Feature
Susan Maxman is the first AIA president to make sustainable design a priority.
Q.Where would you say architects as a group stand on environmental issues?
A.Architects tend to be reactive rather than proactive. It is important that we take the lead on these environmental issues. The architecture schools in particular tend to be conservative. They just aren’t... Read more
Feature
Carefully stake the building site and driveway, remove trees that are within the excavation area or too close, then erect a fence to keep heavy equipment off fragile soils and away from nearby trees.
Protecting trees and the local ecosystem when building on previously unbuilt land is a vitally important—yet often overlooked—part of environmentally responsible construction. Healthy trees and shrubs can reduce a home’s environmental impact and directly benefit homeowners in a number of ways:
•Enhancing comfort by shielding the house... Read more
Op-Ed
Introducing the first issue of our newsletter.
Buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. In North America, buildings and the building industry account for about 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, 35-40% of ozone depletion, 20-30% of municipal solid waste, vast quantities of natural resource consumption, and dramatic loss of open space each... Read more
Product Guide
Depending on seating type, these products can contain PVC, toxic flame retardants, hazardous adhesives and finishes, and other unsustainable materials.
BuildingGreen-Approved Seating
BuildingGreen’s seating meets ONE of the following sets of criteria:
is certified to BIFMA’s level 3 standard and, where applicable, contains... Read moreReports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
THIS WEBINAR PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.
The webinar occurred on Wednesday, February 23rd at 2:00 eastern.
USGBC and IWBI are beginning to see eye to eye across a range of focus areas. Knowing how to leverage each in a mutually beneficial way is the key to driving... Read more
Forum topic
Hello,
We have a mass timber purpose-built rental project specifying flooring at the moment and are trying to find a healthy flooring option while managing acoustics with CLT floorslabs. We don't typically spec vinyl flooring due to the health concerns around PVC, but the project is budget-conscious, and our flooring supplier is... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Verifying Performance with Building Enclosure Commissioning.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Reason why the enclosure is fundamental to a sustainable building.
2. Explain why energy goals are less likely to be achieved without... Read more
Forum topic
Hi everyone,
I'm excited to share this report from the 2024 Sustainable Design Leaders Summer Summit.
As usual, this report contains no revealing information that would counter our "safe space" rule so that it can be shared publicly. Feel free to pass it along to anyone interested.
It's hard to capture such a rich event in... Read more
Forum topic
Hi friends,
We recently tracked our water consumption on site during the structural demolition of some existing reinforced concrete buildings. The new OSHA silica regulations required us to keep dust to virtually zero, so we had a bunch of mist cannons and water hoses pumping water around the clock. We consumed ~855,000 gallons in a... Read more
Forum topic
I'm so excited to share that the call for submissions is now open for 16cubits, a design festival and competition for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, to take place at Berkeley’s Urban Adamah in October 2024.
Please share with anyone you think might be interested! Our hope is to create a forum for builders, designers, and architects to... Read more
Forum topic
HGA is seeking a Sustainable Materials Specialist to join our team!
The role involves working with project teams to educate, research, and support decision-making related to sustainable materials and, in connection with sustainability experts across the firm, developing resources and tools to elevate HGA’s materials baseline.
The... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all,
Looking from insights from anyone who's been through WELL certification before - we've got a lab/office project pursing WELL down in Florida that is struggling to meet the turbidity level requirements of the WELL W01 prerequisite, specifically with the hot water supply, and we're not sure how to best remediate the issue. Should... Read more
Forum topic
HI Green Gurus. Great news for those who signed the petition to WHO last summer, and even those who didn't. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) released on March 1, 2021 a Roadmap to improve and ensure good indoor ventilation in the context of COVID-19. This document provides practical advice on how to mitigate COVID-19 through airborne... Read more
Forum topic
Hi,
I selected a new background photo for the home page (the previous one was the same as on LEEDuser.com). I found the photo here:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-shot-of-building-1029618/
I needed to find something low-contrast that wouldn't compete with the text. I initially tried some of the stock photos... Read more
Forum topic
Hello there,
I am working on a project with indoor plants and active green walls. I would like to design lights for growing plants and people at the same time (which seems to be a non-obvious problem).
I was thinking of Philips, GE, Shneider Lighting, etc. Would you recommend someone I could talk to and eventually engage... Read more
