Design Strategies
Parent
Design Strategies
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
-
Clean, Fresh Air: Getting What We Need
Feature Article
Human health probably benefits from more fresh air than current ventilation standards require. But pulling in outdoor air can mean pulling in pollution.
-
The Death and Rebirth of DC Power
Feature Article
Direct current is replacing AC in microgrids and other setups that maximize the efficiency of lighting, HVAC, and onsite renewables.
-
The Four Core Issues to Tackle for Resilient Design (And the Programs That Can Help)
Feature Article
As rating systems from LEED to RELi lay out key design steps for resilient design, it’s still up to project teams to bring critical perspective.
-
What Makes the Building Envelope Green? BuildingGreen’s Guide to Thermal & Moisture Protection Products
Feature Article
From insulation to flashing tape to cladding, we look at the attributes of the greenest building envelope products.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
-
Biophilic Design: Indulging Our Love of Life
Explainer
New biophilia metrics pin down what it means to engage the love of nature through design.
-
Buffering Humidity with Interior Finishes
Explainer
The relative humidity of indoor air often fluctuates. Interior finishes can help moderate those changes, improving comfort and IAQ as well as saving energy.
-
Beyond Accessible: Universal Design for Green Buildings
Explainer
By planning ahead for all ages and abilities, designers reduce the need for renovations and may extend building service life.
-
Building Acoustics: The Basics of Managing Sound and Noise
Explainer
Acoustic performance is crucial to occupant well-being. And smart design, not added cost, can make the difference.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
-
Faucets That Combat Infection Without Wasting Water
Product Review
New technology from Rada helps prevent life-threatening Legionella and other pathogens from growing in pipes and faucets—a big problem in healthcare.
-
Solar Farms Offer Renewable Power for the Rest of Us
Product Review
Community solar allows customers with site limitations to purchase commercial-quality photovoltaic systems—and the Clean Energy Collective is making it easier.
-
LEDs Finally Hitting Stride in Supporting Health, Productivity
Product Review
By allowing tunability of color and intensity, USAI’s Color Select LED technology can match the natural daylight cycle and needs of end users.
-
BuildingGreen Announces Top-10 Products for 2015
Product Review
Transformative products eliminate toxic chemicals and fossil fuels, and improve building and site performance.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
-
Future Heat Waves Will Kill Power and AC—and People
News Analysis
Passive cooling strategies are surprisingly effective, even as heat waves become more extreme.
-
Six Ways the COVID Pandemic Is Changing IAQ for Good
News Analysis
CDC has set a stringent new minimum for everyday ventilation, and ASHRAE has released standard 241, the first IAQ standard addressing infectious disease. Both moves challenge long-held assumptions about clean air.
-
Affordable Housing Gets Billions for Resilience Retrofits
News Brief
HUD releases guidance for its Green Resilient and Retrofit Program, part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which seeks to improve the efficiency and resilience of low-income housing.
-
DOE Offers Zero-Energy Approval for Higher Ed
News Brief
The Zero Energy Design Designation (ZEDD) Program from the U.S. Department of Energy is accepting applications for 2023.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
-
Opinion: Orwellian EPDs Ignore the Worst Impacts of Wood, Vinyl
Op-Ed
Although life-cycle assessment has great promise, in the wrong hands it can be used for greenwashing.
-
Life-Cycle Assessment "A Powerful Tool When Used Right"
Op-Ed
A leading voice on life-cycle assessment offers a call to action for responsible use of LCA for sustainable design.
-
Introducing the Resilient Design Institute
Op-Ed
BuildingGreen announces the formation of the Resilient Design Institute.
-
America’s Greenest Office Building
Blog Post
The Bullitt Center in Seattle is showing that a six-story, 52,000 square-foot building can meet the net-zero-energy, net-zero-water Living Building Challenge
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.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
- 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.
