THIS WEBINAR PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.

In simpler times, our buildings were made primarily from local, natural substances like stone, wood, straw, and clay.

But lifestyles have changed dramatically since these were... Read more

We just wrapped up an awesome Winter Summit at Gulf State Park in Alabama. I'll be posting flip chart pages and notes here--we can use this forum to continue the conversations. 

Apologies for the flurry of emails, but it seems best to start separate threads for each topic. If you'd rather limit the flow, you can switch to daily digest... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Avoiding the Global Warming Impact of Insulation.

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


1. Define “embodied global warming potential” and “lifetime global warming potential” as they relate to insulation materials.
2. Describe why some... Read more

There are a number of clear finish options available, from natural oils and low-toxicity products primarily used on residential woodwork through factory-applied finishes where specific aesthetics and/or added durability are required (such as those used on cabinetry or commercial architectural millwork). Many of these have very high VOC levels,... Read more

Colleagues

It has been my great pleasure to serve the AIA's COTE Top Ten review process, both as a main juror and, most recently, as one of the technical review team.  I have specifically reviewed the Discovery and Energy measures for the past few years.  I will be serving again on the 2021 team.  The AIA has already received many more... Read more

Good morning:

I am hoping someone can point me in the direction of any higher ed campus standards or policies focused on plug load management, occupant behavior related to energy, etc. I'm especially interested in any examples of communications to faculty or students encouraging behaviors that reduce energy consumption. Thanks!

Hi folks,

Registration is now open for the SDL Summer Summit. We expect this one to fill up, so if you plan on coming don't wait too long to register.

As usual, those of you who are coming will help set the agenda. We reviewed some ideas yesterday with the Steering Committee and agreed that some topics from January's Winter Summit... Read more

Carpet is comfortable, offers good sound control, and offers great aesthetic options. But it is typically made from petrochemicals, and carpet and its adhesives can offgas VOCs. It is also a challenge to recycle, increasing the chances that it will be incinerated or disposed of in a landfill. Broadloom carpet cannot be readily repaired if... Read more

Hi Everyone -

I just received this note from Don Horn at the GSA (Deputy Director, Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings):

"Here's another installment of our work to reduce emissions through GSA's actions. GSA issued a press release this morning announcing our new standards for low carbon concrete and environmentally... Read more

Concrete and other cementitious materials have both environmental advantages and disadvantages. As builders and designers, should we be looking for alternatives or embracing concrete over competing materials?

This special report takes a look at how these materials are made, presents the key environmental considerations relating to their... Read more

I don't have any direct affiliation with this role other than a former colleague asked if I would share the job posting for Director of Sustainability at Corgan with my network - that's you! She provided a little more context - they are obviously looking for someone with sustainability experience but are open to an up-and-comer who would be... Read more

Hi all, hope you're keeping safe and healthy. I'm thinking about protocols to put in place on jobsites related to COVID-19 in addition to our IAQ plans. Wondering if anyone's company has started to layout specific protocols, PPE, etc. and is willing to share.

What got me thinking was this article from Prof. Joe Allen at Harvard about... Read more

We are embarking on our first CLT projects (our at least we hope that they go that way). Would anyone with experience be willing to share some thoughts from the architect's perspective on things to consider, lessons learned, etc?

Save the Date: If you'll be in DC for AIA's Conference on Architecture or just happen to live nearby, hold 6:00–8:30 pm on Wednesday, June 5 for this event.

We have partners! This event will be hosted by ZGF Architects (on their lovely rooftop patio) in collaboration with US Architects... Read more

Who else missed Building Green’s annual April Fool’s issue?

Welcome to the quiz portion of Introduction to Fitwel Certification: On-Demand Webcast.

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


1.  Identify the different categories within Fitwel and the particular human health and wellness aspects.

2.  Describe the differences between Fitwel... Read more

We are looking into different building skin materials from including GFRC and FRP (amongst others) as alternatives to precast. I remember years ago (when I was at LAS) we had retrofitted a Federal Courthouse with FRP for blast resistance. I kind of remember that at the time it had some pretty high offgassing concerns. I haven't been able to... Read more