Hi SD Leaders, my firm wants to make a case for conducting LCAs on all major projects. I'm curious what your experience is - how long does it take to conduct an LCA (for the analyst's effort and other project team members who attend meetings about the LCA and use its results), and the type of LCA software you're using. 

I feel sure you'... Read more

Hi All,

I’m pulling together a Healthy Building Summit in Boston on August 14th.  Check it out here.  http://usgbcma.org/hbs18/

Nadav is moderating!  It would be great to have some of you great leaders in attendance.  We still have sponsorship opportunities. Let me know if you are interested.

-Meredith

I was recently asked if there is a way to quantify financially what one MT eCO2 might be worth in the context of a building owner reducing their own carbon emissions.  How do you put a dollar value on those reductions?  Does anyone have experience with that or can you point me to the correct resource to answer this question?

Lisa Richmond

Greetings to the Green Commons!

Those of you who attended Greenbuild may remember that during one of the keynotes, Ali Zaidi - White House National Climate Advisor, announced that the White House was developing a definition for "Zero Emissions Buildings" (here’s a [LINK] to a related Washington Post article). The draft language for the... Read more

Pint-flush and non-water urinals can save tens of thousands of gallons of potable water per year. A single non-water-using urinal can save more than 10,000 gallons of water per year compared with the U.S. EPA standard of 1.0 gallon per flush (gpf).

When older 3.0 gpf urinals are replaced, the savings can be as great as 50,000 gallons... Read more

I'm passing on an alarming (and truly Orwellian!) message from the AIA that some may have received:

The AIA is aware (and has been actively addressing) that there is a draft executive order circulating for consideration by White House officials that would officially designate “classical” architecture as the preferred style for the... Read more

Hi, all - 

Thanks to many folks who connected on the heels of our last matchmaking post. Reaching out on behalf of a former SDL member, Lindsey Perez, to relay an opportunity from MIRACORP linked below: 

https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=97753&clientkey=957B67314D085A633E5C9C5568F3BC04 

Welcome to the quiz portion of How to Succeed with the Living Building Challenge: 12 Teams Share Tips.

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


1. Prepare for LBC imperatives.
2. Structure an LBC process around absolute goals, with proactive leadership and follow-through... Read more

Hi all,

Here's a good follow up to Maria's steel question on Monday.  We have a Midwest project that unfortunately (from a carbon perspective) is required to use a traditional, thick precast facade.  We’re working with the contractor and potential future (not yet bid out) fabricators to determine an appropriate % of pozzolanic material... Read more

Hi folks,

I hope you're all doing well, despite the heat (thermal, political, social...ugh!).

We've had low turnout on the SAL monthly calls lately; it seems that these aren't a high priority for many of you. That's not necessarily a problem, if you're finding value in being in the network for other reasons, that's fine.

We... Read more

Embodied carbon in products and existing buildings. What does LCA tell us about renovation vs. new construction and material choices?

Guiding Questions: 

Hello all,

Thank you so much for your work on the Contractor Commitment. In preparation for the Summit, we've pulled all of the sections together into one cohesive document. We would like to invite everyone in the SCL network to review and comment on this latest draft so that we can compile comments before Wednesday and make the most of... Read more

Hello, All!

Looking for some quick insight from the braintrust into how to best approach project goal-setting.

We’ve been taking a critical look at goal-setting practices to better understand what drives the gap between projects that meet ambitious high-performance targets and those that don’t. Recognizing that goal setting is a... Read more

Has anyone here had success in comparing life cycle impacts for different window system options? We have been trying to compare different options but have only been able to source one expired EPD for an actual window (frame + glazing). Is the typical approach to separately compare glass and framing options? Are we missing something or is there... Read more

I'm pleased to announce that the AIA Board of Directors has unanimously adopted the A&D Materials Pledge as the AIA Materials Pledge!!!!! The support of so many of you was a key factor in making it so easy for the AIA Board to adopt The Pledge. The Materials Pledge now has 90 signatory firms, including many of yours. Thank you all.  Now,... Read more