Welcome to the quiz portion of Passive House on Campus: Eight Exemplary Projects​!

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


Explain the primary reasons that higher-education projects are pursuing Passive House certification, including its impact on the environment and occupant health... Read more

This question of what equity looks like in project design is one I have been musing on for a while now, and I was excited that several of us were able to talk about it at the SDL Summer Summit earlier this month.  That conversation has prompted me to post here, asking what all of you think equity looks like in project design... with a few... Read more

Would anyone have an example LEED Homes v4 specification they would be willing to share?  We are working on our first LEED Homes project, a midrise low income housing development here in Houston.  We have a LEED Homes provider, but she will not provide the specifications, which seem to be quite different in requirements and submittals from our... Read more

Hello all, 

Our firm recently signed onto the Material Pledge and while there is no reporting requirements at this time we are wondering how other architectural firms are, or plan to, report projects. 

Thanks for any insight that can be shared!

-Dave

Hi everyone,

As designers who sometimes work in the field of healthcare, we occasionally like to gather data about both current attitudes and future possibilities. Steffian Bradley Architects would greatly appreciate your participation in our 2018 survey by completing the questionnaire linked below.

All responses are anonymous to... Read more

Sustainable Design Leaders in NYC

New York City has been discussing implementing PACE Financing for years but has not taken action. Over 48 municipalities in New York State have PACE financing for Commercial (including multi-family) properties, it's time NYC does as well. I recently learned from colleagues in the City that all of the... Read more

Hi All,

I wanted to pass on a few cool things we have going on at Built Environment Plus (formerly USGBC MA)  I really am conscious of not spamming you often and reserve posts for some of our most exciting happenings.

August 5, Building Tech Forum/MaterialsCAN: Getting to Zero with Embodied Carbon. Featuring 13 5-minute... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of LEED 2012 Second Public Comment Period Opens.

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


1. Recognize the emphasis on making language more cleanly worded (while maintaining overall intent and requirements) and the focus on dividing sections by topic... Read more

Hello Green Gurus,

Back at the retreat in March 2021 (does anyone remember back that far?), we formed an Air Quality Working Group with members from SDL, SMEPL, and SCL. Drawing on our collective experience, standards, research, and other resources, we began navigating the murkiness of indoor air quality considerations. We came up with a... Read more

Are you ready to share the story about your best projects?

AIA COTE Top Ten Awards is a great way to get recognition for your best work and the call for submissions for the 2024 cycle is now open!

The awards cycle has shifted, and the deadline for the 2024 awards is October 26.

So NOW is the time to pull together... Read more

I'm teaching a LEED GA study group and was rambling on the differences between CIR and precident-setting LEED Interpretation (that gets posted in the addenda library and all). Then I went onto LEED Online and was showing how those are submitted... but can't actually figure out how a LEED Interpretation would be submitted. Has anyone done this... Read more

The LBC v4.0 materials imperatives for Responsible Materials (Core) & Responsible Sourcing require a majority of wood materials (by cost) to be FSC. Sure. But what is - or isn't - considered wood? The Clarification page for the imperative's scope and a key definition poses a perplexing conundrum: 

"All wood included in the Materials... Read more

Engineered wood efficiently utilizes fast-growing, small-diameter trees.

When sourced from responsibly managed forests, engineered wood can store carbon that would otherwise enter the atmosphere, and can replace high-embodied-carbon concrete and steel in some structural applications.

Engineered wood products can also provide a... Read more

Dear SDLers,

I wanted to share that Canadian Architectural Professionals declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency and Committed to Urgent and Sustained Action. The declaration was launched last Friday as part of a week of events surrounding the UN Climate Action Summit in New York. Like others around the world, the week of global... Read more

THIS WEBINAR PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.

Whole-building life-cycle assessment (WBLCA) can help project teams reduce embodied carbon as well as many other environmental impacts of building materials. And it’s incentivized in LEED and... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Shoebox Energy Modeling.

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


1. Explain the difference between a shoebox model and a whole-building energy simulation.
2. Approach shoebox modeling according to project type and software tool.
3.... Read more