Product Review
Builders concerned about out-gassing of formaldehyde from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) have long used Medex in cabinets. This exterior-grade product, originally developed for highway signs, is considerably more expensive than conventional MDF or particleboard, however. Now Medite II fills the need for a... 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
Product Review
To the best of our knowledge, this product is now being marketed under the name Rauhsaser by Better Wall System of Kenora, ON.
CoverAge is a tacky name for a great product that all remodelers should know about. It is a paintable, textured wallpaper that’s made entirely of recycled paper (at... Read moreOp-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
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
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
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
Product Guide
Interior luminaires often use inefficient, outdated technology such as compact fluorescent or halogen lamps, some of which contain mercury and have poor light quality and limited controls.
BuildingGreen-Approved Lighting
BuildingGreen lists lighting products using LEDs (light-emitting diodes) from manufacturers whose luminaires... Read more
Forum topic
Hi everyone,
Since I know we have a lot of talented people in this group, I'd like to reach out to those of you based in Los Angeles and see if anyone is interested in talking at an upcoming Living Building Challenge collaborative event. The topic of the meeting is "Selecting Healthy Materials 101: From the perspectives of... Read more
Forum topic
see IFTF- A New Story to Spark the Future of Climate Action
and chek out their Climate Action Map download
Forum topic
Hello SDL-ers -
The SDL Climate-Smart Wood Group hosts a monthly online forum for builders all over North America who care about wood - and if that sounds like you, you're invited! As builders, we want to advocate for the conscientious use of wood as part of a holistic commitment to climate justice and resilience. We have been meeting... Read more
Forum topic
Hi All,
I've been signed up to give a Green Building Rating Systems overview presentation to Clean Energy Interns this summer. I thought I'd reach out and see if anyone has an updated overview presentation like this already pulled together that they'd be willing to share. It's been a while since I've given a presenation on this topic. ... Read more
Author
Ben Hewitt works behind the scenes to build and maintain BuildingGreen.com and LEEDuser. He brings with him over two decades of experience in his field. As an efficient problem-solver, his goal is to make the websites more user-friendly for his coworkers and designers and project teams using BuildingGreen’s resources.
Ben has proficiency... Read more
Forum topic
Hello everyone!
I'll be using this thread to post call reminders and notes.
To start us off, the next call is this coming Tuesday, March 24th at 1pm Eastern.
The topics we will be discussing include:
Around the “room” quick check-in. How’s everyone doing? What’s top of mind for you? Able to keep projects and... Read more
Forum topic
Greetings, Green Gurus! As many of you know, I teach a course at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Architecture, and one of my former students has just graduated from their and MS in Design - Environmental Building Design program. She is looking for employment at a firm that has a focus on sustainability. Unfortunately we... Read more
Forum topic
Hi, curious if anyone in the group has considered using Fitwel in an existing (built) school project (K-12).
Would be interested in hearing your experiences and if this tool is a good fit for this type of project.
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...


