Metal roofs can also provide high solar reflectance, minimizing a building’s contribution to the urban heat island effect. 

BuildingGreen-approved

Materials and finishes recognized by Energy Star maintain solar reflectance levels after three years of use of 50% for low-slope and 15% for steep-slope. Some unpainted metals and many... Read more

Hi everyone, 

Thank you so much to the SDL members who attended the Summer 2023 Summit! We had an amazing time with you there. A big thanks as well to the attendees who shared 5-minute presentations during the summit.

Below are some of the slides for the presentations. Please note that we have permission from all of these... Read more

Hello Sustainable Community Design Leaders!

Let’s take a moment, introduce ourselves, and get to know each other and our work! Don’t forget to fill out your BG.com profile with your headshot and bio; this is how everyone across Green Gurus can see you in the Member Directory. 

I’ll kick us off! I'm RoseAnn, I also go by Rose, Peer... Read more

Show & Tell Break-out Session: Post Occupancy Evaluations and Occupant Behavior

Presentations: 

Preliminary findings from our first year of data collection. Measured results in WELL Stories about visiting our past clients and teaching them about their energy use habits.
 

Hello Green Gurus,

Here is the information for August's Peer Networks Webinar, A more Mindful Future: mindful MATERIALs plans for Digital Transformation through the Common Materials Framework. We hope you will join us!

Register HERE

A more Mindful Future: mindful MATERIALs plans for Digital Transformation through the Common... Read more

Sustainable Design Leaders in NYC

New York City has been discussing implementing PACE Financing for years but has not taken action. Over 48 municipalities in New York State have PACE financing for Commercial (including multi-family) properties, it's time NYC does as well. I recently learned from colleagues in the City that all of the... Read more

Built Environment Plus (was USGBC MA- aka Meredith Elbaum's band) has organized this awesome sustainability scavenger hunt.

It's fun. It's easy. Anyone can participate from anywhere - it's all app based, and it's a great way to get energized for Earth Day or week! And it's for a good cause, a fundraiser for supportive organization. Have... Read more

This webinar took place on Tuesday, October 27 2020 “We can’t build sustainable buildings without sustainable products” –Nadav Malin.

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

Hi All,

I wanted to pass on a few cool things we have going on at Built Environment Plus (formerly USGBC MA)  I really am conscious of not spamming you often and reserve posts for some of our most exciting happenings.

August 5, Building Tech Forum/MaterialsCAN: Getting to Zero with Embodied Carbon. Featuring 13 5-minute... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Energy Reporting: It's the Law.

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


 

1.List the benefits of energy performance benchmarking and disclosure.
2. Address the concerns associated with public disclosure.
3. Restate at least three U.S.... Read more

Hi folks,

Here's the next Peer Networks private webinar. As usual, it will be recorded and shared in the network if you can't make it in person:

Thursday, July 18, 2pm EDT (11am PDT)

The Center for Active Design (CfAD), operator of the Fitwel Certification System, recently launched Fitwel v2.1, which advances a vision where... Read more

Wondering if anyone has a slide presentation on the Framework for Design Excellence that they would be willing to share (to present to students). Rather than defining my request as lazy I'd like to offer up the qualification of efficiency.  

Hi all,

I see that this was a hot topic for the Winter Retreat this past year, but I am wondering how your firms manage standard materials across your practice. two aspects - standard specification items, and also designer choice materials. 

1. Do you have a spec baseline with high performance materials that you start with for all... Read more

Peer Networks Application for Peer Network Membership Sustainable Design Leaders

The Sustainable Design Leaders peer group brings together the most committed sustainable design directors from leading architecture firms throughout the U.S. and Canada. We invite you to apply for membership.
We look for the... Read more

Hello Green Gurus.

I've been looking into EPDs lately and ran across a few companies with Product Envionmental Profiles (PEPs) which they say are also known as EPDs. Does anyone have any experience with PEPs or know if they actually are EPDs? They reference ISO standards 14040 and 14044 in the writing and ISO 14025 in the list of... Read more