Metal roofs can also provide high solar reflectance, minimizing a building’s contribution to the urban heat island effect. 

BuildingGreen-approved

Materials and finishes recognized by Energy Star maintain solar reflectance levels after three years of use of 50% for low-slope and 15% for steep-slope. Some unpainted metals and many... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Biobased Materials: Not Always Greener.

Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:


 

1. Explain why "biobased" is too general a term.
2. List the primary concerns associated with biobased building materials, finishes and furnishings, and wet-... Read more

Hi all - back in May I asked you for help reviewing our series ahead of publication. The first 5 posts are up, with the 6th a day or so away. Thanks to everyone who has helped out! 

It's a fail-forward effort to help us figure out what we are missing in our climate action on our projects and advocacy. Enjoy, and let me know if and how... Read more

BuildingGreen’s product vetting services can save you countless hours and set you up for success on future projects.

Is your team working on a LEED v4 or WELL project? 

Finding products for these projects is daunting, and even when you find products you believe will meet the requirements, you have to know exactly... Read more

Hi all,

I am on the planning committee for the National Adaptation Forum, which is an excellent conference (this will be the 6th annual) that has relatively little representation from architecture and engineering audiences. Our municipal and agency clients, as well as private sector, tend to attend this conference for climate adaptation... Read more

Hi all,

I have asked a few of you in this list, but thought I might expand the question to the wide group.

To ensure that your firm will be able to collect post-occupancy energy data from your completed projects, have any of you included language about sharing energy data during operations in an owner agreement/contract? We have... Read more

Hi All,

I just became aware of the attached detail (if I uploaded it correctly) for a project in Portland, OR going out for permit at the end of this week.  Has anyone located the radiant tubing at the bottom of concrete like this before?  It doesn't sit right with me, though I cannot pinpoint exactly why.  Our consultants and the... Read more

Anyone aware of tools or workflows for modeling of a specific outdoor space and effective surface temperatures?  We've done a goodly amoutn of microclimate simulations, but never explicitly factored in the ground surface, in terms of emissivity and other related factors.   

Hi everyone, 

We’re so excited to announce that registration for the first-ever “Summit for the Sages” is live! Register here and save your seat to join BuildingGreen, your Sages peers, and members of all three other networks in Omaha this Summer.

If you are in Sages and SDL and want to attend both summits, please check the “SDL... Read more

Hi All! 

We have had a few multi-family projects consider this single package vertical unit with integrated ERV, but we haven't pulled the trigger for fear of the unknown. Our local engineers aren't sure how it actually performs and worry it may not meet code requirements for separation between exhaust and intake. Has anyone else used... Read more

Dear SDL'ers

After many months of soul searching about my role as a sustainability leader and how to have the most positive environmental impact, I have decided to take a leave from practice to pursue further studies this September. I will be undertaking a two year Master’s degree at the Institute for Resources, Environment and... Read more

Please share your thoughts in preparation for our monthly call this Thursday (call info below). 

Given these items that are changing at AIA, are any of them motivating changes within your firm? If so, how? If not, why?

1. Awards criteria now includes COTE Measures of Design Excellence

2. Code of Ethics now includes rule on... Read more

On Thursday, September 27 at 2PM Eastern Time you can join the first BuildingGreen Communities webinar where we will share key takeaways from the 11th annual Summer Sustainable Design Leaders Summit (@ the Garrison Institute in upstate New York). Our new webinar format using Zoom will allow for interactive questions and comments throughout. If... Read more

Trillian Dent

THIS WEBINAR PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.

This webinar occurred on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, 2pm Eastern

The new “Contractor’s Commitment to Sustainable Building Practices" calls on firms to practice green building on the jobsite and beyond. But what has really been accomplished during the program's... Read more

Hello everyone! I’m happy to be re-joining the group after a two year hiatus.

Pre-pandemic I got to participate in a few winter summits when I was Sustainability Director at Overland Partners in San Antonio. I’ve recently joined Mahlum Architects in Portland and I’m excited to re-engage in the conversation, this time from the West Coast... Read more