Product Review
The company's promotional material is the epitome of environmentally friendly packaging—like a Ben & Jerry's annual report. The article reprints sent were even bound in a jacket made from corrugated cardboard. So we were quite intrigued by the product. Syndecrete™ is a lightweight, pre-cast,... Read more
News Analysis
A study published in the June 5, 1992, issue of
Science by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Arizona suggests that smoke emitted into the atmosphere from human activities may be having a significant effect in counteracting... Read more
Feature
Carefully stake the building site and driveway, remove trees that are within the excavation area or too close, then erect a fence to keep heavy equipment off fragile soils and away from nearby trees.
Protecting trees and the local ecosystem when building on previously unbuilt land is a vitally important—yet often overlooked—part of environmentally responsible construction. Healthy trees and shrubs can reduce a home’s environmental impact and directly benefit homeowners in a number of ways:
•Enhancing comfort by shielding the house... Read more
Feature
Ozone depletion and global warming are two of our most serious environmental problems—and foam insulation materials containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) contribute significantly to both of these problems. The environmentally concerned builder or designer should make it a highest priority to avoid them. Even many of the non-CFC alternatives... Read more
Op-Ed
Introducing the first issue of our newsletter.
Buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. In North America, buildings and the building industry account for about 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, 35-40% of ozone depletion, 20-30% of municipal solid waste, vast quantities of natural resource consumption, and dramatic loss of open space each... Read more
Feature
Susan Maxman is the first AIA president to make sustainable design a priority.
Q.Where would you say architects as a group stand on environmental issues?
A.Architects tend to be reactive rather than proactive. It is important that we take the lead on these environmental issues. The architecture schools in particular tend to be conservative. They just aren’t... Read more
News Brief
The American Institute of Architects convention in Boston this past June was the setting for a changing of the guard in the American architectural establishment. The Institute’s first woman president took the reins, the Committee on the Environment became its largest and fastest growing committee, and the first installments of the Environmental... Read more
Forum topic
Hi! I'm writing a short news piece on WELL v2 and looking for someone very familiar with the existing and v2 standards to interview about the changes. If you meet that description and would like to go on the record with your thoughts, please reply to me directly at paula@buildinggreen.com. Thanks!
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Stone, The Original Green Building Material.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Explain how stone is natural and durable, emits no VOCs, requires almost no maintenance, and provides a connection to the earth and our history.
2.... Read more
Forum topic
So nice when nice happens to nice people. And smart ones too! Congrats to Sarah Gudeman, Blake Stanton, Stanton Stafford, Kathy Wardle, and everyone else in this year's class.
https://www.gbci.org/green-business-certification-inc-celebrates-2021-cl...
Forum topic
Hi All -
With the holidays coming up and budgeting for 2023 - do we have any information on when and where a mini summit will be? I heard rumors of Arizona? Hoping to come but need the info as soon as I can.
Forum topic
Hello and Happy New Year!
I joined the SAL Peer Network a few months back and I’m really excited to be part of this group, although a bit delayed in my introduction. I’m an architect working as a consultant and managing the Sustainability Department at Entegrity (an energy and sustainability consulting firm) located in Arkansas. I’ve... Read more
Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
A site license allows your entire organization to access and share the report, and to keep a copy in your library. The site license does not allow multiple users to earn CEUs. If multiple individuals in your organization would like to earn CEUs from this report, please purchase individual copies.
The world’s most... Read more
Forum topic
SDL Show & Tell in Chicago, Tuesday, November 13 from 7-9:30 PM (CST)
HKS | 125 S Clark Street | Chicago, IL 60603
What better way to kick off your time at Greenbuild than with snap previews of the best sessions? The Sustainable Design Leaders Show & Tell is back, brought to you by BuildingGreen and HKS! This event is by... Read more
Forum topic
Good morning SALs! Nicole's survey on restrooms inspired me to post a survey of my own.
I’ve been trying to stay useful lately. I've been posting new writing on the industry, much of it complimentary, over on Roberts’ Green Letter. (Yesterday I posted the mission statement, explained via brand-new-puppy pics.)
I have a 1-minute... Read more
Forum topic
Hello all,
Could any of you point me out to recent studies showing the health impacts of plastic piping vs. copper piping?
We have a project where NIRON or Aquatherm are proposed as a VE item in lieu of copper. I know there is some studies showing PEX and PVC piping health impacts, but I can't seem to find anything on these 2... Read more

