Product Review
The company's promotional material is the epitome of environmentally friendly packaging—like a Ben & Jerry's annual report. The article reprints sent were even bound in a jacket made from corrugated cardboard. So we were quite intrigued by the product. Syndecrete™ is a lightweight, pre-cast,... Read more
News Analysis
A study published in the June 5, 1992, issue of
Science by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Arizona suggests that smoke emitted into the atmosphere from human activities may be having a significant effect in counteracting... Read more
Feature
Carefully stake the building site and driveway, remove trees that are within the excavation area or too close, then erect a fence to keep heavy equipment off fragile soils and away from nearby trees.
Protecting trees and the local ecosystem when building on previously unbuilt land is a vitally important—yet often overlooked—part of environmentally responsible construction. Healthy trees and shrubs can reduce a home’s environmental impact and directly benefit homeowners in a number of ways:
•Enhancing comfort by shielding the house... Read more
Feature
Ozone depletion and global warming are two of our most serious environmental problems—and foam insulation materials containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) contribute significantly to both of these problems. The environmentally concerned builder or designer should make it a highest priority to avoid them. Even many of the non-CFC alternatives... Read more
Op-Ed
Introducing the first issue of our newsletter.
Buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. In North America, buildings and the building industry account for about 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, 35-40% of ozone depletion, 20-30% of municipal solid waste, vast quantities of natural resource consumption, and dramatic loss of open space each... Read more
News Brief
The American Institute of Architects convention in Boston this past June was the setting for a changing of the guard in the American architectural establishment. The Institute’s first woman president took the reins, the Committee on the Environment became its largest and fastest growing committee, and the first installments of the Environmental... Read more
Feature
Susan Maxman is the first AIA president to make sustainable design a priority.
Q.Where would you say architects as a group stand on environmental issues?
A.Architects tend to be reactive rather than proactive. It is important that we take the lead on these environmental issues. The architecture schools in particular tend to be conservative. They just aren’t... Read more
Product Guide
Some plasters have extremely high embodied energy or petroleum-based ingredients.
BuildingGreen-Approved Plaster
Products approved include:
natural lime plasters wall coatings made from ingredients such as clay, sand, and cellulose products with high recycled content those with minimal material use some with other compelling... Read moreBasic page
Welcome! We are updating our popular WELL Study Guide and Practice Exams to reflect IWBI's new WELL v2 exam, and expect the new materials to be available for you by mid JUNE 2022. Please watch your email for the announcement and check back!
The v2 version is a substantial change from... Read more
Forum topic
Can anyone suggest a recruiter that knows the trick to finding MEP talent that is passionate about sustainability? It would be much appreciated.
Forum topic
Hello everyone,
For those I have yet to meet, I'm Jen, the latest member of BuildingGreen's Peer Networks team.
Although it's been a few weeks now, we wanted to share the slide decks from some of the presentations that took place in Las Vegas back in June. Thank you to those of you who presented and who have given us permission... Read more
Forum topic
Hi,
I imagine you've already considered this, but I wanted to mention it before you cross the point of no return...
The name "BIT Building" has the potential to be misunderstood out of context because it sounds like it has something to do with Bitcoin. I don't think this is a huge problem, but you may want to evaluate the risk... Read more
Forum topic
Hi, we need 3-4 folks to volunteer to join us to work out a draft Materials section for the Contractors Commitment. Meeting set for 6/16 @ 2 PM CST.
Please message me at pslloyd@leopardo.com if interested in participating. I will forward out the meeting invite. If the time doesn't work, but you want to participate, I will share info in... Read more
Forum topic
Hi!
I'd love to hear what you all--especially the New Yorkers--think about the newly adopted gas ban. Is this the bill we were hoping to see? Any concerns or questions?
One question I have--maybe just reveals my ignorance--but it seems to leave the door open to steam hookups, which I guess are still an option through much of... Read more
Forum topic
I suspect that some of you have already seen this or already signed it, but just in case, for your consideration:
Add your voice to the powerful chorus for climate policy and sign the LEAD statement.
More than 500 sustainability professionals have now signed, and the number is growing!
To learn more about this: please read... Read more
Quiz
We think fresh water supplies are endless, but this idealistic vision is clouded by the smoke of countless forest fires in the U.S. West and elsewhere. Instead of endless bounty, climate change is bringing us catastrophic droughts and flooding that now dominate the headlines and threaten entire regions.
This report covers innovative... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Can Concrete Save Us? Locking Up Carbon in Building Materials
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Explain current strategies of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).
2. Detail how concrete offers another possible pathway to... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all,
GBD turns 50 this year! I would like to share some examples with leadership of how we can make it more than just an event for clients... something that can give back, engage the public, focus on sustainability, etc. I remember that a Seattle firm had an awesome event that engaged a public plaza, etc. I had read something about it... Read more

