We're now mid-way through Summer Summit season! One of the “good problem to have” challenges we’ve had at recent SDL Summits has been too many great five-minute presentations. It’s hard to find time for them all. This year, since we’ll be online anyway, we can get a jump on that by starting the five-minute presentations early in addition to... Read more

What is the status of the roof insulation market regarding non-halogen containing polyiso boards? I know GAF and Atlas still have them. I thought JM had them as well, but seems to have taken them off the menu. Are there performance issues?

Hi folks,

As you've no doubt heard from us by now (several times), in lieu of Summer Summits this year we're offering a combination of events this fall. Our series kicked off last week with a great Regional Mini-Summit in Boston. Regional events like this were in our plans before COVID blew everything up, so this one was a long-time... Read more

Hi:

I encourage you to review and sign this letter. 

Notes from BDC follow:

Really appreciate the outpouring of support we've received so far on this letter! Various groups let us know that they would like additional time to review, so we've decided to extend the deadline from June 23 to Thursday, July 14 at 2pm.

As... Read more

Love books? Want some inspiration? Join this Goodreads group with the following link... 

https://www.goodreads.com/group/invite/873351-green-gurus-goodreads-grou... (this link will be active for 30 days so let me know if you get here late and need it again)

I set this up as "private" so I will need to approve you. Anyone will be... Read more

We are working on a Core & Shell project with a developer that we work with frequently. I'm looking for advice on best approaches to achieving the Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment credit- we haven't used TALLY and done this type of analysis before. What are some approaches to achieving this credit that others have found successful? I... Read more

Check out Fast Company's new list of innovative architecture firms with Perkins + Will and NBBJ at the top with great sustainability tag lines. 

That's a great demonstration of the mainstream importance of sustainability!

Congrats to all.

Here's the link: https://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2018/sectors/... Read more

We are having trouble sourcing a LEED compliant wallcovering adhesive. We specified Roman Pro-880 which is low VOC but doesn't have sufficient back up for TVOCs. Have you had success with other products?

Hello All,

I'm supporting a project that is pursuing Green Globes and trying to get familiar with its content.  I'm hoping someone might have experience with the program and be able to provide direction toward products that have an OESR.  From what I've read, this is a material ingredient disclosure type report, based on ASTM std. E3182-... Read more

A building project brings brothers back together, but a fast-moving storm challenges the project and the family.
Of storms & chins »

Whistleblowers alert state health agencies to possible foot fungus scourge... Read more

Ventilation fans, kitchen range hoods, and laboratory fume hoods can use significant amounts of energy from both the fan motor and from venting heated/cooled air out of the building—air that then has to be replaced and conditioned by energy-intensive HVAC systems.

BuildingGreen-Approved Ventilation Fans

BuildingGreen ventilation... Read more

Just saying "Hello"  and happy to be joining the SDL peer network.  I am leading the effort at Integrus Architecture (Seattle and Spokane) to integrate performance and design and am looking forward to learning how others are accomplishing the same. 

Hi - some of you may have received an invite to the White House for a 3-hr session to continue the discussion on the Net Zero Emissions building that they released earlier this year. This discussion will be on embodied carbon. I have no idea who the invite went to. If I beg I may be able to go, but if there are plenty of other Architects that... Read more

Practitioners interested in reducing the embodied carbon of buildings are likely now used to considering the impact of different materials, like mass timber or low-carbon concrete. Low-carbon construction, however, may be less familiar. 

Contractors are just... Read more

Opal Mao Mannella-Durante

As promised at the SDL Summer Summet: Hennepin County Energy & Environment's new Project Manager’s Guide to Material Reuse in Commercial Buildings, with specification language, guidance for procurement, and case studies of successful reuse projects around the country. This resource is meant to help owners, architects, and contractors... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Engineering a Wood Revolution

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


1. Compare engineered wood to steel and concrete; and describe how engineered wood offers better dimensional stability, less waste, and more consistent performance than... Read more