Hi, all.

Has anyone used Unicel's Timber Curtain Wall System? It uses engineered glulam wood mullions on the inside with aluminum mullion caps / butt joints. Has anyone gotten close to using it, but couldn't get it procured for a particular reason? They note up to 72% more energy efficienct than a conventional aluminum curtain wall and... Read more

Seeking Pros/Cons, Feedback/Commentary about signing the US Architects Declare Commitment. 

https://us.architectsdeclare.com/

Reviewing against the "shoulds" and "shalls" of the 2020 AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct ... and other commitments that are out there ... any feedback welcome.

Tips for how your workflow... Read more

Team SCL,

This was a tough week. My husband coined a phrase "20% laid off."

Unfortunately, 50% of our business is currently impacted by governmental orders stating that our work is non-essential. This is bitter-sweet. I certainly want people to be safe, but we've had to make some tough decisions and in the geographies that were... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of The Building Envelope: Primers from Environmental Building News.

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


1. Explain how thermal mass helps maintain indoor thermal comfort in buildings.
2. Describe the differences between closed-cell and... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of The Beneficial Intersections of Energy, Resilience, and Health.

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

1. Determine and communicate the financial benefits of energy efficiency, climate resilience, and occupant health and wellness.

2. Understand how... Read more

I read a very misleading article on the AIA's website today regarding antimicrobials and the benefit of microbicidals in paint. It was written by a manufacturer, not a healthcare professional, and was not obviously labeled as sponsored content on the website. (I received the link in an email, which did label it as such).

https://www.aia.... Read more

Jill is a mission-driven leader who loves working with people, solving problems, and strengthening the infrastructure of values-driven organizations that are committed to having a positive impact in the world. 

She brings decades of experience analyzing and understanding the value of operational efficiency across a variety of... Read more

Hi!

I'd love to hear what you all--especially the New Yorkers--think about the newly adopted gas ban. Is this the bill we were hoping to see? Any concerns or questions?

One question I have--maybe just reveals my ignorance--but it seems to leave the door open to steam hookups, which I guess are still an option through much of... Read more

I'm sure many of you remember when Greenbuild 2020 was scheduled for the week of the presidential election and if was shifted back one day. 

If anyone has small kids and have gone to book your Greenbuild 2022 travel, you've potentially noticed (as I have) that I'll have to travel on 10/31 and will miss all Halloween activities with my... Read more

Embodied carbon in products and existing buildings. What does LCA tell us about renovation vs. new construction and material choices?

Guiding Questions: 

I have a request from an Architecture firm to do a Fitwel Core and Shell certification.  I don't do that type of thing - anybody out there interested in this type of work?

Respond here or just email at me annehicksharney@gmail.com.

Greetings, SDL network - We are attempting to resolve an issue with how data center projects calculate baseline EUIs for the AIA 2030 Commitment and could use some help from this network. With projects that comply with code prescriptively (i.e. not energy modeled), we have found the default baseline assumptions within the DDx platform are not... Read more

Hi All,

I've been signed up to give a Green Building Rating Systems overview presentation to Clean Energy Interns this summer.  I thought I'd reach out and see if anyone has an updated overview presentation like this already pulled together that they'd be willing to share. It's been a while since I've given a presenation on this topic. ... Read more

Hi all,

Here's a good follow up to Maria's steel question on Monday.  We have a Midwest project that unfortunately (from a carbon perspective) is required to use a traditional, thick precast facade.  We’re working with the contractor and potential future (not yet bid out) fabricators to determine an appropriate % of pozzolanic material... Read more

Curious what people's 'best' experiences or recommendations are for load calculations and energy modeling regarding electrochromic glazing... hoping I can lean on others as it's just now becoming more of a talking point in our market here in Omaha. 

Specific questions including whether load and energy modeling software are separate (... Read more

Hey everyone,

This is a quick note to say I am retiring at the end of this month and will be taking a hiatus from the SDL group. I will no longer be practicing architecture, but I will remain active in efforts to preserve the wonders of this world for future generations.   

To all my SDL sisters and brothers (I don't always sound... Read more