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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Resilient, Sustainable Water Management: A Holistic Approach
Feature
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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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Showerheads
Product Guide
Showerheads that use no more than 1.75 gpm and are WaterSense labeled to address spray force and coverage
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Water Savings and More Using Vacuum Toilets
Product Review
Jets vacuum toilet systems use significantly less water than standard systems, reduce wastewater, provide design flexibility, and can be used in combination with graywater and composting systems.
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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.
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Innovative Products: 20th Greenbuild Edition
Product Review
The Greenbuild expo floor was a mix of familiar faces, updates, and new, innovative products.
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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COTE Top Ten for 2023 Provide Open Space Teeming with Life
News Analysis
The COTE Top Ten for 2023 promote biodiversity, equitable access to nature, and other positive outcomes for occupants, owners, and broader energy and water systems.
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Returning to the Office? You Might Want to Test Your Water!
News Brief
Returning to the office means ensuring occupant health, but a recent study published in PLOS Water highlights the hazards of water that has sat in plumbing for too long.
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Biden Firms Up His Environmental Justice Agenda
News Brief
Biden's executive order 14096 on Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All looks to protect communities burdened by pollution.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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The Contractor’s Commitment: Lessons from the First Year
Webcast
The new “Contractor’s Commitment to Sustainable Building Practices" calls on firms to practice green building on the jobsite and beyond.
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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