Explainer
News Analysis
It isn’t just environmental zealots who are up in arms about the U.S. Forest Service’s policies on managing the nation’s timber resources. The Association of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics has jumped into the fray—from the inside. Jeff DeBonis, the Association’s founder and executive director,... 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.
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
News Brief
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.
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
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.
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
Forum topic
Hello all,
I've been in communication with a few of you already, but for those who don't know me - my name is Jen and I'm a new member of the BuildingGreen team helping out with the Peer Networks. I've already been learning a lot, and I'm looking forward to getting to know the SDL Network and its members better!
Here are the... Read more
Forum topic
Ali Flynn and Alejandra Arce Gomez are planning a breakout meeting for the Waste Managment Group for all interested.
Please fill out the doodle poll below so that we can find a good time:
https://doodle.com/poll/qxd4zxrw9xzrxwc6
Ali and Alejandra have drafted an updated version of the Commitment for Waste (attached) after... Read more
Forum topic
Is anyone else working on a project doing Living Building Challenge v4.0 Energy Petal? We're working through the Imperative 08 Net Positive Carbon Resiliency Strategy requirements that ask for the project to be habitable for a week in the event of an emergency. We're curious how others are defining "habitable" and what systems assumptions... Read more
Forum topic
Hello Sustainable Advising Leaders!
We have another call coming up next Tuesday, March 17th at 1pm Eastern Time. Here is an agenda, Zoom call information is below.
We'll dive into getting to know each other better and also talk about the best path forward for this group.
Hope you can join us!
Jen
Join Zoom... Read more
Forum topic
Hello Green Gurus,
We’re happy to see the first round of summit registrations rolling in! We’ve had lots of questions about specific topics for the sessions. As usual, the agenda will be based on topics that are top of mind for you.
Whether you are already registered or not, please fill out the Pre Summit-Palooza Survey to help us... Read more
Forum topic
Has anyone pursued the schools Mold Prevention IEQc10 successfully and have format for the documentation created they would be comfortable sharing? Our contractor is excited about pursuing this credit but no on our team has pursued it before.
thanks in advance!
Forum topic
SDL
Glad to see some of you at the COTE event at our studio last week.
Has anybody heard of this company and technology? https://www.enverid.com
Thanks in advance, Zach
Zach Craun, WELL AP, LEED GA
Associate
COOKFOX ARCHITECTS, DPC
250 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10107
... Read more
Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
A site license allows your entire organization to access and share the report, and to keep a copy in your library. The site license does not allow multiple users to earn CEUs. If multiple individuals in your organization would like to earn CEUs from this report, please purchase individual copies.
The BuildingGreen Guide to Thermal... Read more
Forum topic
I'd love to hear thoughts from the design, consulting, and contracting firms in this group about ways to make our specs more inclusive, or at least less exclusive to minority and women owned contractors and subcontractors and others that have not had the benefit of what a recent "Equity in Specs" presenter termed the "Fathers / Brothers / In-... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of The Four Core Issues to Tackle for Resilient Design (And the Programs That Can Help).
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Use site-specific hazard analysis to evaluate a project’s resiliency demands.
2. Use climate change data to... Read more
Forum topic
Hive mind,
We recently learned that 3M has discontinued the production of their 3M Daylight Redirecting Film (https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/building-window-solutions-us/solutions/dayli...). This product was selected by an architecture client last year as the optimal daylight/glare control strategy for a school project, and we're assisting... Read more


