I'm putting together information on natural gas bans (or put another way, all electric buildings) for an advocacy effort and looking for some experts. Anyone have thoughts on banning natural gas and other fossil fuels on residential projects? Specifically what are the considerations/challenges/opportunities at each scale (single family, low... Read more

Hello Green Gurus,

Here are all the details about our two Peer Network events in Chicago on Tuesday, June 21st. If you'll be in town, we hope to see you!

From 1-5pm we'll have the Chicago/Midwest Region Mini-Summit, open to members of any of the five Peer Networks (Sustainability Consultants, Community Design Leaders, Contractors... Read more

I'm looking to change consultants. Let me know if you have worked with a 179D consultant that you would recommend.

Lauren Shumaker (Turner Construction) and I are starting a group to focus on improving the submittal process, currently focused specifically on healthy & sustainable materials and the use of the mindful Materials library. The purpose of this working group would be to align project management and LEED project software (ex: Procore, CMiC,... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of What You Need to Know About Concrete and Green Building.

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


1. Recognize concrete's environmental footprint and how to reduce the quantity of concrete used in buildings.
2. List the advantages and... Read more

Hi all,

Here's a good follow up to Maria's steel question on Monday.  We have a Midwest project that unfortunately (from a carbon perspective) is required to use a traditional, thick precast facade.  We’re working with the contractor and potential future (not yet bid out) fabricators to determine an appropriate % of pozzolanic material... Read more

Hi all - at the suggestion of Nadav and some of the Sustainable MEP Leaders, I'm reposting a thread I started a couple days ago in the SMEP forum.

In response to increasingly aggressive (and effective) targeting of building owners (particularly schools), a group of researchers have put their support behind a letter warning against the... Read more

CEUs are available for reading all the building-envelope product guides and primer. Click here to learn more and take the quiz.

Water and air that penetrate building assemblies can damage materials, cause energy loss, and lead to mold, mildew, or other problems. The products used to address these may contain materials that are... Read more

Hello all,

Thank you so much for your work on the Contractor Commitment. In preparation for the Summit, we've pulled all of the sections together into one cohesive document. We would like to invite everyone in the SCL network to review and comment on this latest draft so that we can compile comments before Wednesday and make the most of... Read more

I'm hoping someone knows the anser to this question. For the LEED ND certification the minimum requirement is "The LEED project should contain at least two habitable buildings and be no larger than 1500 acres." Does habitable mean buildings with dwelling units?

Hi all,

We have an institutional client who has tired of LEED and is instead putting forth EarthCraft Light Commerical as a replacement certification (they like the performance verification & lower cost that ECLC provides).  Has anyone used ECLC? It seemed an odd choice but wanted to hear from others on their experiences. The... Read more

I'm pleased to announce that the AIA Board of Directors has unanimously adopted the A&D Materials Pledge as the AIA Materials Pledge!!!!! The support of so many of you was a key factor in making it so easy for the AIA Board to adopt The Pledge. The Materials Pledge now has 90 signatory firms, including many of yours. Thank you all.  Now,... Read more

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much again to everyone who attended the Spring 2024 SCL Summit. The report is now available and is a public document that can be shared.

Please feel free to email me with any questions. Enjoy!

Has anyone been involved with GBC Italia's Historic Building protocol? They are requesting pilot projects and I'm wondering if anyone has experience using or developing this framework. 

See attached checklist and form. Their website is pretty challenging to use. But so is USGBC...

Thanks!

With an urgent climate justice mission, AIA has the call open for volunteers to help shape our industry's action. COTE, the Codes + Standard Committee (one of the most important committees anywhere!), Board Committees (including the Committee on CLimate Action and Design Excellence - CCADE)  and the Strategic Council have openings. Consider how... Read more

Show & Tell Breakout. Presentations: