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

ASHRAE 209 in all its glory has been uploaded. This will impact our architectural process, for better or worse, so we should embrace it and learn from it. The revised AIA Energy Modeling Design Guide (due out next year) has been timed to correspond roughly to 209 coming out and will include references to it. The first few energy modeling '... Read more

test

Have you been perusing the recently launched Contractor's Commitment and thought to yourself, 'Companies are going to need more guidance/templates/resources if they're actually going to implement this thing'? Good--now's your chance to help develop those resources.

The Contractor's Commitment Working Group is meeting December 1, 1pm ET.... Read more

Posting for Kira Gould: 

Since his death on August 27, 2021, Lance Hosey has been missed by our community. We miss his voice and his vision -- as well as his collegiality and humor. Now, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation announced the Lance Hosey Scholarship Fund to Make Things Better. We are pleased... Read more

Hi all,

The Healthy Building Network, now Habitable, was kind enough to develop printable versions of their Informed Product Guidance for us. I think these are a really great resource for design teams looking to select better product options. While the web version is great, we are using the printable version to hang select sheets around... Read more

Many of today’s surface coatings are either too toxic or lack durability and require too much maintenance to be viable choices for commercial or heavy residential use.

BuildingGreen-Approved Coatings

Products approved by BuildingGreen meet California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District’s strict VOC limits. They also:... Read more

All--

A few months ago, I sent around a note about an article I was writing about the state of post-occupancy studies. It finally came out, in the latest issue of Metropolis. Great quotes and work from Payette, EDR, KieranTimberlake, HKS, and others. Thanks to all for helping with this.

I don't believe it's available online yet,... Read more

Hey Everyone!

We are delighted to share a major milestone in our commitment to sustainable design. After two+ years of intensive research, refining, and internal application, NBBJ is thrilled to announce the external launch of ZeroGuide, an innovative tool for early-phase carbon estimation, now available to the entire AEC community!... Read more

This webcast was pre-approved for 1 AIA LU|HSW and 1 GBCI LEED-specific CE hour.

Please complete the survey questions to confirm your attendance and receive your CEUs.

By providing your credential numbers in your profile, you will enable us to automatically report these CEUs to these organizations. Please check your profile to be... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Better Window Decisions: Mastering the Performance and Cost Options.

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


1. Understand the energy metrics that inform how windows affect energy loads
2. Describe ways to avoid air leakage and condensation... Read more

If you have been wondering about the Contractor Commitment, we have an update for you!

Several weeks ago, the subgroup leaders and the Steering Committee members gathered to agree on a basic structure for the Commitment. The idea was to align the basic expectations around issues like how many tiers there would be, what would be disclosed... Read more

I've been researching the job description for "Director of Sustainability" and Sustainability Director" as I'm at a point where Sustainability Specialist no longer seems to fit.  If you have either of these titles and are willing to share your job description with me, I'd appreciate it. I need to write my own job decription and I can write what... 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

(posting here for Kira)

Sustainable Design Leaders:

Is your firm using the AIA COTE Top Ten Toolkit in some fashion? COTE would like to hear from you, especially if you are willing to share your story. 

Specifically, we'd like to share best practices and lessons about how it is working (with certain types of projects, at... Read more

Hello Sustainable Design Leaders,

On October 5th a number of us gathered for the Fall 2021 SDL Virtual Summit and the BuildingGreen team is happy to now share with you all the event report here! 

This report can be shared publicly. If you think someone would like to see it, such as firm leadership or prospective Peer Networks... Read more