Hi: SD Leaders.  It was so nice to see so many of you at Greenbuild in Chicago. By now I'm sure all have seen the announcement of the release of the Fourth National Climate Assessment Report vol 2. (https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/) It's well worth a deep read - so much important and extremely informative material. I want to draw your... Read more

Hi All,

Polling the group to see if anyone has experience with Simergy - an e+ based modeling tool?

The tool appears to have features and integration with a lot of e+ plugins that make it attractive - but i haven't heard of its widespread use.

Is anyone successfully using Simergy?

Hi everyone,

The Summer 2024 SDL Summit on-site lodging (including shared and private rooms) is now full. However, we are excited to announce that we’ve introduced a limited number of commuter tickets for the Summit. If you missed registration for tickets with on-site lodging, you can still attend the Summit by arranging your own lodging... Read more

Hello Sustainable Construction Leaders!

I have an exciting announcement today, fall Peer Network events are now open for registration! You can see all the event details and register here!

Based on feedback we received from past events and the most recent surveys, we decided against doing one long week of events for this fall and... Read more

Hello, Sustainability Leaders! 

I’m excited to be sharing a virtual hello to this network more formally (waving, big yellow energy, sparkle emoji - all of the above). If we’ve yet to meet, I’m so looking forward to chatting down the road. I’m Jill Maltby-Abbott, BuildingGreen’s newest team member. I'm working most closely with Brent,... Read more

An elevator system can account for 4%–10% of a building's electric energy load, without considering impacts on heating and cooling. Conventional finishes are also common.

BuildingGreen-Approved Systems

We approve the most efficient tension elevators from leading manufacturers, including models that incorporate:

Hey Gurus:

I have a client who is interested in reporting to their superiors on the status on energy codes in different states across the US. They are hoping to find some kind of summary that might show relative costs for HVAC systems under the various energy codes in effect across states. They are also interested in data that is... Read more

Great career opportunity to make an impact on existing buildings and emissions reductions. City of Seattle will be hiring a full time Building Emissions Reduction Technical Advisor. Closing date to apply is August 6. Please share if you know someone who may be a candidate.

Description from city of Seattle:
Want to influence large... Read more

We just heard from one of our more progressive clients that they are pulling Mohawk from their shelves and are no longer allowing it on their projects. Apparently there are some chemical ingredients they objected to, but more importantly the manufacturer "lied" to the client about the content. Does anyone have an idea what this might be about?... Read more

Does anyone have any research studies they could share on the effect of construction/renovation noise and activity on employee productivity?  I'm trying to make a case for the measurable negative impacts of having ongoing renovation construction activity in an office environment.  Thanks!

Welcome to the quiz portion of Rethinking the All-Glass Building.

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


1. Describe eight reasons all-glass buildings are so popular in architecture today.
2. List the four elements Arup examined in their modeling of the effect of... Read more

Both Z Smith and Lois Vitt Sale have been notified that they have been elected to the College of Fellows of the AIA, class of 2018.

Please join me in congratulating Z and Lois, and post here if you know of others who can now carry the FAIA label.

Well done guys!

Register now for the next two quarterly SCL calls, brought to you by members of the Steering Committee! These calls are just for SCL members, topical for construction leaders, and hold space for us to learn directly from each other. See you there!

Everything You Wanted to Know About EVs, but Were Afraid to Ask

Monday, March 7th at... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Designing for Future Weather (recorded webcast)

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


1. Understand the science of climate-change predictions.
2. Stay abreast of changing climate models.
3. Learn how to make use of future weather... Read more

SmithGroup is hosting Metropolis Magazine for a “Think Tank Event on Waterfront Redevelopment and Urban Resilience”.   While the event is in our office, if you're not in DC, it will also be broadcast live on Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/events/1299577320146259/) Feel free to share this invitation with others.  Information about the... Read more