Hi All,

Has anyone dug into ASHRAE 2016 as part of the new v4.1 requirements or as codes start to adopt it? I recently presented on this and thought I should check my math to make sure I'm understanding and communicating this correctly.

My understanding is that there is a new reference baseline, that is essentially the ASHRAE 2004... Read more

Passing on the request from USGBC Regional director:

" Ben Evans who leads our federal advocacy efforts is submitting a Greenbuild Session focused on the opportunities and challenges of the IRA. He is looking for practitioners who can speak to working to utilize IRA/IIJA programs and incentives. He seeks a real estate company/developer,... Read more

Does anyone have language from an RFP that had specific performance criteria included that they could share? Such as a specific EUI target, detailed language about net zero, passive house, etc.

Hello Hive Mind, 

We are exploring the sustainability attributes (or lack there of) of Pre-Engineered Metal Building Systems (PEMBS). These ubiquitous design-build structures often fly under the radar of green building design; they make up billions of square feet of construction globally and are steadily increasing due to speed of... Read more

I was wondering if any of you have experience with integrated PVs and/or solar glass. If so, can you could recommend manufactures for each? We are working on a multistory freestanding building in an urban site for a mid-Atlantic city. Because our site and roof area are limited we are looking to maximized the areas where we can generate power.... Read more

Hello all, excuse the blast and the short timeline -- while not explicity sustainability-related, this is a great way to connect with the future of the profession, and can be a great opportunity for SDL firms on the west coast (a number of SDL firms already participate), specifically in Tacoma, Olympia, San Francisco, Sacramento, or San Diego.... Read more

Hey everyone, HNY!

I'm looking for help in vetting the sustainability cred of uPVC polymer window systems, specifically as an altnerative to traditional PVC vinyl frames. We recenly had a presentation from Intus Windows, who claim that their uPVC frame systems have a low-toxicity profile and excels in performance for thermal efficiency,... Read more

Thanks to SERA especially David, Kira and Clark for an inspirational conversation with Paul Hawken about his latest book. I know I needed a positive perspective! Then I found this great "Regeneration Anthem" song and had to share.

https://regeneration.org/news/210915-we-can-change-world-regeneration-an...

Happy Fall to all.

We had these conversations grouped by size of firm. 

Guiding Questions:

Knowledge Management By Firm Size

How to give people the info they need, when they need it?

Is the COTE Top Ten a good framework?

This seems extremely daunting in a large firm. How do we manage content that is produced and shared... Read more

Hi Everyone.  Hope you and your families are all healthy and safe.

We are starting to figure out how we are going to implement the Contractors Commitment at my company, and we're using the opportunity to simultaneously set corporate wide and jobsite metrics and goals for sustainability tracking.

Each year we issue a sustainability... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Lighting Design for Health and Sustainability: A Guide for Architects​!

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


Describe how high-quality lighting design dovetails with sustainability by improving energy efficiency and supporting occupant health and... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of In-House Daylight Modeling.

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


1. Explain general daylighting theory and design.
2. Simulate towards better daylighting design.
3. Demonstrate how daylight modeling is used in practice.
4.... Read more

Tomorrow is my last day at FXCollaborative before I head back to school. It has been such a gift to engage with you all over the past 10 years. Please stay in touch - my contact information is ilanajudah@gmail.com. I am headed out to UBC next week to do a deep dive into resilience and adaptation in urban environments.

FXCollaborative... Read more

They say that Louisianans are often late to the party but enjoy catching up.  The state, which had been stuck on ASHRAE 90.1-2007 (commercial) and IECC 2009 (residential) and has just adopted legislation jumping to IECC 2021 / IRC 2021, and commits to automatic upgrades with each 3-year code cycle.  This means we join CA, OR, WA, MA, and VT--... Read more

I'm still basking in the glow of yet another great Summit. I hope others who were there are feeling the same.

Here are the flip-chart pages from the many round-table conversations. Five-minute presentations to come shortly, followed by the Summit Report.

Feel free to use this thread to share other resources and thoughts.

... Read more

Hi everyone!
I've seen a lot of claims over the years of living walls or planted buffers that can mitigate *outdoor* air pollution and have always assumed there's no real scientific basis for that idea, unless we're talking an actual forest that's 10s of feet thick. Am I wrong? Are there examples of living walls that actually have been... Read more

Valentina works on the UX/UI design and front-end of the BuildingGreen and LEEDuser websites. With over 10 years’ experience focused on websites usability, she develops prototypes and cross-browser web interfaces as part of the WebDev team. She also collaborates closely with marketing and editorial to create any other visual design project for... Read more