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
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
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
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
Greetings, SDL network - We are attempting to resolve an issue with how data center projects calculate baseline EUIs for the AIA 2030 Commitment and could use some help from this network. With projects that comply with code prescriptively (i.e. not energy modeled), we have found the default baseline assumptions within the DDx platform are not... 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
At our SAL call today, folks were talking about how there was just too much to read about DEI. This is the best short summary I have read about the problems of incorporating it into the organizations where we work. It's much easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk because it takes time and accountability.
Forum topic
You know all those times when you want to reply privately to someone, but don't have their email address handy? What a pain, right?
Not anymore! Now you can go to the "Group Members" tab on the BuildingGreen Communities forum page, and hover over anyone's name to see their email address.
Only members of the forum can see your... 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
The Project StaSIO competition is in full swing, and its time to rate the submissions that made it to the public voting round! Fancy yourself a connoisseur of simulation graphics and have a spare 5-10 minutes this Friday? Take a browse through the gallery and rate the 10 graphics and 4 case studies that made it to the final round! Winners... 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
Hello everyone,
Here's a reminder that our next monthly call will be taking place next Tuesday, September 10th at 2:00pm EST.
Please feel free to join us!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/661110941
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Energy Modeling for Early Design Decisions (recorded webcast)
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Explain how energy codes and standards are pushing commercial projects beyond what they can do without modeling.
2. Describe the key... Read more

