Hello Everyone,

Here is the 2019 SCL Demographics Report, thank you to everyone who submitted responses. Enjoy!

The SCL Salary Survey Report will be coming next and please note that the Salary Survey is only distributed to those who participated.

All the best,

RoseAnn

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder that the first-ever Sages monthly call is happening tomorrow, February 13th, at 12pm ET! We'll be introducing ourselves to each other and discussing our visions for the network. 

Here is the agenda for the meeting, and below is the Zoom info: 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Designing for Future Weather (recorded webcast)

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


1. Understand the science of climate-change predictions.
2. Stay abreast of changing climate models.
3. Learn how to make use of future weather... Read more

Description: The places we live in can be enough to offer refuge to native plants and animals. We just have to be able to reintegrate the right native plant species, hosts to many declining insect and animal species, to an area once filled with them. This feature explores how we can build native gardens at various scales to protect and help... Read more

I'm looking into using solar shingles as a roofing option for a historic building renovation. Has anyone used them before and have any recommendations? I understand they won't be as efficient as traditional panels, but I'd like to figure out if it would be a worthwhile compromise to discuss with the historic commission, if necessary. Thanks... Read more

THIS WEBINAR PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.

Should housing be affordable? Or should it be sustainably designed, built, and operated?

When you put it like that, the question sounds absurd.

But the idea—usually unspoken—that sustainability wastes precious time and resources is painfully common in the... Read more

I'm hoping that some of you know someone with strong energy modeling skills who is looking for a job!  Moseley Architects is recruiting for a full time energy modeler (ideally either in our Richmond, VA or Raleigh NC office) to help us continue to press forward with understanding and reducing the energy impacts of our designs.  The job... Read more

So every year about this time I get to spend many lovely moments with our AIA 2030 Reporting data. In order to make the data useful the CBECS baselines/National baselines aren't great in telling us how we did.

For about half our 15 projects that we report in the average year - performing arts, convention, data science schools, etc - a... Read more

Hi SDL: Check out this great interview with Paul Hawken and  COTE members Gunnar Hubbard and Kira Gould. Lots of inspirational ideas about the importance of the built environment in carbon drawdown: 

Here's that link---

https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/aia-cote-in-conversation-with-paul-hawken_o

thanks.

... Read more

HI All,

I have been tasked with putting together a cost comparison of doing a LEED v4 Gold building vs. making that same building Passive House. Obviously they are two different systems, with two different outcomes, and it's not really intended as a total apples to apples cost comparison, but more a value comparison for a developer.... Read more

Hi all: I'm looking for experience, insight, or advice as it relates to ISO 14001. I know it is more popular internationally than in the US, and I am trying to ascertain if the the value-add is greater than the cost and effort. If your company is certified, or even if you have looked into it in any capacity, I would love to pick your brain.... Read more

Last summer I shared a request here for folks to take a survey we had open that aimed to understand how architects and engineers are (or aren't) using climate projections to inform design. This white paper, written in collaboration with HGA and the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, reports on the results of that research. ... Read more

Hi SDLers: See the great opportunity to weigh in on the 5th National Climate Assessment at a series of workshops in early 2022. 

Register here:

https://www.globalchange.gov/content/nca5-engagement-workshops?utm_sourc...

Hope all are staying well.

Mary Ann

I’m a volunteer member of the ASHRAE 209 ("Energy Simulation Aided Design for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings”) Committee.  Are you familiar with ASHRAE 209? It was first published in 2018, and it outlines a process for incorporating energy modeling into the design process. 

From the forward: 

 ASHRAE Standard 209... Read more

For those folks who are on our retrofit electrfication roadmap post-palooza-sub-sub-working group ;-) , I thought you might be interested in these three guides just released from BEI in collaboration with S. Winter Associates.

Here are the three Playbooks:

Hello all,

We are looking at ways we can use our specs to reduce toxicity in projects and one step towards that goal may be to require RoHS compliant lighting, switches, alarms, meters, etc., as required by the Small Electrical Components exception in the Living Building Challenge. Based on LBC projects I have been involved with, it... Read more

Hi all, are there requirements to include/submit backup documentation to the CC excel template? Or is it just the template itself that gets submitted? The question is coming up from our leadership over what documents are public vs internal.