Hi everyone! I'm extremely pleased to be back in this group after a couple of years out and I'll spare no time in spamming your inboxes. 

MASS is working with UT Austin to help them evaluate their campus buildings for reuse firstly and then deconstruction and material reuse. Their campus, as with most campuses, is constantly being built... Read more

Hello SDL!

Has anyone set "Ecosystem Benefits/Service" targets for an individual project or for all their projects? I was previously against the idea of even measuring ecosystem benefits but I've had my mind changed in recent months!

Currently we want to set a target for every project to: "Improve ecosystem benefits on every site... Read more

Greetings to all of the AEC SD Leaders (a.k.a. the Green Gurus)!

Over the last two months, the 32-member Build-Back-Better (BBB) letter working group has developed a robust list of first 100-days, built-environment-focused executive actions for the Biden administration to consider. Kara Kempski, the AIA’s Director of Federal Relations,... Read more

We are excited to open registration for the Sustainable Design Leaders Winter Summit 2020! This year’s Summit will take place Jan. 29th - 31st, 2020 at The Lodge, Gulf Shores, AL. The Summit agenda will be shaped by the collective group feedback given in the upcoming pre-summit survey. The Summit begins Wednesday evening (usually 5pm) with a... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Raze or Retrofit? Six Extraordinary Answers to an Everyday Question.

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


1. Understand how the embodied impacts of renovation compare to those for new construction.
2. Provide three reasons why building... Read more

Good Morning,  I have so enjoyed reading everyone’s personal introductions.  I am happy to be a part of this group and look forward to working together to create transformation of an industry that is sometimes slow to move.  My name is Patty Lloyd and I am the Sustainability Manager at Leopardo Companies, a Chicagoland area General Contractor... Read more

Hi all,

Has anyone been able to find alternatives to vinyl window film products? I can find solutions for wall coverings, but am not having much luck when it comes to window films. Any leads or insight would be really helpful!

Thank you!

Amanda

Hi Everyone!  About ten days ago, Megan Zack posted a note announcing her new role as Chief Sustainability Officer at Wight & Company. (Yay!)  I'm so delighted that she will be stepping into this leadership role at Wight to shepard the firm in the next chapter of their journey in sustainability. 

I wanted to take a moment to say... Read more

The opportunity for water savings from installing efficient toilets, and from toilet replacement, is significant. In addition to improvements to the traditional gravity system, pressure- and vacuum-assisted flushing systems are available that offer superior performance—albeit often with some increase in flushing noise.

Biophilic design features are not just aesthetically pleasing; researchers have found that patients heal faster, workers are more productive, and children learn better when more elements of nature are present.

And yet there are still very few projects developed today that inspire a connection to life and the natural world. Some people... Read more

In case you need a good inspirational cry today: https://youtu.be/tzL79SUBzgg

Really and truly, it's stuff like this that lets me know we're going to be okay.

Aley

To piggyback off Nathan's introduction where he mentions construction waste management, who is doing anything innovative or different in managing construction waste?  Construction waste has not historically been a passion of mine, but now working in sustainability and construction, I feel like it has to be by default.  

We have a... Read more

I wanted to make sure that everyone saw this.   Next Friday is a launch webinar for the Commitment.

Introducing the Contractor’s Commitment       November 13th, 2020          3pm - 3:30pm ET (12am - 12:30pm PT)

This webinar will mark the launch of the Contractor’s Commitment as a pilot program for 2021. We’ll give a brief overview... Read more

Hi folks,

On behalf of ILFI, I'm sharing a notice that the early registration deadline for the Living Product Expo in Pittsburgh is tomorrow! This is a great event for anyone interested in a deep dive into materials transparency, hazard avoidance, low-carbon products, overall innovation, and the Living Product Challenge. There will also... Read more

Hello friends,

We are embarking on calculations to quantify avoided embodied carbon from converting an old school building into a multifamily project and I wanted to vet our methodology with you.

Our idea is to first establish a benchmark for a new replacement multifamily building based on published studies. We have found a few... Read more

Good Afternoon -

I'm wondering if anyone has a sample project wellness plan or survey that they'd be willing to share?  The 2.0 says additional resources are coming soon but I have a few project engineers that want to help get these going and are looking for a starting point.

You can email me direct if you don't want to post here... Read more

from the Tortured by Randomness Department:

Y'all ... I was recently reminded (by Bill Reed) about a lovely quote ... and I'm keen to use it in a talk upcoming ... 

Here it is:
Place is a doorway into caring. Love of place unleashes the personal and political will needed to make profound change. It can also unite people... Read more

The Planning for Resilient Outcomes Working Group has had a few preliminary meetings and we would like to invite interested Green Gurus to join our group.  To give you an idea of what we are about, we have developed a purpose statement to guide our future work: 

The Planning for Resilient Outcomes working group will elevate the industry'... Read more