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
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
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
Basic page
Wellness is key to sustainable design. As more and more clients understand the value of healthy built environments, designers need to understand the various wellness rating systems available, and which would meet the project's goals and needs.
WELL and Fitwel have emerged as the two leading wellness rating systems,... Read more
Forum topic
Hi everyone! I saw that BuildingGreen won't be faciliating a meet-up in Atlanta but are there any other peers attending Living Future next week and want to self-organize? If we can find a venue - i wonder if there are any locals on this list with a recommendation? Could do Wednesday 7-8:30 between the two scheduled reception and after-hours... Read more
Forum topic
Hi, all. We missed you at the standing check in today. We have a couple of questions for the BG team:
1. What is the timing criteria you need for Best Practice content? We need to back into a deadline on submissions and believe your critical path timing will help define ours.
2. Can you elaborate on what LEED User/BG content may... Read more
Forum topic
I received this email from Cathy Higgins at NBI, and thought some of you may know the right folks who might be interested:
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Hi colleagues,
You are exactly the folks that might know a high-caliber person to join NBI’s team. We are looking for someone ideally based in California but could be elsewhere with... Read more
Forum topic
Dear Colleagues: A climate scientist family member who I respect deeply shared this youtube with me. I thought it was worth sharing with all of my GreenGuru friends. Let's keep on keeping on!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxgMdjyw8uw
cheers
Mary Ann
Forum topic
Hi everyone, on our SDL Regional Leaders call today we touched on how different offices are engaging with the Youth Climate Strike on Sept 20, and I offered to share a few resources that we've developed:
1) Here is our public-facing official statement/endorsement: https://www.vmdo.com/architecture-blog/vmdo-youth-climate-strike/?fbclid... Read more
Forum topic
HGA is collaborating with the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP) to research how the AE industry is currently using climate projection data, and what they need in order to grow their use of data. MCAP is currently producing a set of dynamical downscaled climate projections for the state of Minnesota and unlike other... Read more
Forum topic
Hey y'all,
Since it's now past September 8 when reporting was due, I'm thinking all those that were going to report as part of this round have now done so. I know AIA will assemble an industry-wide report, but I'm also very interested in the less polished conversation that allows all of us to trade experiences and just see how this went... Read more
Forum topic
Hi folks,
The team at DPR Construction has kindly agreed to host a reception and evening of presentations during the AIA Conference in San Francisco. If you'll be in the area, come join us Wednesday, June 7 from 6:00–8:30 for networking and fast-paced sharing of ideas.
The plan is to have a networking reception from 6:00-7:00,... Read more
Product Guide
CEUs are available for reading all the building-envelope product guides and primer. Click here to learn more and take the quiz.
Conventional excavation practices can harm ecosystems, while improper foundation and slab drainage can allow water to build up and compromise the structure and integrity of the building.
BuildingGreen-... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of LEDs: The Future is Here.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Restate the energy efficiency and long service life of LEDs.
2. Describe basic LED components and how, when assembled, they perform differently than traditional light... Read more
Forum topic
Does anyone have a Passive House detailing resource recommendation? Something that is applicable to wood over podium and/or metal framing construction? I have the book below but looking for something more applicable.
Passive House Details: Solutions for High-Performance Design 1st Edition
by Donald B. Corner (Author), Jan C.... Read more
Forum topic
Has anyone here been involved (taken or taught sessions) in the Healthy Materials Lab Online Certificate program for Healthier Materials?
https://healthymaterialslab.org/learning-hub/e-learning-online-certifica...
I'm thinking about having some of our staff take this course, especially those that don't have a background in... Read more
Forum topic
Happy New Year!
I haven't seen this topic come up in the forum, but might have just missed it.
I'm sure many of you have seen the recent article in Dezeen of Australia banning engineered stone due to links silicosis. Australia bans engineered stone due to silicosis risk (dezeen.com)
We are looking for appropriate... Read more