BuildingGreen Report

Explainer

July 1, 1992
Curtain Trusses with Cellulose Insulation for a Timber Frame

Many timber-framers are aware of the problems with CFC-based foam insulation but continue to use urethane-core stress-skin panels because they haven’t found a better alternative. Well, here’s a technique adopted by a Massachusetts builder for low-budget timber frame homes. The... Read more

News Analysis

July 1, 1992
Disappointment at Rio

EBN Advisory Board member Mike Nicklas led an international delegation of renewable energy experts in promoting sustainable energy at the Earth Summit last month. He and others were negotiating for inclusion of renewable energy and energy conservation measures into agreements being worked out for the United Nations... Read more

News Brief

July 1, 1992

Energy Source™ Directory

Life has been a whole lot easier around the office since the

Energy Source Directory arrived. Assembled and published by Iris Communications, this is the most complete and most useful guide to specialized products and materials used in energy-efficient construction that we've seen. The 500-page directory is... Read more

News Analysis

July 1, 1992
Green Builder Program in Austin Recognized at Rio Summit

The City of Austin’s Green Builder Program was one of 12 award recipients in the United National Local Government Honours Programme at the Earth Summit in Rio, and the only winner from the United States. “The purpose of the Honours Programme is to recognize innovative local approaches to... Read more

Product Review

July 1, 1992
Syndecrete Pre-cast Concrete Aggregate

The company's promotional material is the epitome of environmentally friendly packaging—like a Ben & Jerry's annual report. The article reprints sent were even bound in a jacket made from corrugated cardboard. So we were quite intrigued by the product. Syndecrete™ is a lightweight, pre-cast,... Read more

News Brief

July 1, 1992

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 more

Feature

July 1, 1992

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

Susan Maxman is the first AIA president to make sustainable design a priority. 

July 1, 1992
Interview with Susan Maxman, President, AIA 20 June 1992

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

July 1, 1992

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

Op-Ed

Introducing the first issue of our newsletter.

July 1, 1992
Welcome to Environmental Building News

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

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.

July 1, 1992

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

Author

Forum topic

Apologize in advance if this has been posted before but we are trying to get manufacturers of stage curtains to give documentation that proves that the product does not have halogenated fire retardants. Manufacturers say they don't have them or concentrations are limited to 100ppm but they don't seem to have documentation to provide for it.... Read more

Forum topic

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much again to everyone who attended the Spring 2024 SCL Summit. The report is now available and is a public document that can be shared.

Please feel free to email me with any questions. Enjoy!

Forum topic

Hi Everyone,

HKS is looking for an energy analyst & systems design engineer for our Dallas office. If you know anyone that might be interested and qualified for this position, please send them our way!

https://careers-hksinc.icims.com/jobs/2428/energy-analyst-%26-systems-design-engineer/job

Thanks,

Ellen... Read more

Forum topic

Hi all!

NESEA's BuildingEnergy Boston is happening March 28-29 at the Westin in Boston's Seaport. Would anyone like to meet up there? There are a few happy hour-like events we could meet at in the Trade show space or I'm open to other ideas! Let me know if you're interested. Here is more info: https://nesea.org/conference/buildingenergy-... Read more

Forum topic

Hi all, 

Thank you to those of you who attended the Greenbuild Show & Tell! We had an incredible time and learned so much from the presenters -- thanks so much to each of you for sharing.

I am including the slides for some of the presentations below. Please be aware that we have permission from all of the following presenters... Read more

Quiz

Welcome to the quiz portion of Wood: What’s Good?

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


Define “biogenic carbon” and explain its implications for life-cycle assessment of wood products. List the benefits and limitations of seven types of structural wood products.  Understand how... Read more

Forum topic

Hi Green Gurus (esp. Sustainable MEP leaders...)

I'm looking for suggestions of contacts for MEP consultants, especially in the Chicagoland region, ideally with sustainability highly integrated into the work, specialization in geothermal systems, and indoor agriculture. (doesn't necessarily have to be all-in-one)

For context, we... Read more