Hello friends. On a current school project, an abuse resistant wall covering has been proposed as an alternative to our typical MDF wainscot. The proposed product has been used successfully in healthcare, and switching to it will save the project almost $1million, which is no small amount when the project is over budget and 7-figure cost... Read more

SmithGroup is hosting Metropolis Magazine for a “Think Tank Event on Waterfront Redevelopment and Urban Resilience”.   While the event is in our office, if you're not in DC, it will also be broadcast live on Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/events/1299577320146259/) Feel free to share this invitation with others.  Information about the... Read more

Good morning. If you're worried  like I am by today's new IPCC Report and would like some helpful explanation I recommend reading climate scientist Zeke Hausfather's lengthy Twitter feed summarizing key aspects with graphics. It's here https://twitter.com/hausfath/status/1424642708291821569?s=21

of course we need to see this as an even... Read more

I'm teaching a LEED GA study group and was rambling on the differences between CIR and precident-setting LEED Interpretation (that gets posted in the addenda library and all). Then I went onto LEED Online and was showing how those are submitted... but can't actually figure out how a LEED Interpretation would be submitted. Has anyone done this... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of The PVC Debate: A Fresh Look

Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:


1. Catalog the history of PVC in the building industry.
2. Recount the connections between PVC and chlorine, dioxins, mercury, and vinyl chloride.
3. Explain the... Read more

Has anyone done a LEED Homes and a NGBS certification and have insight into the differences, challenges, etc between the two?

We have started a folder on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in this forum. When you upload a file to share (which you can ONLY do in the web browser, not directly through email), you get an option to choose a folder. If you have an EDI-related document to share, choose "Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion" as your folder. I'm saving the first... Read more

Exterior shade or screening devices are generally much more effective at reducing solar heat gain than their interior counterparts.

BuildingGreen-Approved Shading

BuildingGreen approves exterior window and glazing attachments that reduce solar heat gain and glare or redirect daylight, providing important energy benefits while... Read more

Sustainability leadership has requested that you take this quiz to help assess sustainability literacy across the firm. Your own results will be presented to you at the end of the quiz but will not be shared with anyone else. Only aggregated, anonymized results will be available to others.

Please don’t do research to inform your answers... Read more

...for all the folks on the west coast.

It’s smokey out there. For anyone looking for a cheap and relatively effective way to clean your indoor air, here is an article on a DIY box fan filters. 

https://www.texairfilters.com/a-variation-on-the-box-fan-with-merv-13-filter-air-cleaner/

This PSA is from our friends at NEEA (... Read more

Hello everyone,

Here's a reminder that our call for this month will be taking place next Tuesday, November 12th at 2:00pm EST.

Please feel free to join us!

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://zoom.us/j/248664490

One tap mobile
+16699006833,,248664490# US (San Jose)
+19292056099,,248664490# US (New York)... Read more

The Resilient Outcomes Working Group grew from a session at the 2020 Winter Summit in Gulf Shores AL, and we are still going strong.  We are currently focused on three primary objectives: 1) bringing awareness to resilient design through a presentation at the GreenBuild 2024 Resilience Summit (we'd love to see some peer network friends at our... Read more

Extremely proud to say that the just-announced winner of the international 'Next Generation Facade' design competition is a team led by the 2017-18 EDR Research Fellow, Liz McCormick.   The facade normally separates inside from outside. What if the 'facade' was a place you occupied, where you worked? What if different parts of the facade... Read more

Our specification team is currently piloting and testing new software to replace E-specs without an easy favorite, and would really love to know what other firms are using.

First question - what software does your firm use for specifications and why?

Second question - would you/your specifier be willing to chat with ours about it... Read more

Hi all,

The Sustainable MEP Leaders are assembling an industry push to expand the availability of embodied carbon data for MEP equipment. Our first steps are to send a letter to industry announcing a call to action and future educational webinars on the topic, the current draft letter is attached. In a similar manner as the... Read more

Hi all,

We recently learned that Mass Dept of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) along with a few other state agencies are looking to offer grants for wastewater heat recovery implemented into projects. This is a newer technology that puts a heat exchanger or heat pump in the wastewater system that then extracts the heat energy and... Read more

Hello SDLs!

Many of you have internal research groups or internal grants to foster thought leadership in your firms.  We have run an annual research-innovation grant program for about the last 5-6 years.  Anyone in our firm is allowed to apply, submit their idea, the time/budget they need, define a deliverable and then a small group... Read more