Untreated rainwater leaving a developed site is effectively a chemical spill, laden with pollutants that include oil, sediment, heavy metals, nitrogen, and phosphorous. The heat carried by stormwater is also harmful to fish and other aquatic organisms.

BuildingGreen-Approved Systems

We approve systems that:

For those who work for companies that track and offset their carbon each year, how do you do it? Looking for best practices and how you vetted where to send your money. Don't need insight on quantifying carbon footprint, just offsetting.  Thanks!

Building Green is the longest continuous running green building publication in the world. Its originator, West River Communications, was founded in 1985 as "a company that would translate technical information on energy efficiency and other environmental topics for the public and building... Read more

Hi All, we have about 40 people in our network of Sustainable Construction Leaders.  These positions are not as numerous as they should be, and companies often have a difficult time applying a monetary value to what we bring to the table. 

Participating in the salary survey can provide insights that help us all interpret our relative... Read more

Hi folks, 

SERA is pursing WELL certification on our new office headquarters in Portland. We'd like to pursue their innovation credits on carbon disclosures and reductions since there are great synergies with our LBC and Zero Carbon certification pursuits. We’re finding the WELL requirements for carbon disclosures to be quite different... Read more

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How much will it cost to achieve LEED v4 certification?

“We’d love a green building, but can we afford it?”

“We’re required to be LEED Silver, but we’re not sure how to get there under the new rating system.”

“Sure, we’re interested in LEED, as long as it doesn’t cost extra.”

LEED v4 and cost uncertainty

With... Read more

Hi folks,

It was fun going back over all the great conversations we had and pulling them together in this report. Please feel free to share it with anyone--no constraints on that!

Also, we'll have a webinar next Friday based on this report-- March 8 at 2pm eastern:

I'll show the report and share key takeaways from the 12th... Read more

I really enjoyed last week's "Integrative Solutions Jam - Getting Better Materials Into Projects".  Thanks BuildingGreen for setting that up.  One of the great parts were the break out groups, where 4 of us could dig into various topics more deeply.

We got into a conversation about circularity and material re-use and Laura Soma with Gly... Read more

Hi all,

We've had a number of clients in the states surrounding Texas that have been hit with really high natural gas bills for February. Some as high as $2.00+/therm. Many are healthcare facilities.  Has anyone seen any federal, state, or utility relief programs that are assisting customers with these bills?

Thanks, 

Adam... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of The Hidden Science of High-Performance Building Assemblies.

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


1. Define hygrothermal pressure and explain what it requires of water, air, and thermal barriers in high-performance assemblies.
2. Explain... Read more

I'm so excited to share that the call for submissions is now open for 16cubits, a design festival and competition for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, to take place at Berkeley’s Urban Adamah in October 2024.

Please share with anyone you think might be interested! Our hope is to create a forum for builders, designers, and architects to... Read more

Hi SAL friends,

As some of you have heard by now, we've decided to shut down this Peer Network.

After several years of trying, we have not managed to activate it as we had hoped. Given the urgency of the collective action we need to transform the building industry into a force for good in the world, we all need to focus our... Read more

Not a green design question but a green firm design question... Finalizing the renewal of our Just certification, we're taking a fresh look at all our benefits & policies. We have already reviewed industry-wide survey data (AIA and PSMJ) but are interested in how the firms we admire (i.e., *you*) are approaching benefits in the transformed... Read more

I'm looking for precedents of retail centers (think outdoor centers with multiple buildings or converted indoor malls) that have incorporated any of these strategies. Also, any research studies on the health, social, and other benefits of incorporating these strategies. 

a. Preserve/restore natural ecology, green infrastructure... Read more

Interior doors may be a source of indoor emissions, and wood can be unsustainably sourced.

BuildingGreen-Approved Doors

BuildingGreen approves interior doors made from FSC-certified wood or reclaimed wood as well as composite doors with environmental features like: