Wood decking requires potentially hazardous preservatives and stains, and plastic waste is a significant environmental problem.

BuildingGreen-Approved Decking

Composite decking approved by BuildingGreen has at least 50% total recycled content. For plastic decking, post-consumer content has to be greater than 50%.

Health and... Read more

Just in time for Saturday Night!!

Get out the popcorn and put away Netflix!
For those who were unfortunate enough to miss this LIVE - you still get to watch the awesome talents of our community! 

You sadly miss out on the camaraderie, connection and wonderfullness of hanging out with everyone (not recorded!) but you do get... Read more

Hi Green Commons,

It’s been eerily quiet here since Tuesday night. I’ve been quiet mostly because I just didn’t know what to say. The election results are certainly a blow to pretty much everything we’ve been working for. There is so much we don’t know about things might play out, but I’m feeling a range of emotions ranging from... Read more

Hi All - I wanted to share out the All For Reuse initiative below by two peers in the sustainable materials management network. I know some SDL have already done much research on this from quite a few angles, and those with LBC experience probably even moreso in practice. 

Frances Yang (Arup) and Andrew Ellsworth (Doors Unhinged) have... Read more

Hello,

We are in the very early planning phase of a k-8 public school project to be designed and built in an economically challenged urban location with very limited site options. The project is not LEEDv4 registered yet.  We are at feasibility and costing the soil remediation, needless to say that we would really hope there would be... Read more

This question came to me via our mutual friend Josh Jacobs, but while interesting it's a bit out of my range of expertise... 

In short, a critical materials assessment specifically focused on airbourne byproducts from a manufacturing process that would be first-of-its-kind in the U.S. 

Required Emissions Details: Link to the 48C... Read more

Hi all- 

DiMella Shaffer is seeking a Sustainability Practice Leader! For the last 2.5 years, I have been setting the structure in place, making change, and providing thought-leadership as the first Sustainability Practice Leader (director level leadership) at DiMella Shaffer in Boston. It has been a fantastic firm to work for and this... Read more

Hi all,

We're doing some tool-related soul searching at WRNS and some folks here have raised Cove.Tool as a potentially interesting addition to our library. I'm looking for any insight you all can provide. Cove has come up various times, but curious if there's been any change for the better/worse in the past few years.

Do you use... Read more

Hi Folks, anyone in Boston (or willing to move) this could be a super cool opportunity for you! 

https://careers-bpda.icims.com/jobs/1557/senior-resilience-design-reviewer/job?mobile=false&width=805&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-300&jun1offset=-240

We are attempting to use Tally on a couple projects and are wondering how others are using the tool in their design process. If any experienced users out there would be willing to have a brief phone conversation I would appreciate it. Thanks

Hello,

Are you aware of any bldg codes that have included requirements related to Material Health?

Thanks!

Mona Lemoine Architect AIBC, MRAIC, LEED AP BD+C, LFA, Regenerative Practitioner, RELi AP

Associate, Senior Sustainability Consultant

Mobile: 236-878-1752
mona.lemoine@stantec.com

Stantec... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Protect Your Spec: 14 Strategies. 

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


Identify ways to ensure continuity between the environmentally preferable materials in a project specification, and the less-than-ideal materials that end up used in the final... Read more

How much does every designer need to know? How to support that basic literacy?

Guiding Questions:

Does requiring LEED-AP cover it? How do others create a shared literacy across the firm? How deeply to ask the designers to delve into technical subjects? (Or should they be paired with someone…) How do we shift the designers’ mindset... Read more

test

I would be interested to hear which parties in our group have participated in the CDP Program and how you are reporting your efforts.  I have talked to several contractors that just submit the data for their offices. I always feel like it is asking about our operations including the jobsites, and wonder how you get there.  I am very much... Read more

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

Stick-framed walls are labor intensive and have to be sealed and insulated in the field, where conditions are not ideal; this can lead to poor thermal performance.

BuildingGreen-Approved Structural... Read more