Forum topic
I've been hearing a lot of talk about density becoming a thing of the past. Like with the danger of antimicrobials, it would be great to have some more in depth backup information on whether density is really a danger factor, or if other factors are more important, when we go into these conversations. Does anybody have any new or better... Read more
Author
As Editorial Director for BuildingGreen, Tristan Roberts brings a deep commitment to environmental stewardship, a broad knowledge about sustainable design, deep understanding of green building products, and a mastery of all things LEED. A longtime contributor of in-depth feature articles in Environmental Building News and regular reporting on... Read more
Product Guide
Metal roofs can also provide high solar reflectance, minimizing a building’s contribution to the urban heat island effect.
BuildingGreen-approved
Materials and finishes recognized by Energy Star maintain solar reflectance levels after three years of use of 50% for low-slope and 15% for steep-slope. Some unpainted metals and many... Read more
Forum topic
I'm sure may are familiar with Aqua in Chicago, and Joe Lstiburek's article on thermal bridging. (https://buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi062-thermal-bridges-redux) We have similar problem with a project that is a residential highrise building, concrete structure. Here is my questions. Will energy simulation be able to pick up the... Read more
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Happy Friday, SDL!
We're running a Tally WBLCA for an environmental education center, which has a very small floor area but a fairly robust concrete/steel structure. Still, I was surprised to find an intensity of over 1,000 kgCO2/m2 for the building.
This is way higher than the general benchmarks I've found in the CLF's database,... Read more
Forum topic
This month on our Sustainable MEP Leaders call we were asked what resources would be suggested for advancing integrative design.
Two books immediately came to mind for me:
How Building Learn, by Stewart Brand
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Buildings_Learn
It was many years ago but reading Stewart Brand’s How... Read more
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If you haven't seen it yet, today's U.N. report "Making Peace With Nature" tackles climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution jointly within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The analysis is anchored in current economic, social and ecological reality and framed by economics and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable... Read more
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Hello fellow Green Gurus!
I am very thrilled to share this news. "Global architecture, design and planning firm HLW is pleased to announce BEYOND, a cutting-edge sustainability consultancy working across the built environment to drive higher standards for sustainability, resilience, and building performance."
Please click here to... Read more
Forum topic
Does anyone here have a draft spec for low embodied carbon concrete they could share? I see the GSA has a standards sheet with MGWP limits, but we are hoping to actually specify the mix for upcoming projects.
Forum topic
What is the lag time for historical embodied carbon data catching up with real-time information as manufacturers source renewable energy? Is our professional time best spent calculating with out-of-date information or more simply calling for manufacturers' elimination of fossil fuel combustion in their production and transportation of materials... Read more
Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
In order to successfully contribute to a LEED project, it is important to have an understanding of how the LEED process integrates within a typical design and construction schedule. Every new construction or renovation project, whether large or small, moves through certain project phases beginning with design development, design completion (... Read more
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BuildingGreen is considering hosting a reception and SDL Show & Tell at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2019. If you are planning to attend the conference, please email me directly. Your participation will influence our decision. The newly forming Small Firm SDL peer network (firm w/less than 50 employees) will have their inaugural... Read more
Forum topic
I'm looking to compare using an electric tower crane vs a diesel generated tower crane. I've got the average gallons/hour for the size of crane I'm looking at, but when I reached out to the crane manufacturers, they can only tell me what size electric supply I need to provide, not the kWh usage for the cranes. I know that it varies depending... Read more
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We have a project looking to use Radiant Floors to help with space heating. I don't have experience with this so I'm looking for any insights. Pros / Cons?
This project is a non-profit and is needing to reach LEED Silver minimum. This is in Washington State. Thank you for your help.
Forum topic
What a great first day!
Here are the slides from the show and tell presentations last night at SOM's office; everyone who presented with slides has given approval to share them.
Forum topic
Do any of you have experience with Design For Freedom yet? It came to my attention and I'm trying to investigate. I would love to hear feedback and experiences that you may have at this point. It seems like an opportune moment for this issue of forced labor (yikes! so much I don't know...) to come to the forefront, and I'm curious to hear how... Read more
Basic page
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of What Makes the Building Envelope Green? BuildingGreen’s Guide to Thermal & Moisture Protection Products.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Describe attributes of the greenest building envelope products.
2. Explain how to... Read more