Product Review
To the best of our knowledge, this product is now being marketed under the name Rauhsaser by Better Wall System of Kenora, ON.
CoverAge is a tacky name for a great product that all remodelers should know about. It is a paintable, textured wallpaper that’s made entirely of recycled paper (at... Read moreNews Analysis
The recent ruling to allow logging on several thousand acres of old-growth forest in western Oregon was portrayed in the national media as a blow to environmentalists, but the action may not prove so damaging in the end. While the ruling permits logging on 13 of the 44 sites that were under consideration by the so-... Read more
News Brief
Energy Source™ Directory
Life has been a whole lot easier around the office since theEnergy Source Directory arrived. Assembled and published by Iris Communications, this is the most complete and most useful guide to specialized products and materials used in energy-efficient construction that we've seen. The 500-page directory is... 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
News Brief
The American Institute of Architects convention in Boston this past June was the setting for a changing of the guard in the American architectural establishment. The Institute’s first woman president took the reins, the Committee on the Environment became its largest and fastest growing committee, and the first installments of the Environmental... 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
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
Ozone depletion and global warming are two of our most serious environmental problems—and foam insulation materials containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) contribute significantly to both of these problems. The environmentally concerned builder or designer should make it a highest priority to avoid them. Even many of the non-CFC alternatives... Read more
Forum topic
We are working on a large, commercial, LEED project in the Wash DC area, and the Construction Management firm needs LEED administrative/documentation assistance on their end of the process. The construction is underway but the CM lacks the staff.
Can anyone suggest a LEED consultant in the DC area that can work for the CM -- managing... Read more
Forum topic
Hello Sustainable Community Design Leaders,
Now that everyone invited to the SCDL calls has access to this forum, I want to shift us over here for announcements and reminders, so here's your reminder that this month’s call is next Monday, March 21st, 11am–12pm ET (8-9am PT). Back to our usual time!
You can view the agenda here.... Read more
Forum topic
Peeps, in case you haven't gotten the email blasts--the AIA wants YOU! Now is the time to throw your hat into the ring for volunteering on the following committees/groups:
2030 Working Group (with Keith Hempel! and Ashley Mulhall!) A&D Materials Pledge Working Group (build on the amazing work Lona Rerick and others have been doing for... Read moreForum topic
Hi all,
The San Francisco Department of the Environment is hoping to gather info from designers and specifiers about construction surplus materials. Their survey is 8 questions total and not limited to those in the SF area.
Pasting info below if you have a chance to participate!
Calling Designers and Specifiers:
... Read more
Product Guide
Old windows can be leaky and uncomfortable, but window replacements are expensive and resource-intensive.
BuildingGreen-Approved Interior Window Panels
BuildingGreen approves interior window panels with robust warranties that are designed to achieve improved thermal performance with both reduced... Read more
Forum topic
Has anyone worked on a WELL project? I have heard that you can expect about 1.5 to twice the effort of LEED coordination but wasn't sure how accurate that was. Any suggestions for determining the possible time commitment of WELL coordination?
Thanks in advance!
Forum topic
Hello,
We have recently been introduced to the Innovation Design Consurtium and are considering becoming members. Wondering what others have experienced with this recently created group. Any feedback / experience is most appreciated.
Thanks!
Spotlight Report
Remember 2013? LEED version 4 had just been released to the public. Hardly anyone was using it, though—not only because they didn’t have to, but also because there just wasn’t a pathway to achieve many of the new credits in the rating systems. Especially the product-related credits in the Materials & Resources category, along with the Low-... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Occupant Engagement: Where Design Meets Performance.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Restate at least five methods being used to provide feedback to occupants so that they better understand how to interpret, and respond to, their... Read more


