Some of you saw my 5-minute presentation about the Rich Earth Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont and how it is inventing new ways to keep excess nutrients from urine out of surface waters and use them instead as fertilizer. Now you can also hear about it on Planet Money: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/01/26/581156723/episode-820-p-is... Read more

For a number of years a colleague and I have been teaching a course about sustainability and water in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania's architectural school (PennDesign).  This year we're hoping to bring a few new opinions to the table for at the same time as we broaden the discussion.  Because the class will be virtual again... Read more

Beginning this year, Miller Hull will not only continue to quantify the upfront embodied carbon of every project we finish through construction, but now purchase third-party certified carbon offsets equivalent to one-third of the project’s impact. Great design is no longer enough - we must take responsibility for our architectural impact in the... Read more

Folks,

In case any of you enjoy the Phoenix weather, I wanted you to be sure to know that our company, Sundt, which is headquartered here is looking for a sustainability director to lead up our efforts. This comes after two years of work and hiring a consultant (Brightworks out of California) to help us prepare and take the next steps. I... Read more

I received the following email from Naajia at Southface.  I'll be out of town until November 8, but I'll see if there's time for me to address at least the second part before I leave:

A question regarding the BIT-User Forum was brought to my attention by a participant. Apparently when you are posting a question and you pick your location... Read more

Greetings!

Ayers Saint Gross is in search of a Sustainable Design Coordinator to join our team. This person is anticipated to sit in any one of our offices - Baltimore; Washington, DC; Tempe, Arizona; or Austin, Texas. Fit and skillset are more important than geography. The position is anticipated as full-time, but if the right candidate... Read more

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

Hello everyone,

Here's a reminder that our next monthly call will be taking place next Tuesday, October 8th at 2:00pm EST.

Please feel free to join us!

Join Zoom Meeting - I double-checked this link and it is correct!

https://zoom.us/j/248664490

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

Hi folks,

The team at Open Architecture Collaborative Canada (website under construction) are developing a remote learning experience to address the lack of meaningful practice of design for social impact in the built environment-related design and planning fields. They’ve together a pretty detailed survey to help guide the development... Read more

Textiles have some of the worst environmental records of any product found in our buildings. Textile production uses a number of hazardous chemicals and pollutes water; and its environmental impacts often affect our most vulnerable populations.

BuildingGreen favors textiles made using fibers and manufacturing processes that have low... Read more

Hi all - 

I have heard a good deal about SBTI in the last while and am wondering about this group’s firms’ engagement with them. We reported one year through CDP, and it was not very useful. It focused entirely on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which are over 1000x times less than our semi-controllable Scope 3 (buildings’ embodied carbon and... Read more

Hello everyone. I am seeking some guidance on crafting an arguement for why my firm should support a change to the Washington State Energy Code which would mandate electric heat pumps for commercial builidngs.  AIA WA is working on the state commercial energy code update under consideration this spring.  We have been invited to sign on to an... Read more

We are trying to figure out how we are going to meet the LEED Credit for Building Life Cycle Impact Reduction for the first time.

One approach we're trying out: We're taking the results of our Tally model and looking at potential reductions from low-carbon concrete. However, the problem I am encountering is that when I take some of our... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Can Commercial Kitchens Go Electric?

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


Understand why building electrification can be better for the environment and human health than use of fossil fuels, including natural gas.

List eight reasons... Read more

Looking for a recommendation for architectural renderings who would be interested in doing some work for a Direct Air Capture project. A friend is working on a project with Deep Sky and I'd love to make a connection to someone(s) affiliated with the network, if possible.

Welcome to the quiz portion of Engineering a Wood Revolution

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


1. Compare engineered wood to steel and concrete; and describe how engineered wood offers better dimensional stability, less waste, and more consistent performance than... Read more

Hi folks,

We often hear from you with a suggestion of someone who would be great for the network, and a question about how to refer them. We've now made that easy, with three steps laid out in an Outreach Toolkit that's posted in the left margin of the Member Directory.

So, if you're thinking of someone to invite or come across... Read more

Hi - I'm wondering if you have recommendations for a web/mobile app for occupants to self-assess comfort at regular intervals. I've downloaded comfy, but it wants to actually DO something about thermal discomfort by alerting discomfort and connecting, I believe, to the BMS. We just want to collect information at this point. And since I'm a... Read more