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
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
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
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
Forum topic
Has anyone used Insight for Revit to document the LEED Daylight Credit If so, would you recommend it?
Thanks,
_Ilana
Product Guide
Sheathing should be designed for durability, but some sheathing materials can be toxic or may contribute to moisture issues inside the building envelope.
BuildingGreen-Approved Sheathing
Sheathing approved by BuildingGreen contains recycled content, rapidly renewable materials, or otherwise provides exceptional performance, such... Read more
Forum topic
HGA is looking to fill several positions, including: a senior leader for resilience services and research, senior and junior simulation experts, senior and junior sustainability leaders. Please pass this along to anyone interested in working in a collaborative, passionate, and seriously fun team setting. Locations all over the country too.... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all!
I'm working on my first energy positive / passive house multifamily building and trying to figure out the trash/recycling chute. I am curious what solutions you have employed to make the trash chute air tight? We have excluded the whole chute from the envelope. Do you use airtight doors (and which ones?) at each floor trash/... Read more
Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
In this live webinar on the sustainability of wood construction, we tap the expertise of leaders in the field and look into three main issues:
The importance of certification The complex issue of embodied carbon Wood legality:... Read moreForum topic
Hello Green Gurus, here's a reminder that this webinar is happening one week from today!
Register here.
Sustainable Community Design Leaders: Who we are, What we do
Tuesday, February 16th, 2021
3 - 4pm ET (12 - 1pm PT)
Description: Join this live webinar to learn about the brand-new Sustainable Community Design... Read more
Forum topic
is anyone aware of some guidance about citation protocols for when a person/team/org uses an AI tool to generate some base components for a report (which is then heavily edited by humans)?
I'm inclined to disclose in detail which tools were used and how ... but would love to know if there are some industry protocols shaping up about this... Read more
Author
Amanda is BuildingGreen's Peer Networks Manager, working behind the scenes to support the Peer Networks team and members. They are passionate about sustainable design and love helping people find tangible ways to help the planet.
Prior to joining BuildingGreen in 2023, Amanda was a campaigns coordinator at a food justice... Read more
Forum topic
We have several projects that are small enough that we don't hire consultants to run energy models. I just received permission to do some training so that I can run these models myself. I am looking at doing this training on eQuest:
https://www.udemy.com/course/equest-energy-modelling-detailedtraining/?c...
I am thinking it would... Read more
Forum topic
Hi folks,
As you may know, this network is part of a family of Sustainability Leader Peer Networks that BuildingGreen hosts. They each have their own private forum, and there is also a shared cross-network forum called "Green Gurus."
Those of you have already paid in to be part of this network moving forward have automatically... Read more
Forum topic
Hi Green Gurus!
We are looking for fearless leader to lead Sustainability for our Technology Division. This would be the client-facing role at the forefront for our $2B+ annual portfolio with all the giants - Microsoft, Meta, Apple, Google, Rivian, etc. It is a remote role with occasional travel. The job description is attached.
... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all,
As follow-up to the summit, I’m attaching a draft letter on MEP embodied carbon written by our group (Luke, Kristy, Adam). The goal is to start a dialogue with manufacturers to include embodied carbon info for major equipment. Will explain more on the call. Please read in advance if you get the chance!
Thanks!
Forum topic
Hey team,
We're working with some institutions in the midwest that are trying to understand what kind of partnerships they could build with architectural salvage enterprises as they demolish many buildings to elevate land uses. I'm not overly familiar with the midwest market. Does anyone have any good circular economy / architectural... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of "Spec This, Not That: Avoiding Toxic Chemicals in Commercial Building Projects"!
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
