Design for Water
Good design conserves and improves the quality of water as a precious resource.
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 Water
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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What Makes a Product Green Today?
Feature
Lots of manufacturers call their products "green," but are they? Here's our guide to the high-performance attributes that matter.
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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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No More Red Lines: Undoing Our Legacy of Urban Segregation
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Redlining in the U.S. has left us with unsustainable, under-resourced neighborhoods. Inclusive green design can help them heal.
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Resilient, Sustainable Water Management: A Holistic Approach
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Water is our planet’s lifeblood. But climate change has redefined how we view water, with drought amplifying water scarcity and changing our relationship with the landscape and the built environment.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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What Does It Mean to “Use Water”?
Explainer
The difference between consumptive and non-consumptive water use is like night and day in the world of policy and regulation.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Composting Toilet Systems
Product Guide
Composting toilets are not for every project, but they do warrant consideration.
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Faucets
Product Guide
Bathroom faucets and aerators with a flow rate of 1.0 gpm or less, plus other unique water-saving tech
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Toilets
Product Guide
These residential and commercial models meet WaterSense criteria for efficiency and performance.
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Urinals
Product Guide
Waterless urinals and high-efficiency fixtures that use 0.25 gallons per flush or less
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Biophilia a Hallmark of COTE Top Ten for 2020
News Analysis
2020 AIA COTE Top Ten winners feature daylight, indoor/outdoor spaces, extensive plantings, and exposed wood.
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AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence: A Hook for Firm-wide Change
News Analysis
With design awards on the line, architecture firms are starting to require sustainability tracking across all projects.
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Fighting for Environmental Justice with “Smart” Surfaces
News Analysis
Asphalt and concrete are at the root of many sustainability issues and associated inequities. The Smart Surfaces Coalition is looking to change that. -
High Performance, High Design: The COTE Top Ten for 2021
News Analysis
The American Institute of Architects has announced its COTE Top Ten high-performance building winners for this year.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Building Re-Entry with Arc
Webcast
Arc Skoru’s Chris Pyke explains Arc Re-entry and how it integrates with CDC and WHO recommendations, LEED pilot credits, the WELL Building Standard, and other frameworks.
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ESG for AEC: Does it Change How We Approach Green Building?
Webcast
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting is an increasingly common expectation throughout financial sectors, and the real estate industry is no exception.
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The BuildingGreen Guide to Building Product Certifications and Ecolabels- Discounted
Special Report
This BuildingGreen publication provides a no-nonsense guide to the world of green building product certifications to help designers, purchasers, manufacturers, and others in the industry to focus on what is significant and relevant so that market forces can work and the industry can focus on bigger issues.
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Leveraging LEED Design Strategies for WELL: Thermal Comfort, Light, Water and Sound
Webcast
Leveraging LEED Design Strategies for WELL: Thermal Comfort, Light, Water and Sound on-demand webcast
