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

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

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

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

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

Hi All - as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) becomes increasingly prevalent, I'm trying to learn more about what types of requests for ESG-related information folks are actually receiving and what types of trainings on ESG would be most helpful.  Drilling down a bit, I'm curious as to how ESG data points are moving down the supply... Read more

This is specifically to Chris but also to anybody who is interested in the topic - which Chris raised on our SAL call today, regarding how to influence change:

From this article, which i thought was good but had a great paragraph pulled below.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/business/Steve-Mollenkopf-Qualcomm-corner-office.html... Read more

Some plasters have extremely high embodied energy or petroleum-based ingredients.

BuildingGreen-Approved Plaster

Products approved include:

Keith Hempel, Julie Hiromoto, and Billie Faircloth have been elevated to the AIA College of Fellows - I'm sure I'm missing others but congratulations! Can't wait to celebrate in person - I still rememer Lance Hosey in his tux and Beth Heider in a full ball gown at the AIA Fellows dinner in Chicago (the only one I ever attended. . .) 

For my first test post I'm going to be completely boring and ask about logistics.

If we know of someone that should be part of this forum, how do we invite them? There were a couple of people that I thought were on the Wiggio who I recently found out were not. There may also be folks from our regional groups who may not have been part... Read more

Hi all,

I'm sure many (most? all?) of us have heard the changes to LEEDv4's energy standard are coming. If this is news to you, info on the balloted measures that have passed is available online here: https://www.usgbc.org/articles/leed-v4-energy-update-approved-member-ballot.

My question to MEP friends in the Green Commons: In... Read more

On Wednesday, November 10th (4-5:50pm PST), the Women in Green committees of California are hosting an exciting session to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Women in Green - Steadfast and Strong.

Join us for a dynamic and lively conversation from women leading in all areas of sustainability including policy, corporate, non-profit, and... Read more

Hello Sustainable Advising Leaders!

I have an exciting announcement today, fall Peer Network events are now open for registration! You can see all the event details and register here!

Based on feedback we received from past events and the most recent surveys, we decided against doing one long week of events for this fall and... Read more

It may take hundreds or thousands of years to return to pre-industrial-age levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, but the loss of animal and plant species that is occurring today is, practically speaking, irreversible. It will take millions of years for evolution to fill the ecological niches being vacated by extinctions and restore healthy... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of The Building Envelope: Innovations in Planning, Materials and Budgets (recorded webcast)

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


1. Explain how to make the building envelope of a rehab super-insulated and resilient.
2. Recall innovative... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Green Building Product Certifications: Getting What You Need.

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


1. Differentiate between a standard and a certification.
2. Describe "greenwashing" and list at least two ways to spot it.
3.... Read more

Hi All, wanted to share this webinar below :
The AIA 2030 Commitment and the Design Data Exchange (DDx) have transformed the way architecture firms collect project data on energy and carbon metrics, but it has never been a good place to visually understand these metrics. Architects tend to be visual people and have an intuitive... Read more

All--

A few months ago, I sent around a note about an article I was writing about the state of post-occupancy studies. It finally came out, in the latest issue of Metropolis. Great quotes and work from Payette, EDR, KieranTimberlake, HKS, and others. Thanks to all for helping with this.

I don't believe it's available online yet,... Read more