Glazing connects occupants to the outdoors, but with so many opportunities for air leakage, poor insulation, and thermal bridging, glazing is the primary weak link in building energy performance.

BuildingGreen approves glazing that offers strong energy performance properties for a variety of... Read more

Hi All, we have about 40 people in our network of Sustainable Construction Leaders.  These positions are not as numerous as they should be, and companies often have a difficult time applying a monetary value to what we bring to the table. 

Participating in the salary survey can provide insights that help us all interpret our relative... Read more

A colleague just pointed out an article about M-Fire. Its a factory applied fire inhibitor for wood construction. It's GreenGuard Gold but I can't find any real information. Have any of you heard of this or have any idea what it actually is? https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/construction-development/this-new-tech-will-stop-fires-before-they... Read more

Save the Date: If you'll be in DC for AIA's Conference on Architecture or just happen to live nearby, hold 6:00–8:30 pm on Wednesday, June 5 for this event.

We have partners! This event will be hosted by ZGF Architects (on their lovely rooftop patio) in collaboration with US Architects... Read more

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to share this report from the 2024 Sustainable Design Leaders Summer Summit.

As usual, this report contains no revealing information that would counter our "safe space" rule so that it can be shared publicly. Feel free to pass it along to anyone interested.

It's hard to capture such a rich event in... Read more

Wondering if anyone has a contact for good [sustainable] interactive water feature designer? A client is looking for a designer to add to our team and I figured this network would certainly have some insights. Project will be located in Omaha, NE. 

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

I wanted to post a reminder for you all that the Sustainable Design Leaders Summit will be kicking off with a Pre-Summit workshop in Seattle July 31st, 9am - 3pm. If you are interested in joining your peers for this workshop, please see the registration link below. Also, if you know someone in the Seattle area that would be good to have in the... Read more

Our high performance consulting team is frustrated by project teams that regularly fall back on outdated rules of thumb in their system and equipment sizing. 

What challenges do you face in your work flow to limit oversizing and promote right-sizing?

By the way, Roger Chang, our literature search on the subject turned up an eleven... Read more

Here are some EDI resources from our internal discussions about EDI. Please don't share them with any identifying information outside this group as they do not reflect our official policies, yet. The Social Justice Research Presentation shows some of the research we have done into Just., B Corps, Benefit Corporations and Global Reporting... Read more

Electrochromic glazing holds the promise of less glare and better energy efficiency with fewer moving parts. The reality is much more complicated and includes information you won’t... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Know Thy Client: 9 Un-Green Strategies for Delivering Better Buildings

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


1. Focus on a client’s values to drive sustainability solutions.
2. Define the quality of the work being delivered to underscore... Read more

We are looking to refine our general office specifications to weed out harmful materials and to prioritize sustainability for all of our clients. Have you had good experience with outsourced specification writers who are helping to push sustainability forward? Who do you recommend? Bonus points if they are familiar with Massachusetts codes and... Read more

Hi Everyone -

I just received this note from Don Horn at the GSA (Deputy Director, Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings):

"Here's another installment of our work to reduce emissions through GSA's actions. GSA issued a press release this morning announcing our new standards for low carbon concrete and environmentally... Read more

Hello all, I would like to share an upcoming Virtual and In-Person conference for NOMA (National Organziation of Minority Architects).  Non-members can register, but I encourage anyone to join the organization to support the organization's mission.

"NOMA’s mission, rooted in a rich legacy of activism, is to empower our local chapters and... Read more