Author
With depth of thought and a broad view of the horizon, Candace Pearson can take a nuanced vision and sharpen it into focus, propelling the team around her forward. Operating in all three of BuildingGreen’s service offerings—publications, consulting, and peer networks—she finds pragmatic ways to fundamentally shift how we create our built... Read more
Quiz
The headlines are everywhere—from heat waves in Europe to wildfires in the Western U.S. to tropical cyclone flooding in Australia. In this age of climate change, just as there’s an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and other greenhouse gasses, we also need to adapt and invest in resilience.
Increasingly, owners are asking for risk... Read more
Forum topic
The Resilient Outcomes Working Group grew from a session at the 2020 Winter Summit in Gulf Shores AL, and we are still going strong. We are currently focused on three primary objectives: 1) bringing awareness to resilient design through a presentation at the GreenBuild 2024 Resilience Summit (we'd love to see some peer network friends at our... Read more
Forum topic
Hello Green Gurus! We are diving deep into our carbon metrics this year and are finalizing some of our emissions factors for our Scope 1 and 2 emissions and in a few more months Scope 3. I'm hoping this brain trust has some recent knowledge to share on this topic. What we've found is there's a fairly big variance in what we've seen in published... Read more
Forum topic
This question came to me via our mutual friend Josh Jacobs, but while interesting it's a bit out of my range of expertise...
In short, a critical materials assessment specifically focused on airbourne byproducts from a manufacturing process that would be first-of-its-kind in the U.S.
Required Emissions Details: Link to the 48C... Read moreForum topic
We are attempting to use Tally on a couple projects and are wondering how others are using the tool in their design process. If any experienced users out there would be willing to have a brief phone conversation I would appreciate it. Thanks
Forum topic
Hi all,
AGC is the biggest umbrella organization for general contractors in the states. To date, there has been practically no interaction between the SCL and AGC. In my mind, the SCL group is the most knowledgeable group of dedicated sustainability professionals out there; so is there a way that we can partner with AGC to collaborate ... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Designing Natural Ventilation.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Explain how natural venting and cooling potentials are realized in buildings.
2. Show how natural ventilation and passive cooling strategies can amount to increased... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all-
DiMella Shaffer is seeking a Sustainability Practice Leader! For the last 2.5 years, I have been setting the structure in place, making change, and providing thought-leadership as the first Sustainability Practice Leader (director level leadership) at DiMella Shaffer in Boston. It has been a fantastic firm to work for and this... Read more
Forum topic
Hello Green Gurus!
We are planning a virtual Show & Tell and Happy Hour for Oct. 30th 7pm - 9pm ET (4pm - 6pm PT) with a Halloween theme, bring your best costumes! We will hold presentations (virtually of course!) for about the first 1 hour and 20 minutes and then will transition to some fun Happy Hour festivities, sharing, and... Read more
Forum topic
How much does every designer need to know? How to support that basic literacy?
Guiding Questions:
Does requiring LEED-AP cover it? How do others create a shared literacy across the firm? How deeply to ask the designers to delve into technical subjects? (Or should they be paired with someone…) How do we shift the designers’ mindset... Read moreForum topic
Team,
See this paper regarding outside air vs. filtration.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132313002515
MERV-13 is a good way to get most benefits without a huge cost.
Best,
Luke Leung
Spotlight Report
Remember 2013? LEED version 4 had just been released to the public. Hardly anyone was using it, though—not only because they didn’t have to, but also because there just wasn’t a pathway to achieve many of the new credits in the rating systems. Especially the product-related credits in the Materials & Resources category, along with the Low-... Read more
Forum topic
Something we seem to be seeing a lot in our market recently are projects split into multiple packages - footing / foundation, C&S, and then later a TI package of CD's... mostly in an effort to speed up permitting and construction schedules. (Oftentimes with a contractor on board for a design / build approach).
My question to the... Read more
Forum topic
Hello all,
I am reaching out to this community as SMMA has a job opening for a Sustainable Design Analyst (like many of you recently posting job openings on this forum).
Here is the job posting link: https://smma.applytojob.com/apply/mah0aDkOJ0/Sustainable-Design-Analyst
Please note that this position will support... Read more
Forum topic
Dear All,
Greetings. On this Earth Day, I hope you're enjoying our planet's gifts and also giving your gift with reckless abandon.
As I take a short break to plan what I want to do next, this coming Friday, April 26, will be my last day at HKS. Maybe I will get a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy tattoo like Paula.
I... Read more