First Costs
Reduced operational costs, improved occupant health and productivity, and buildings with small ecological footprints: these are the ways we make the case for green buildings.
What about first cost?
Perhaps to the detriment of green building adoption, we’ve been letting flashy products and innovative case studies paint a picture of higher first costs for green buildings. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Constraints fuel creativity, and plenty of projects are leveraging budgets limitations to meet sustainability goals by designing simpler, more effective spaces.
First Costs
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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How to Make Integrated Project Delivery Work for Your Project
Feature Article
Early successes with IPD are now legendary but also fostered misconceptions. We deconstruct those and provide tips to ensure collaboration translates to results.
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How to Build Green At No Added Cost
Feature Article
Avoiding cost premiums on green projects is not only possible: it's a good idea, focusing design teams on simple, effective designs that can deliver savings for years to come.
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Three Imperatives to Create the Future of Green Building
Feature Article
The industry will be in a better place a decade from now if we master these skills.
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Retrocommissioning: Big Savings for Big Buildings
Feature Article
Retrocommissioning or RCx can be a valuable tool for commercial building owners. RCx addresses the same scope as new building commissioning but is performed on existing buildings. RCx can improve building performance, save energy and money-especially for large buildings.
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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In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Green Building to Create 3 Million Jobs by 2018, Says USGBC
News Analysis
A new report estimates the economic impact of LEED and green construction to date and predicts a trajectory of growth.
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Green Real Estate Trusts Yield Higher Returns
News Brief
A high GRESB score could mark a good real estate stock or equity investment, according to researchers.
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Reduce Your Audit Risk with the R&D Tax Credit: Five Tips
News Analysis
The federal R&D credit looks like low-hanging fruit, but there might be a worm in the apple. Experts share lower-risk ways for AEC firms to file.
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AIA Top Ten Projects Demonstrate High Ideals on a Real-World Budget
News Analysis
2015 Project awards from the AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) celebrate how mainstream good design can be.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
A wide range of education options, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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