Product Review
To the best of our knowledge, this product is now being marketed under the name Rauhsaser by Better Wall System of Kenora, ON.
CoverAge is a tacky name for a great product that all remodelers should know about. It is a paintable, textured wallpaper that’s made entirely of recycled paper (at... Read moreNews Analysis
The recent ruling to allow logging on several thousand acres of old-growth forest in western Oregon was portrayed in the national media as a blow to environmentalists, but the action may not prove so damaging in the end. While the ruling permits logging on 13 of the 44 sites that were under consideration by the so-... Read more
News Analysis
A study published in the June 5, 1992, issue of
Science by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Arizona suggests that smoke emitted into the atmosphere from human activities may be having a significant effect in counteracting... 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
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
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
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
Not a green design question but a green firm design question... Finalizing the renewal of our Just certification, we're taking a fresh look at all our benefits & policies. We have already reviewed industry-wide survey data (AIA and PSMJ) but are interested in how the firms we admire (i.e., *you*) are approaching benefits in the transformed... Read more
Forum topic
Overland Partners is looking for a Sustainable Design Analyst with 2+ years of experience working with teams to implement sustainability strategies and building performance simulation.
More details here: https://www.overlandpartners.com/careers/sustainable-design-analyst/ Please pass along if you know of someone who may be a good fit... Read more
Forum topic
My dear collegues,
As I'm sure is true for many of us, the events of the past weeks (months/years/decades...) have emphatically reinforced to me the need for a radical shift in how we meaningfully address JEDI in what we do. One (admittedly small) step I've been thinking about are the statements of reconciliation that have become more... Read more
Forum topic
Hello All,
ASHRAE and ICC released a draft standard for operational and embodied GHG evaluation. It's on a fast track to be completed in time for the next code cycle. This 30 day advisory draft includes dozens of questions looking for feedback from experts like all of you. Please take a look and provide comments. I've uploaded the... Read more
Forum topic
I'm so excited to share that the call for submissions is now open for 16cubits, a design festival and competition for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, to take place at Berkeley’s Urban Adamah in October 2024.
Please share with anyone you think might be interested! Our hope is to create a forum for builders, designers, and architects to... Read more
Author
Mark oversees strategic marketing and product development for BuildingGreen. In this role, he works closely with our Editorial, WebDev, and Consulting teams to conceive, plan, direct, and budget integrated marketing programs that support our outreach and meet customers’ needs.
Joining BuildingGreen in late 2021, Mark brings... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all,
Internally in our organization, we seem to have plenty of horizontal (infrastructure) resiliency expertise, but I'm finding the vertical resources to be lacking. I'm hoping to build a collection of beginner- to intermediate-level resources to help guide practice/design standards for our reference. Any pointers on good info... Read more
Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
ON SALE NOW - for a limited time, get the Guide for $69.00
If you are interested in sharing this guide within your organization and adding a copy to your library, please purchase the guide's site license. The site license permits the purchaser to share the PDF Guide file within their company/organization and post it on their... Read more
Forum topic
Hello friends,
Here’s another upcoming event that BuildingGreen has been hiding up our sleeve: a San Francisco Bay Area Mini-Summit! A summary is below, see the registration page for more details or to sign up. This event is intended for SF locals, so folks who work farther afield can join, with the knowledge that Bay Area-specific... Read more
Forum topic
Hello,
Does anyone have experience with USGBC's Green Training Pilot Credit, and/or use of an innovation credit for subcontractor training? I was going to propose training to our subs on becoming an EnviroStars Businesses (WA Green Business Program) and also tie in the Sustainable Contractor's Commitment/project goals.
Since... Read more
Forum topic
Love the profile of Anica as the "featured member" on AIA's website--congratulations, Anica!
It's great to see the "just do it" attitude to achieving the 2030 goals: "We do not rely on clients to tell us to design a high-performance building; we are going to do it anyway, it's our job."


