Description: The places we live in can be enough to offer refuge to native plants and animals. We just have to be able to reintegrate the right native plant species, hosts to many declining insect and animal species, to an area once filled with them. This feature explores how we can build native gardens at various scales to protect and help... Read more

I was wondering if any of you have experience with integrated PVs and/or solar glass. If so, can you could recommend manufactures for each? We are working on a multistory freestanding building in an urban site for a mid-Atlantic city. Because our site and roof area are limited we are looking to maximized the areas where we can generate power.... Read more

Hey SDL,

I'm curious if anybody out there has developed specification language requiring a certain level of airtightness (as assessed via one or a series of blower door tests) for a commercial project when it is not going for a Passive House certification and a blower door test is not required by code--basically, something in the... Read more

THIS WEBINAR PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.

Should housing be affordable? Or should it be sustainably designed, built, and operated?

When you put it like that, the question sounds absurd.

But the idea—usually unspoken—that sustainability wastes precious time and resources is painfully common in the... Read more

Hi everyone! Our sister company, Flatiron, is a heavy civil/infrastructure contractor based out of Broomfield, CO. Their sustainability team is on the hunt for a Circular Economy Manager. Our companies recently announced exciting public ESG and climate commitments, including several related to waste reduction, life cycle assessments, and more... Read more

Hi all,

We have a newly constructed, core/shell project having some hot water issues in the core restrooms.

There is a 0.35 Toto lav installed throughout. The hot water heaters are adjacent on each floor, located in the janitor closets. We did the math, and there could be a gallon of water standing and cooling in the pipe between... Read more

We had these conversations grouped by size of firm. 

Guiding Questions:

Knowledge Management By Firm Size

How to give people the info they need, when they need it?

Is the COTE Top Ten a good framework?

This seems extremely daunting in a large firm. How do we manage content that is produced and shared... Read more

Protection against corrosion is the primary function of steel coatings, which often contain corrosion inhibitors, volatile solvents, heavy metals, and other hazardous chemicals.

These coatings are specified when steel is used structurally, outdoors, or in high-use areas. In these situations, hazardous coatings are often applied off-site... Read more

We have an MEP engineer that is calculating peak loads at about 6 times passive house levels on a large commercial building that is at or near passive house levels of insulation and air infiltration. We suspect one reason is that he is figuring a 50% efficiency level for the ERV. We are showing him ERV systems with 80-90% efficiency, but they... Read more

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

Poppy Gasbag

Hey Peer Network! Curious, if we can crowd-source a solution here for the pervious pavers at our Omaha office (climate zone 5A). Apparently over the years we've tried to add different kinds of fill here (gravel) but it keeps... disappearing. Any recommendations with either a replacement product or fill item? 

Hello Green Gurus,

Now is a pivotal moment. Net Zero Stretch Code legislation has been proposed in the Massachusetts House and Senate, and draft code language is currently being developed by the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS). The Net Zero Stretch Code is currently the greatest single opportunity to support reduced... Read more

I received this email from Cathy Higgins at NBI, and thought some of you may know the right folks who might be interested:
---------------------
Hi colleagues,

You are exactly the folks that might know a high-caliber person to join NBI’s team. We are looking for someone ideally based in California but could be elsewhere with... Read more

Hi all - I’m wondering if any of you have heard of or use the National Green Building Standard, which appears to be primarily for residential and mixed use: https://www.homeinnovation.com/green.

The NGBS Green certification program is based on the ICC-700 National Green Building Standard and supposedly is the program of choice for many... Read more

Congrats Nadav!!!! https://www.aia.org/showcases/181011-nadav-malin-hon-aia?utm_source=Buil...