On Wednesday, November 10th (4-5:50pm PST), the Women in Green committees of California are hosting an exciting session to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Women in Green - Steadfast and Strong.

Join us for a dynamic and lively conversation from women leading in all areas of sustainability including policy, corporate, non-profit, and... Read more

Question for you all: there is this wonderful graph showing how we can shift mechanical and electrical dollars into envelope investments to make deep energy savings cost-neutral. Have you experienced this on a project?

1-minute or less survey! (two questions, more detail if you want)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/... Read more

Hi,

I have a colleague doing research on PCM in several projects. For context in their report, they were wondering if this group has seen any recent increase in application of PCMs in recent years. Is it just in ceilings or other applications? If so, what products are being used? They were having difficulty finding manufacturers other... Read more

This is specifically to Chris but also to anybody who is interested in the topic - which Chris raised on our SAL call today, regarding how to influence change:

From this article, which i thought was good but had a great paragraph pulled below.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/business/Steve-Mollenkopf-Qualcomm-corner-office.html... Read more

Hello all,

We are having a mini office debate on fiberglass vs aluminum windows for use in schools (k-12) in Massachusetts. In the past we have always used aluminum windows on our schools, for durability. However, their performance is not as great as other products that are up and coming on the market. There is some hesitation to switch... Read more

Hi Shane and Dennis,

What return address should we use for BIT User forum notification emails?  Ben suggests something like no-reply@bit-user.org but whatever you like is fine.

Once you decide, please let us know who controls the domain name (e.g. bit-user.org or bitbuilding.org).  Ben will send them instructions for editing the... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Design Strategies for Occupant Engagement—and Why They Boost Performance.

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


1. Explain how research in the social sciences and neurology links occupant engagement strategies with specific sustainability... Read more

Typically made from petrochemicals, carpet and its adhesives can offgas and it is a challenge to recycle, increasing the chances of it being incinerated or disposed of in a landfill. And broadloom carpet can difficult to repair if damaged.

BuildingGreen approves modular carpet that demonstrate lower... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Downscaled Climate Data: Where to Get It and How to Use It.

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


1.  Define “downscaled climate data” and understand where to find it and how to apply it in modeling to achieve greater environmental sustainability and... Read more

Has anyone pursued the schools Mold Prevention IEQc10 successfully and have format for the documentation created they would be comfortable sharing? Our contractor is excited about pursuing this credit but no on our team has pursued it before.

thanks in advance!

Keith Hempel, Julie Hiromoto, and Billie Faircloth have been elevated to the AIA College of Fellows - I'm sure I'm missing others but congratulations! Can't wait to celebrate in person - I still rememer Lance Hosey in his tux and Beth Heider in a full ball gown at the AIA Fellows dinner in Chicago (the only one I ever attended. . .) 

I'm curious if anyone can share their strategy on indoor air quality for the return to office. Is this something that is prioritized at your firm from a wellbeing standpoint and with the current health crisis at hand? Lendlease is looking into options to safeguard our employees/occupants as we move back into the workplace and I'm researching... Read more

Wellness is key to sustainable design. As more and more clients understand the value of healthy built environments, designers need to understand the various wellness rating systems available, and which would meet the project's goals and needs.

WELL and Fitwel have emerged as the two leading wellness rating systems,... Read more

Jill is a mission-driven leader who loves working with people, solving problems, and strengthening the infrastructure of values-driven organizations that are committed to having a positive impact in the world. 

She brings decades of experience analyzing and understanding the value of operational efficiency across a variety of... Read more

Successfully managing the LEED documentation process requires specific knowledge, tools, and skills that are not covered in the LEED Reference Manual. This CEU course is based on the LEED Project Management course that GreenStep developed and teaches through UC–Berkeley Extension. It is designed for professionals who are somewhat familiar with... Read more

I was sitting in on the USGBC's monthly Advocacy call this afternoon and heard about a state-local policy proposal to use property tax incentive for GHG reductions.  Through a state-local partnership, owners of existing residential and commercial buildings who invest in qualifying outcome-based improvements would receive a property tax... Read more

Hi,

We have a market-rate housing highrise project that is going through VE right now: we need cheaper/lighter rainscreen claddings than precast concrete or GFRC.

If you've gone through this similar exercise, I would greatly appreciate recommendations for cladding manufacturers/products with EPDs available. We are open to metal... Read more

I'm guessing this is the most impactful thing any of us could do over the next couple of years. Energy Codes are far and away the biggest lever that our industry has in fighting climate change. I'm up to my eyeballs in commitments at the moment but heartily encourage you (yes, YOU!) to sign up.

...

Hi all – if any of you are... Read more