I'm curious if anyone can share their strategy on indoor air quality for the return to office. Is this something that is prioritized at your firm from a wellbeing standpoint and with the current health crisis at hand? Lendlease is looking into options to safeguard our employees/occupants as we move back into the workplace and I'm researching... Read more

We are pursuing sustainability goals (and documentation of those goals) outside of any certification/rating system for a current project.  However, we have set up a criteria list of goals by following strategies/credits from many of those systems (LEED v4 EPDs, SITES v2 threatened tree species, WELL v2 mindful eating, etc.).  This approach is... Read more

The AIA New Orleans 2030 Committee is running RISING21 this week, November 11th and 12th from 1:30-5:30pm ET. This is the second year of these sessions that aspire to advance awareness and knowledge around climate and access to affordable energy among practitioners from the AEC industry. We invite architects, MEP professionals, interior... Read more

Dear Colleagues:

This is a request from AIA COTE Advocacy to sign another petition on behalf of your firm. I know it's incomprehensible that we have to do this, but we at AIA COTE Advocacy think the US Federal Emergency Management Agency's removal of the term "climate change" from all their strategic planning documents is evidence of an... Read more

Has anyone found/used a non-PVC peel-and-stick countertop film?  Working with a client on a corporate renovation, and while we've been able to find a non-PVC product for the kitchen cabinets, I can't seem to find one that works for horizontal surfaces.  And they're looking for a cost-effective and quick-turnaround solution so don't want to... Read more

Hey Green Gurus!

Exciting news—STO Building Group, the #3 green builder in the U.S., is hiring a Sustainability Analyst in Boston! We're looking for someone passionate about data, who thrives on purpose-driven work, and wants to join a team of experts who are just as passionate about sustainability as you are.

If you're a data... Read more

Have any of you heard of anyone ever using phase change material (PCM) "movable partitions" as a resiliency strategy to mitigate indoor overheating during a heat wave in passive buildings? You'd keep them stored in a basement or cool room, and deploy them into habitable spaces during the heat wave to keep the space cooler than the exterior... Read more

Hi MEP Leaders,

A reminder that our monthly call is next Tuesday, June 13, at 2:00pm ET, and all network members are welcome to join!

Here is the agenda and below is the Zoom link:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83598691786?pwd=MjI2S01yZUJRSG4zcXRBNWtPbE5RZz09

Meeting ID: 835 9869 1786
... Read more

Mary Ann Lazarus

Products & Materials Specialist and LEED AP BD+C Brent Ehrlich excels at deep, unbiased, and nuanced technical research on the health and environmental impacts of green building products and materials. Some areas of focus include:

product and material constituents, including their risks

product certifications

... Read more

This pre-summit workshop was pre-approved for 6 AIA LUs and 6 GBCI CE hours.

Please complete the survey question to confirm your attendance and receive your CEUs.

By providing your credential numbers in your profile, you will enable us to automatically report these CEUs to the organization. Please check your profile to be sure... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of LEED v4 Tips from Early Adopters: Earn High Ratings Without Added Costs.

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


1. Explain how the Integrative Process credit rewards good design but is tricky for taxpayer-funded projects.
2. Describe how... Read more

Hi Gurus, given these crazy times and many good people being laid off - I'm hoping this is coming at a good time! Hope you are all safe and healthy! It's also flexible so if you are a parent of young child(ren) - also a good 'pandemic job' - sad that that's a "thing" now!

Job description: Project Manager for Green Building Startup

On behalf of the LFRT IRA working group, I am writing to see if anyone has applied for IRA funding (48E, 45L, 179D) for their project, and is willing to share their experiences and basic project info with us.  We can keep the project name confidential if needed.

Thank you!

If you don’t spend your “day-to-day” in the healthy materials space, it’s hard to create strategy and align your company to meet your customers' (what seems to be) ever-changing asks and project goals. This... Read more

The Sustainable Design Leaders network and Summit events started over 10 years ago, when a group of sustainable designers realized that the struggles they faced and the goals they strove toward were shared by many... Read more

Exterior paints, stains, and primers—particularly alkyds—can have very high volatile organic compound (VOC) levels and can contain numerous chemicals of concern.

BuildingGreen-Approved Coatings

BuildingGreen lists exterior coatings that meet the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (SCAQMD) VOC requirements of 50 grams... Read more

Hello, Green Gurus!
It was lovely to see some familiar faces (and names) in this afternoon's webinar about Low Carbon Specs. A little personal info, but I have just recently returned from maternity leave, and plugging back in to this network of passionate sustainability professionals is one of the things that actually made me look forward... Read more

Hi SD Leaders: As you may know, The National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) is currently drafting their proposed 2020 Conditions for Architectural Accreditation.  AIA COTE has prepared a response and believe it is critical that the NAAB accreditation process address the role of the architect in climate action and the projected impacts... Read more

A couple Minnesota cities are considering adding electrification to their sustainable building policy (required for new construction receiving City financial assistance). Concerned that the market isn't ready for a full-on mandate, they are considering a more moderate approach of requiring developers/design teams to conduct an electrification... Read more