Hi Folks - 

The "request for participation" email below is from Brendan Owens, who most of you know was at the USGBC for over 18 years, and is now the Chief Sustainability Officer for the US Dept of Defense. As I read the text, I couldn't help but think of this group as a deep well of expertise and experience that could undoubtedly help... Read more

Hi all: I'm looking for experience, insight, or advice as it relates to ISO 14001. I know it is more popular internationally than in the US, and I am trying to ascertain if the the value-add is greater than the cost and effort. If your company is certified, or even if you have looked into it in any capacity, I would love to pick your brain.... Read more

Hi, all. We missed you at the standing check in today. We have a couple of questions for the BG team:

1. What is the timing criteria you need for Best Practice content? We need to back into a deadline on submissions and believe your critical path timing will help define ours.

2. Can you elaborate on what LEED User/BG content may... Read more

Hello all,

We are looking at ways we can use our specs to reduce toxicity in projects and one step towards that goal may be to require RoHS compliant lighting, switches, alarms, meters, etc., as required by the Small Electrical Components exception in the Living Building Challenge. Based on LBC projects I have been involved with, it... Read more

So every year about this time I get to spend many lovely moments with our AIA 2030 Reporting data. In order to make the data useful the CBECS baselines/National baselines aren't great in telling us how we did.

For about half our 15 projects that we report in the average year - performing arts, convention, data science schools, etc - a... Read more

HI All,

I have been tasked with putting together a cost comparison of doing a LEED v4 Gold building vs. making that same building Passive House. Obviously they are two different systems, with two different outcomes, and it's not really intended as a total apples to apples cost comparison, but more a value comparison for a developer.... Read more

Hi, and welcome to the Sustainable MEP Leaders Peer Network! 

This online forum is one of the ways we can stay connected and support each other as we collaborate to help MEP design achieve its highest potential as an element of sustainable and regenerative buildings. Please introduce yourself with a little about where you work, what you'... Read more

Greetings to all of the sustainability leaders in the Green Commons!

Note: This is a message about politics, which we generally try to avoid in our safe space--but in this case it’s directly tied to climate action so I feel good about sharing it. Feel free to let me know or check in with the BuildingGreen folks if you have concerns or... Read more

I’m a volunteer member of the ASHRAE 209 ("Energy Simulation Aided Design for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings”) Committee.  Are you familiar with ASHRAE 209? It was first published in 2018, and it outlines a process for incorporating energy modeling into the design process. 

From the forward: 

 ASHRAE Standard 209... Read more

The construction sector’s take-make-waste approach to materials needs an overhaul. Materials and construction account for an estimated 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually. At the other end of the life cycle, demolition in the United States annually generates 90% of some 600 million tons of construction-sector debris. Getting trashed... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Know Thy Client: 9 Un-Green Strategies for Delivering Better Buildings

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


1. Focus on a client’s values to drive sustainability solutions.
2. Define the quality of the work being delivered to underscore... Read more

Hi,

Does anyone have experience or advice with installing temporary weather stations to gather data? We have a couple of projects coming up on existing occupied sites, and I would like to get what data I can from the sites to supplement the city weather file which is, as always, measured absolutely miles from site. There are thousands of... Read more

Hello Gurus!

The City of Cambridge is expanding on its 2015 NZ Climate Action plan to focus on embodied carbon.

If any of you have experience conducting LCA/WBLCA (whether you are an architect, engineer or consultant) your input is invaluable. The City is looking for feedback so that they can shape the program, as it evolves, to... Read more

Hi everyone -

I'm writing to conduct an informal (and unscientific) poll about the green certifications achieved by office spaces (main or branch) for Green Gurus firms. SERA is preparing to embark on the journey of finding, designing and inhabiting new office space, and we're interested to hear and learn from your experiences,... Read more

Hi Everyone, 

As some of you know, I’ve been working on a new book, People, Planet, Design: A Practical Guide to Realizing Architecture's Potential and I’m happy to announce that it is finally available! 

This book grew out of a decade of thinking about how sustainability fits within architectural practice. It explores the reasons... Read more

Looking for 2-more flushometer style dual-flush flush valves to put in a public project spec alongside sloan uppercut and cannot seem to  find any.  Does anyone have any that they have used?

Thanks in advance!

It is with the greatest pleasure that I announce to this esteemed group the recognition of our very own and much-loved leader Nadav Malin as an Honorary AIA member. AIA COTE had the honor to serve as Nadav's sponsor and we are pleased and delighted with this outcome (but not surprised of course.) For the record, "The AIA recognizes the notable... Read more