Hello all,

I need future weather files for a project. We are looking at three years, 2050, 2075, and 2095 using two climate change scenarios, low emissions, and high emissions. I have seen ARUP's Weathershift site that uses RCP 8.5 and RCP 4.5. Are we assuming that 2.6 is not achievable? I would have used this as a low emissions scenario... 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

Hey group,

I'm part of the contractor team on a large commercial project pursuing LBC v3.1 Petal Certification, with one of those petals being materials. This requires the team to meet Imperative 10 Red List.

The ownership group has taken the responsibility of red list vetting as a task of their own. The construction team is to... Read more

Here is a fundamental question regarding measuring operational carbon emissions that I'm sure many of you can clarify for me:  Let's say you are considering design options and you want to know the relative contribution of GWP of adding an additional inch of continuous insulation to the building envelope.  The GWP from embodied carbon will... Read more

We have a client who is asking us to design a roughly 10 ksf Wellness Center for PHIUS 2021 certification.  The program includes several high density assembly type spaces - roughly 300 person peak occupant load for the building.  The Criteria Calculator that the architect showed us puts the building peak cooling load at 4 BTUH/sf (3000 sf/ton... Read more

Hey, all. Confirming the forum index on the front side of the pay wall will be searchable. Thanks.

Under a high carbon scenario, most of North America will be 2 degrees C hotter by 2050. Meantime, we're designing buildings that will still be around in 2050, to codes that don't yet factor in chronic risks associated with climate change. I want to explain these risks to my colleagues; I'm hoping some of our green gurus can help answer the... Read more

Hello, fellow SDLs, 

I wanted to share an opportunity for you - or those in your network - to join a passionate team of architects and designers based in Anchorage, Alaska. I'm told that you'd be asked to join the full team in Anchorage a few times a year for team building events but otherwise you can WFW (work from wherever!).

I... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Verifying Performance with Building Enclosure Commissioning.

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


1. Reason why the enclosure is fundamental to a sustainable building.
2. Explain why energy goals are less likely to be achieved without... Read more

Hi All, I was initially reluctant to share this, but I've seen similar posts and I think it's in line with our mission and interests so I'll go ahead with it.

Tomorrow 12/9 at 1 PM EST I'm moderating a panel of industry leaders in public health (as it pertains to buildings), construction finance, and project development to review the... Read more

Hello fellow sustainable design leaders! I am about to kick off an intensive effort here at EHDD to refine our internal standards for materials. We will be considering both GWP as well as the health of materials (avoiding harmful chemicals). In addition to setting the standards, I will be working to develop a process to vet materials before... Read more

Hello everyone - 

I'm writing today to let you all know that as of this month, I am retiring from SERA, and that I'm going to be beginning a new journey as a consultant/volunteer!

I'm going to continue dedicating my time to policy and advocacy work (focused on decarbonizing the built environment) but now I'll be doing it as a free... Read more

Hi folks,

I’m excited to be welcoming Meredith Elbaum and Nellie Reid into this forum! Meredith and Nellie were the duo that originally conceived of the Sustainable Design Leaders network back in 2008, and led the effort (with BuildingGreen’s support) through it’s early years. 

They later left their SDL roles, so they haven’t been... Read more

Hi SDLs,

Do you have design experience or a unique perspective on trying to include ungendered multiuser restrooms in AEC projects? We want to hear from you.

To prepare for a co-creative workshop as a part of the Environmental Design Research Association's 53rd Annual Conference, "Health in All Places," B. Sanborn, Nicole DeNamur... Read more

Gypsum is calcium sulfate dehydrate, which is mined or produced as a byproduct of flue gas desulphurization (FGD) from coal-fired power plants. FGD gypsum may contain trace contaminants from coal processing, but not enough to represent a hazard to users. Years ago, some imported products created indoor air quality problems that required... Read more