Product Guide
Carpet cushion may emit VOCs or contain halogenated flame retardants that can slough off in dust.
BuildingGreen-Approved Carpet Cushions
BuildingGreen approves carpet backing made from natural materials as well as synthetic commercial products that meet the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label standards.
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Not sure if anyone is currently looking to hire someone, but I wanted to pass along info on Bohan Zhang in case anyone might be interested. Bohan recently graduated from the GSD's MDes Energy and Environment program. He also has an MArch degree, and I know took a number of courses in Real Estate and Finance at both MIT and Harvard. I had him... Read more
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Hi everyone,
We’re so excited to announce that registration for the 2025 SMEPL Summit is now live! Register here and save your seat to join BuildingGreen, your SMEPL peers, and members of all three other networks for a first-of-its-kind summit this year.
In addition to the SMEPL Summit, you’ll have the option of joining us for... Read more
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Greetings all, and welcome to all those who already introduced themselves! My name is Steven Burke and I am a Sustainability Manager at Consigli Construction in Massachusetts. We are East Coast only, but we have a few offices from DC up to Maine. I’ve been helping Jenn and Nadav get this group up and running, and I’m relatively new to the... Read more
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Hi all,
I just wanted to post a quick message to introduce myself to the group. My name is Jeff Geisinger, and I'm an architect with Utile in Boston. We're a 50-ish person firm with a pretty broad project base, including affordable multifamily housing, institutional buildings, commercial interiors, and urban planning/public realm work... Read more
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You're invited to join your colleagues in an SCL Whole Group Web Meeting on Contractors’ Commitment May 28th, 2019 1:00 PM PST / 4:00 PM EST!!
Web meeting focused on an update with the contractors' commitment work. This is an SCL whole group call led by Kena David.
Join the meeting on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/972367514
... Read more
Product Guide
CEUs are available for reading all the building-envelope product guides and primer. Click here to learn more and take the quiz.
Standard spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation is made using blowing agents with extremely high global warming potential (GWP), which can cancel out much of the potential energy savings from use over its life... Read more
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Our firm held off from signing the AIA Materials Pledge because it was perceived as a feel-good commitment to promise to have good intentions, with no tracking. I was pleased to learn yesterday that reporting for signatories of the AIA Materials Pledge would "open" today (July 18) and close August 31, and would include mandatory reporting on... Read more
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What is the status of the roof insulation market regarding non-halogen containing polyiso boards? I know GAF and Atlas still have them. I thought JM had them as well, but seems to have taken them off the menu. Are there performance issues?
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We have a project that is looking for plaster/stucco/textured wall products that are sustainable, or “more sustainable.”
I know these products exist, but I haven’t had to spec or work with any, so I’m reaching out.
The project is in MA, so I'm also soliciting recommendations for products and/or companies who are experienced using... Read more
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Hi Folks,
I mentor startups in the clean tech space and there are a number of cool new things coming to market. I am looking to gather names of interested people who want to get the opportunity to take a look at these cool new things and give some feedback and even - if stars align - pilot and test some of these new technologies (given... Read more
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Hi Everyone,
As some of you know, I’ve been working on a new book, People, Planet, Design: A Practical Guide to Realizing Architecture's Potential and I’m happy to announce that it is finally available!
This book grew out of a decade of thinking about how sustainability fits within architectural practice. It explores the reasons... Read more
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Please help share the latest COTE news, with reports from the AIA Conference, a letter from chair Lori Ferriss, Michelle Amt's review of the 2023 Top Ten winners, and more.
**Be sure to make a note**
The COTE Top Ten Awards cycle has changed. The adjusted timeline is already upon us: The 2024 awards call opens on August 8, and... Read more
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Hi All,
The SMEPL's Embodied Carbon committee has been hard at work developing a letter that calls for MEP equipment vendors to increase material transparency in their products. As a way of contacting the most widely-used vendors first, we're asking each of you to enter your "Top 3" specified vendors for each of the products listed in... Read more
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The AIA has just (finally!) amended the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to include new "Obligations to the Public" and "Obligations to the Environment", that requires architects to advise their clients of their obligations to the environment, obligates architects to promote sustainable design and development, and to implement energy... Read more
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Hello everyone, Happy New Year!
I wanted to send a quick note that we have an awesome group registered for the Sustainable Design Leaders Winter Summit 2020 and we still have a few open seats! This is taking place Jan. 29th - 31st, 2020 at The Lodge, Gulf Shores, AL with an exciting Pre-Summit Workshop happening that Wednesday. If you... Read more