For any of you who are already tracking your Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions: Do you do so through a program (like the Carbon Disclosure Project) or do you have an in house excel file or ???? I'm looking for a good template and am open to suggestions.  Looking for what you like and what you find challenging.  Thank you.

The Sustainable Design Leaders peer group brings together the most committed sustainable design directors from leading architecture firms throughout the U.S. and Canada. We invite you to apply for membership.
We look for the... Read more

Hi everyone,

As you may know the ICC has changed the way the IECC will be written in the future and most of us think that will reduce the stringency of the future energy codes that are the biggest lever in the fight against climate change within the buildings sector.

So one of the best pathways forward is via ASHRAE, which has a... Read more

Does anyone share the same feeling of stagnation? We are supposed to hit 80% pEUI reduction now and working towards 90% mark, but I don’t see it happening for majority of our projects, even the “right” ones that we implemented integrative design process & iterative energy modeling. I am wondering whether anyone would be willing to share... Read more

Hi, this is a somewhat niche/specific question - we are working on an all-electric school (middle and high school) that includes a chemistry lab. The lab was going to have portable sources for flame experiments, but there is concern that the portable sources would be unsafe for middle school students, so they are asking for a hard-pipe natural... Read more

Happy new year everyone!

My name is Vandita Mudgal, I am the first ever 'Sustainability Engineer (district)' for Hensel Phelps N. California district (covers Nor Cal and Pacific NW). As mentioned, this is the first ever sustainability position at Hensel Phelps, therefore I am developing a lot of processes and systems for our district... Read more

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

Hi all - I am in need of specification language for wood sourced from tribally owned and managed forests. Does anybody have examples they would be willing to share? I would be so greateful! thank you

Welcome to 2030 reporting season!

I brought up on the Fika today that there is a webinar December 5th to show updates to the DDx including the calculation of operational carbon from your energy data.  Below is a link to register.

https://aia.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUocOutrTItHtWiySNMIqfGYv4ZbAhtjSg...

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.

CEUs are available for reading all the building-envelope product guides and primer. Click here to learn more and take the quiz.

Water and air that penetrate building assemblies can damage materials, cause energy loss, and lead to mold, mildew, or other problems. The products used to address these may contain materials that are... Read more

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.

Emma's role at BuildingGreen includes coordinating social media activity, setting up and scheduling weekly emails, and completing various marketing projects. She is also responsible for ensuring that members receive continuing education credits.

Hi folks - update here for our FUN saturday night "show"!! What a great way to start the year and celebrate new beginnings!

The Lighter Side of Green will air THIS coming Sat night at 7pm with Anne Hicks Harney MC'ing - check out the link to see the roster of amazing talent and log on for great tunes, humor, camraderie and community! ... Read more

Hi amazing people!

Most of our projects are now going with some form of gender neutral/all-gender/inclusive toilet rooms or those that can easily be converted to such. With no urinals, we lose 3 LEED points because urinals are very water-efficient. With urinals, it's not as pure a solution. Do you all just take a hit on the LEED points,... Read more

I'm happy to let you know that Barbra Batshalom has joined the Green Gurus forum!

Many of you already know her from her Sustainable Performance Institute work, and from the great workshop she and her husband Moshe Cohen led before our Boston Summit, but she is also serving a consulting SD Leader for several firms. I'll let her say more... Read more

THIS WEBINAR PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.

Buildings aren’t garbage. But you wouldn’t know it by examining the way the AEC industry works. 

We typically design buildings for a single, limited purpose. We build them partly out of plastics that can’t be readily recycled. We choose diverse materials... Read more