Design for Resources
Good design depends on informed material and resource selection—balancing priorities to achieve durable, safe, and healthy projects with an equitable, sustainable supply chain to minimize possible negative impacts on the planet.
Learn more about the AIA Framework for Design Excellence.
Reproduced with permission of The American Institute of Architects, 1735 New York Avenue, N.W.; Washington, D.C. 20006
Design for Resources
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Using Low-Carbon Concrete in Your Next Project
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Advancements in low-carbon concrete materials and strategies have led to greater adoption in much of the U.S. Now it's time to start using them.
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The Promise of Biobased Materials—and How to Use Them Now
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There is a lot of hype about carbon storage and other benefits of natural materials, but their potential is real. Read about those that are ready for prime time—and the ones we hope will take off next.
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The Urgency of Embodied Carbon and What You Can Do about It
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Building materials emit massive amounts of carbon long before the lights go on. Here’s how thoughtful design can reduce global warming impact.
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Waste Not, Want Not: Case Studies of Building Material Reuse
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Reclamation and reuse of building materials can be a tough sell and hard to design for, but many project teams have learned to make it work. Here’s how.
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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Blue Planet: Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration
Product Review
Blue Planet turns industrial CO2 into aggregate, cost-effectively sequestering carbon while producing a viable commodity.
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The Future of Home Energy Connectivity
Product Review
Schneider’s Square D Energy Center can connect photovoltaics, energy storage, electric vehicle charging, and “smart” meters and appliances.
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Commercial Heat Pump Water Heaters Using CO2 Refrigerant
Product Review
Mitsubishi’s Heat2O commercial heat-pump water heater uses CO2 as a refrigerant and is now available in the U.S.
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BuildingGreen Announces Top 10 Products for 2022
Product Review
Innovative products include heat pumps that use low-GWP refrigerants, energy-saving window inserts, water-saving infrastructure, induction ranges, and more.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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COTE Top Ten for 2022 Elevate Community Engagement
News Analysis
The AIA COTE Top Ten for 2002 went above and beyond to bring stakeholders into the fold.
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Forced Labor and the Building Material Supply Chain
News Analysis
Forced labor is used to create many building products, but changes are underway that are helping to address this serious issue.
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A Boatload of Building-Related Incentives in Inflation Reduction Act
News Analysis
Architects and engineers will be able to claim energy-efficiency tax credits when working for tax-exempt clients.
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Grounding the AIA Materials Pledge in Data
News Analysis
With a Common Materials Framework, mindful Materials is mapping product labels to industry commitments.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Affordable Housing or Green Housing? We Can Say Yes to Both
Webcast
Yes, available funding for building and rehabilitating affordable housing is inadequate—but that’s all the more reason to get this right when we get the chance.
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Wood's Latest Move: from Carbon Neutral to Climate Smart
Webcast
If we’re going to start using a lot more wood in buildings, we need to think hard about where that wood is going to come from and how it will be harvested.
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Let’s Get Real about Wood’s Carbon Footprint
Webcast
You’ve probably heard that wood products are carbon neutral. You might also have heard that timber harvesting causes immense carbon emissions. Which is it? Could it be both?
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Selecting Optimized Products for LEED Projects
Webcast
This pragmatic webinar walks you through the v4.1 version of the three Materials & Resources credits that encourage product-related disclosure and optimization.
