This webinar occurred Thursday, December 15.

Attendance confirmation closed Friday, December 30.

Whether it’s the flooding in Pakistan, the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian in Florida, or the record-breaking wildfire season in Europe, climate change is in the news daily. Just as there’s an urgent need to reduce... Read more

Hi all, has anyone come across a comprehensive (and recent) study looking at how long buildings actually last (beyond Stewart Brand)? I know of plenty that look at the benefits of reuse, but none that look at existing building stock and how much has been reused vs. demolished. 

As we start looking at embodied carbon metrics, I can't help... Read more

I hope this post finds you all well. Some news to share.  I have recently made a decision to leave Thornton Tomasetti with an eye toward finding another opportunity to use my 30+ years of green building experience, education, and advocacy to have an even larger impact on climate change. I am going to move slowly to ensure my next chapter is the... Read more

Recycled plastic paneling is an appropriate use for some of the various post-consumer plastic materials entering the waste stream—in particular, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from milk and detergent bottles.

BuildingGreen-Approved Panels

BuildingGreen approves plastic paneling products with high recycled content—in some cases... Read more

Dear SLD-ers,

We have a project team considering the use of copper cladding for a high profile project in Vancouver. The preference is to use pure copper that is pre-patinated and does not have additional coatings.

We are attending a CEU from the Copper Development Association to understand options and environmental impact, but we... Read more

Have any of you relied on Green Badger for LEED documentation on projects?

I am familiar with the tool and know Tommy from my time in Atlanta, but have not used it on a construction project.

Have you found value? Thoughts?

Either way, they publish a pretty nifty "LEED v4 Construction Tool Kit" that may be useful for your... Read more

Hi all,

HOK has ~75 WELL APs whose credentials will expire in 6-12 months, so we're starting to look into a more robust CMP program.  Do you have great sources of health + wellbeing education, particularly WELL-specific CEUs, that you would recommend (emphasis on free or very low cost)?  We are currently using GBES, BuildingGreen, and... Read more

Hi all! During our Contractor’s Commitment call last week Amanda made a great point about sharing of waste data to gain some realistic, current metrics. Just like I assume many of you, we have both seen a decline in successful diversion these last few years and our companies’ overall percentages have taken a hit. In an effort to gain a full... Read more

Hello, All!  I'm hoping for your help to keep a green roof on a project of ours.  We have a large healthcare project in the Midwest that is coming in over budget.  To avoid losing our extensive green roof, I'm looking for alternate sources of funding - grants, private sources, etc.  Has anyone gone down this path before and have shareable... Read more

Following the summer SDL summit - we formed a spinoff user group called "Carbon Sync" to discuss Life Cycle and Carbon Assessment tools like Tally and Athena.  We've had three successful calls with folks sharing a couple 5-minute presentations about various studies and explorations.  We have a mix of experience levels - but are collaborating... Read more

All,

Can anyone suggest a product for the following situation.  We are looking to insulate existing aluminum eterior column covers that have a three inch air gap.  The issue is there is no way to remove the covers without destroying them.  we would like to cut small holes, pump in the insulation  and then cap the holes.  Can anyone... 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

Hi SDLers: ESG Investing is mushrooming which is a very good thing. AIA National, for example, just switched over to 100% ESG investments. With it, there seems to be a growing number of "ESG-lite" options. I'm wondering if anyone among this informed group has recommendations on how to determine a quality investment approach. I'd appreciate any... Read more

Hi all,

For your planning purposes for next year, here’s info on in-person events coming up in 2024:

As you may remember, our Summer 2024 SDL Summit will be July 15-17, 2024 at IslandWood on Bainbridge Island! Tickets will be $1800, which includes the cost of meals and lodging.

We are excited to announce we will also be... Read more

Hi everyone,

I’d like to invite you to join this Friday’s webinar hosted by the Embodied Carbon Network: Using Whole Building LCA to Reduce Embodied Carbon within LEED and Beyond, and to follow up with a tool that I presented at this summer’s Architecture SDL summit, which ZGF has now upgraded and made free to the industry at large.... Read more

As with most office furniture, systems furniture can be made from unsustainable materials and use adhesives and finishes that emit formaldehyde or other hazardous compounds.

BuildingGreen-Approved Furniture

BuildingGreen approves furnishings that: