Hi folks,

We have a really great webinar set up for Thursday, Oct 25 at 2pm eastern. This one is based on the 5-minute presentation from Heather DeGrella at the Summer Summit--our jaws were on the floor when she presented it there, and we were hungry for more.

Sign up here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/... Read more

Mark your calendars! Wednesday March 9th, 3-4pm ET (12-1pm PT) - Sustainability Leaders State of the Regions.

We’ve seen a lot of momentum building around the potential for regional Sustainability Leaders groups, and we want to learn how best to support this activity. On this call, we’ll have a few currently active regional groups share... Read more

We are attempting to use Tally on a couple projects and are wondering how others are using the tool in their design process. If any experienced users out there would be willing to have a brief phone conversation I would appreciate it. Thanks

Plastic windows come in both ABS and vinyl (PVC). Even though PVC is particularly loathed by environmentalists, energy performance is BuildingGreen's primary green consideration for windows, and some vinyl windows offer exceptionally strong energy performance, often with competitive pricing.

BuildingGreen-Approved Plastic Windows

... Read more

My colleague, Kira Gould, from the AIA National COTE communications committee, has a great question I am reposting here...

AIA National COTE: In the early 00s, COTE supported an initiative through which we created a Guide to the Green RFP and collected sample RFP language. That now dated guide is no longer findable in our resources and... Read more

How much does every designer need to know? How to support that basic literacy?

Guiding Questions:

Does requiring LEED-AP cover it? How do others create a shared literacy across the firm? How deeply to ask the designers to delve into technical subjects? (Or should they be paired with someone…) How do we shift the designers’ mindset... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of The Product Transparency Movement: Peeking Behind the Corporate Veil.

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


 

1. Describe an EPD, naming at least six characteristics that it attempts to quantify.
2. Explain what the HPD Open Standard... Read more

Lake|Flato is growing our design performance team!  If you know any great applicants for our new design technologist position, please send them our way:

Design Technologist in San Antonio.pdf (lakeflato.com)

Are your firms discussing the health effects of silica dust on people working with engineered stone and the recent announcement of the upcoming ban in Australia, as of July 2024?

https://www.dezeen.com/2023/12/14/australia-bans-engineered-stone-silico...

According to the article, a recent report says that there is no safe level of... Read more

Something we seem to be seeing a lot in our market recently are projects split into multiple packages - footing / foundation, C&S, and then later a TI package of CD's... mostly in an effort to speed up permitting and construction schedules. (Oftentimes with a contractor on board for a design / build approach). 

My question to the... Read more

I've been hearing recommendations for bipolar ionization, as a way to filter airborne virus particles in HVAC systems while avoiding the energy penalty of increased ventilation. However, I've also heard that ionizing equipment is dangerous because it produces ozone.

Does anyone have any insight into the effectiveness and/or cautions... Read more

We are trying to figure out how we are going to meet the LEED Credit for Building Life Cycle Impact Reduction for the first time.

One approach we're trying out: We're taking the results of our Tally model and looking at potential reductions from low-carbon concrete. However, the problem I am encountering is that when I take some of our... Read more

First, special shout out to Carolyn Day from Perkins Eastman for getting permission to use their Pro-zoom account for this Greenbuild wrap-up social session, because...frankly...Greenbuild just wasn't the same without all of you.

So, while we can't be together in person, that doesn't mean we are stuck by ourselves. Grab a refreshment and... Read more

Mass Timber Construction: An Economic Study of Supply, Best Use, and Implementation in three North American regions

This series unveils a macroeconomic study of building with mass timber in three U.S. regions; the Upper Midwest, Rocky Mountain Colorado, and the Southeast. 

Three companies - SCB Architects, LeMessurier, and Turner... Read more

Dear Gurus,

At Greenbuild this year I'll be discussing how statistics can lie (in the context of green building claims).  I'm collecting examples of this to prepare.  If any of you know of examples, please send them to me! 

Here are a few of the fun ways statistics might lie that I would be looking for: biased or too-small sample... Read more

The LBC v4.0 materials imperatives for Responsible Materials (Core) & Responsible Sourcing require a majority of wood materials (by cost) to be FSC. Sure. But what is - or isn't - considered wood? The Clarification page for the imperative's scope and a key definition poses a perplexing conundrum: 

"All wood included in the Materials... Read more

All,

Beck is making great strides in our AIA 2030 Commitment and we are looking for an experienced energy modeler to join our team, please reach out if you know of anyone that is looking and has energy modeling experience.  the job is posted on our website:  https://beckgroup.applicantpro.com/jobs/1011136.html