Product Review
Builders concerned about out-gassing of formaldehyde from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) have long used Medex in cabinets. This exterior-grade product, originally developed for highway signs, is considerably more expensive than conventional MDF or particleboard, however. Now Medite II fills the need for a... Read more
News Brief
Carol Venolia, Publisher/Editor
If “progressive construction” can be defined as pushing the tools and techniques of conventional builders in the direction of less environmental destruction, then Building With Nature’s material goes beyond progressive, into the forefront of visionary thinking about construction. This bimonthly newsletter, now... Read moreProduct 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
It isn’t just environmental zealots who are up in arms about the U.S. Forest Service’s policies on managing the nation’s timber resources. The Association of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics has jumped into the fray—from the inside. Jeff DeBonis, the Association’s founder and executive director,... 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
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
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
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
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Solar Thermal Hot Water, Heating, and Cooling.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Explain active and passive; direct and indirect; and low-, medium-, and high-temperature solar thermal systems.
2. Distinguish between the three most... Read more
Forum topic
Hello everyone!
I'll be using this thread to post call reminders and notes.
To start us off, the next call is this coming Tuesday, March 24th at 1pm Eastern.
The topics we will be discussing include:
Around the “room” quick check-in. How’s everyone doing? What’s top of mind for you? Able to keep projects and... Read more
Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
In this live webinar on the sustainability of wood construction, we tap the expertise of leaders in the field and look into three main issues:
The importance of certification The complex issue of embodied carbon Wood legality:... Read moreForum topic
We have several projects that are small enough that we don't hire consultants to run energy models. I just received permission to do some training so that I can run these models myself. I am looking at doing this training on eQuest:
https://www.udemy.com/course/equest-energy-modelling-detailedtraining/?c...
I am thinking it would... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Is Wood Construction Green? A Look at the Issues.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Determine what distinguishes wood products sourced from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests, and why these products improve the environmental impact of... Read more
Forum topic
Hi All -
I'm wondering if any of our SDL people have a project case study on designing for deconstruction that they'd like to present on? I know there are a lot of conversations that we should be designing for deconstruction but has anyone done a focused project? Thank you for any input you might have.
Forum topic
It’s Earth Day! In celebration, we’re offering full Premium subscriber access to BuildingGreen content, news, and product guides for all Peer Network members for the next six months.
We’re sharing this unbiased, rigorous content with you through the coming summer and fall, with access to our:
Premium content, guides, and... Read more
Forum topic
Hi everyone,
Since I know we have a lot of talented people in this group, I'd like to reach out to those of you based in Los Angeles and see if anyone is interested in talking at an upcoming Living Building Challenge collaborative event. The topic of the meeting is "Selecting Healthy Materials 101: From the perspectives of... Read more
Forum topic
Hello all,
The Bay Area SCL contingent has recently published an anti-idling toolkit so contractors can get empowered to enact their own anti-idling policy on their jobsites. We're all in this together - if you haven't already brought this up with your company management, hopefully this toolkit serves as a good starting point.
... Read more
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Forum topic
Happy 2021 Green Gurus,
BuildingGreen has some New Years news to share with you all!
Announcing an addition to the Peer Networks family, we are excited to be launching the Sustainable Community Design Leaders (SCDL) Peer Network!
The SCLD peers are planners, architects, landscape architects, and other professionals at... Read more


