Material Selection
Selecting building materials can be complex. You have to take into account toxicity, performance, the environmental life cycle, cost, and other factors.
Understanding what makes a building product green is a long-term prospect. Green characteristics differ from product category to product category, and multi-attribute vetting is critical.
Material Selection
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
-
Waste Not, Want Not: Case Studies of Building Material Reuse
Feature Article
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.
-
Wood: What’s Good?
Feature Article
Mass timber seems alluring because of its low carbon footprint, but not all wood is equally sustainable. We dig deep into the controversy over which types of timber are “climate smart.
-
Finding Products for LEED v4 and v4.1
Feature Article
Finding and managing product information for LEED has changed—and v4.1 has added even more to think about.
-
20 Ways to Advance Sustainability in the Next Four Years
Feature Article
In this age of political revolution and environmental urgency, it’s time to step back and take a look at priorities, challenges, and opportunities
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
-
What These Forestry Labels Really Mean
Infographic
You’ve seen FSC and SFI labels on wood products. Most often, you’ve seen no label at all. Here’s a green guide to each one.
-
The 8 Shades of Greenwash: How Many Do You Recognize?
Infographic
Most building products these days have an environmental angle to their sales pitches. Many are legit, but as ever, you still have to watch for the telltale signs of greenwash—the practice of inventing or exaggerating the environmental benefits of a product.
-
The 12 Product Rules
Infographic
These 12 product rules provide a simple approach to selecting better, healthier, and more environmentally responsible building products and materials.
-
VOC Testing: What It Can and Can’t Tell You
Primer
“Section 01350” has come a long way since it acquired its curious nickname. Here’s what it can tell you about indoor air quality—and what it can’t.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
-
Acoustic Panels: Cutting through the Product Noise
Product Review
Choosing interior acoustic products that contain fewer potentially hazardous materials will improve the overall interior environmental quality without compromising designs.
-
Timeless Tile’s Carbon Conundrum
Product Review
Tile is an ancient type of flooring and wallcovering that can last centuries—even millennia. But can it check today’s sustainability boxes?
-
Innovative Moisture-Resistant Textile with No PFAS
Product Review
Supreen is a woven textile that incorporates silicone into its fibers along with a polyurethane backing to provide a moisture-barrier material without the need for PFAS treatments.
-
New Blowing Agents Revolutionize XPS Industry
Product Review
Due to regulatory changes in Canada and certain U.S. states, manufacturers will be offering XPS with low global warming potential starting in 2021.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
-
The Rise of Mass Timber in a Volatile Market
News Analysis
Demand for mass timber is going up, but there’s still lots of room to grow. Can that happen—sustainably—in today’s market?
-
Green Seal’s LEED-Compliant GS-11 Paint Standard is Back
News Brief
Green Seal’s GS-11 Paint certification has been updated and can now be used to earn points in LEED v4.1.
-
Historic HFC Climate Rule Will Slash U.S. Emissions
News Brief
With EPA's new HFC rule, the Biden administration just finalized one of the most important greenhouse-gas-reduction initiatives in U.S. history.
-
Methodology in Development for Factoring FSC into LCAs
News Brief
Forest management practices have a big impact on the carbon benefits of using wood products. SCS has laid out how to do the calculations.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
-
The Sustainable Spec Language You Should Be Using
Blog Post
Selecting the greenest products doesn’t do any good unless strong specifications support your choices. Here’s some language you can use.
-
Let’s Talk: Mainstreaming Transparency Takes More than Letters
Op-Ed
To move the building industry toward greener products, there are two big things we need to do.
-
Material Transparency for LEED v4: EPDs and HPDs for Metal Studs
Blog Post
Reducing your building’s carbon footprint or health impacts? Going after new LEED credits? Transparency documents for steel studs can help.
-
Wingnut Real-World Testing of Basement Waterproofing
Blog Post
A basement testing of UGL Drylok Extreme, Koster NB1 Grey, Xypex Concentrate negative-side waterproofing
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
-
The BuildingGreen Guide to Thermal Insulation
Special Report
The BuildingGreen Guide to Thermal Insulation, Fourth Edition, provides detailed guidance on insulation products and practices, including environmental and health comparisons, and recommendations on what insulation to use and what to avoid.
-
Spec This, Not That: Avoiding Toxic Chemicals in Commercial Building Projects
PDF Report
Spec This, Not That details approaches used by architects, designers, contractors, and building owners to reduce chemical hazards in their building projects. It also includes at-your-fingertips insights for designers and spec writers on which hazards to watch out for in the major building product and material categories.
-
VOCs: Why They’re Still Here and What You Can Do About It
Feature Article
“Sick building syndrome” was one of the first problems the green building community tried to solve. We’ve come a long way, but we’re not done yet.
-
Are Cool Roofs Green? The Answer’s Not Black and White
Feature Article
Roofing choices are complicated by heating tradeoffs, climate effects, and condensation, but proponents say reflective roofs still make sense in most climates.
