building Assemblies
Feature
Any four walls and a roof make an enclosure, but for efficiency, comfort, and durability, those elements have to be meticulously designed and installed.
-
Doing Daylighting Right
Feature
Harvesting daylight is a popular way to save energy and promote productivity. But getting it wrong is all too easy-and can have the opposite effects.
-
Verifying Project Outcomes: Which Metrics Work?
Feature Short
Project success is increasingly tied to performance metrics, especially EUI. But that doesn’t always capture what owners are really looking for.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
-
Using WUFI to Prevent Moisture Problems
Explainer
WUFI software helps predict and prevent moisture problems based on site, climate, building materials, mechanical systems, and more.
-
What Is Building Science, Anyway?
Explainer
Building science is an integrated discipline that stands many conventional design and construction ideas on their heads.
-
Adaptive Thermal Comfort
Explainer
Adaptive thermal comfort broadens our understanding of the comfort zone by accounting for human behavior and perception, and factors like amount of clothing and air movement.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
-
Energy Benefits of Temperfect Chair Take Backseat to Comfort
Product Review
Like being in the hot seat? This office chair provides comfort with less energy than a space heater.
-
Measuring Drywall Against Environmental Standards
Product Review
Drywall is one of the most ubiquitous building materials. A new UL standard aims to reduce its energy impact and toxicity in landfills.
-
BioPCM: Finally, a Low-Cost, Practical Phase-Change Material
Product Review
A sea change for phase-change materials? BioPCM brings phase change into the 21st century with biobased mats.
-
High-Efficiency, Variable-Speed Pumps from Wilo and Grundfos
Product Review
Advanced, variable-speed, "smart" pumps from the German company Wilo and the Danish company Grundfos offer significant energy savings for hydronic heating systems and other circulation systems.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
-
Plants in Offices Enhance Worker Engagement
News Brief
Office plants make workers happier, which helps prevent the kind of disengagement that takes a toll on productivity, according a recent report.
-
WELL Building Standard Moves Toward Certification-With GBCI
News Brief
The same body that reviews LEED project documentation will be the third-party certifier for the forthcoming health standard called WELL.
-
Updated Thermal Comfort Standard Could Save Energy
News Brief
-
USGBC: Put Public Health in the "Front Seat" of Green Building
News Brief
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
- Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.
