Hi SDL: sorry to send another missive so soon but I wanted all to be aware of a great new effort just announced today coming from Greg Kats and Vivian Loftness among others - The Smart Surfaces Coalition. This effort brings together resources and research around city-scale resilience. "The Coalition is committed to the rapid, cost-effective... Read more

Hi folks,

I hope you're all doing well, despite the heat (thermal, political, social...ugh!).

We've had low turnout on the SAL monthly calls lately; it seems that these aren't a high priority for many of you. That's not necessarily a problem, if you're finding value in being in the network for other reasons, that's fine.

We... Read more

Hi All - I have a 3 bdroom close walking distance to Greenbuild venue - but I don't need it.

Last call before I cancel it - if anyone wants it - I can transfer!

Just shoot me an email directly to bb@sustainable-performance.org

Thanks and see you there!

Welcome to the quiz portion of Lighting Design for Health and Sustainability: A Guide for Architects​!

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


Describe how high-quality lighting design dovetails with sustainability by improving energy efficiency and supporting occupant health and... Read more

I'm passing on an alarming (and truly Orwellian!) message from the AIA that some may have received:

The AIA is aware (and has been actively addressing) that there is a draft executive order circulating for consideration by White House officials that would officially designate “classical” architecture as the preferred style for the... Read more

We're looking to add a green wall to our existing offices in NYC. Can anyone please share any good product/vendor recommendations?

We were hoping to use Naava walls, but they seem to have retracted into Europe, as far as I can tell.

The BuildingGreen & GreenStep exam prep materials have been updated to the latest version based on the actual v2 exam. The new study guide site license is now available for your purchase and use in preparing to take the exam.  

The site license permits the purchaser to share the PDF Study-Guide file within their company/organization and... Read more

Hey all,

Question for those of you who do in-house daylight analysis about modeling translucent glazing.

We use ClimateStudio for our modeling. It has plenty of material options for clear glazing but nothing for translucent glazing, and we are trying to understand the impacts of a translucent interlayer at some skylights. We can... Read more

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

Discarded tires are an environmental disaster, and finding a beneficial use for them is a high priority.

BuildingGreen-Approved Resilient Flooring

BuildingGreen does not approve any flooring product that is made with tire-derived rubber, though some products may be appropriate for exterior use.

Environmental and Health Impacts of... Read more

You know all those times when you want to reply privately to someone, but don't have their email address handy? What a pain, right? 

Not anymore! Now you can go to the "Group Members" tab on the BuildingGreen Communities forum page, and hover over anyone's name to see their email address. 

Only members of the forum can see your... Read more

I am looking for example specifications for low carbon concrete to have our structural engineer(s) review and incorporate.  Does anyone have good examples or  link(s) to good examples?

Thanks,

Mark

Amal June Polt

Hi Leaders,

If your experience was anything like mine, it was a stressful night. I'm feeling a hunger for talking with smart, passionate people about what this all means.

I'm not interested in making this into a political forum--we can all get plenty of that elsewhere. But if you'd like to hang out and just process how you're... Read more

Dear fellow SCL'ers,

Recently one of our members, Ryan Poole, sustainability leader at DPR, has been facing some personal challenges. His wife is 35 weeks pregnant and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. They have moved across country - from Colorado to South Carolina - to be closer to thier parents and their support system, but they can... Read more

Huge shout out to Patty Lloyd, Luke Leung, Janet Olsen, and Sarah Gudeman for their webinar on the Power of Peer Networks. They share lots of insights into the value of participating in BG Peer Networks and many others. Ten bucks to Illinois Green gets you access to the recording--I loved it. What would you have said that they didn't?

Building materials emit massive amounts of carbon long before the lights go on.

In this course, BuildingGreen takes an analytical look at the greenhouse gases that are emitted in the process of constructing our buildings in the first place—the embodied carbon. The report focuses on how architects and designers, working with other key... Read more

Attached are the raw notes from the Design Process Conversations.

And here are the Guiding Questions from the Agenda Survey:

Design Process: how to intervene to get better outcomes?

How do I crack the nut of making a difference within my firm in the Design Process?

What strategies alter our fast-paced design... Read more