A question for you, all input appreciated: What are some metrics and data points you all use to report out to your staff and leadership? I'm starting on higher-level analysis of our projects' performance by typology and through other lenses, and I wonder if you have found metrics or reporting points that are particularly impactful in your... Read more

We are working on a large healthcare project in Minnesota.  We're setting sustainability goals a bit late - no certification, but targets with accountability.  I'm working to determine recycled steel content (for structural steel and rebar), and I've gotten a bit of push-back on recycled content based on being in the region of the Iron Range... Read more

Hello Sustainable Community Design Leaders!

Let’s take a moment, introduce ourselves, and get to know each other and our work! Don’t forget to fill out your BG.com profile with your headshot and bio; this is how everyone across Green Gurus can see you in the Member Directory. 

I’ll kick us off! I'm RoseAnn, I also go by Rose, Peer... Read more

Sheathing should be designed for durability, but some sheathing materials can be toxic or may contribute to moisture issues inside the building envelope.

BuildingGreen-Approved Sheathing

Sheathing approved by BuildingGreen contains recycled content, rapidly renewable materials, or otherwise provides exceptional performance, such... Read more

Hi folks,

It's here! Highlights, key takeaways, and pics from our packed few days together in Ashland, Mass. in the 2023 Summer Summit report.

From the intro:

Effectively meeting the challenge of the moment is what the world needs from us. Being grounded and energized by connections and sharing with our peers in a safe... Read more

Jason F. McLennan

Welcome to the quiz portion of Designing Natural Ventilation.

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


1. Explain how natural venting and cooling potentials are realized in buildings.
2. Show how natural ventilation and passive cooling strategies can amount to increased... Read more

All - 

We have corporate clients that are starting to request antimicrobials in response to Covid-19. I assume we are not the only ones seeing an increase in these requests. Knowing that the evidence supporting antimicrobials has limited to no efficacy, how are you approaching these conversations? We want to continue to advise based on... Read more

The headlines are everywhere—from heat waves in Europe to wildfires in the Western U.S. to tropical cyclone flooding in Australia. In this age of climate change, just as there’s an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and other greenhouse gasses, we also need to adapt and invest in resilience.

Increasingly, owners are asking for risk... Read more

Hi all,

I see that this was a hot topic for the Winter Retreat this past year, but I am wondering how your firms manage standard materials across your practice. two aspects - standard specification items, and also designer choice materials. 

1. Do you have a spec baseline with high performance materials that you start with for all... Read more

I see Kjell Anderson, Mary Ann Lazarus and Daniel Overbey as the Green Gurus on this list - if i missed anybody apologies.

Congrats all around folks!

https://www.usgbc.org/articles/gbci-announces-2018-leed-fellows 

Built Environment Plus (was USGBC MA- aka Meredith Elbaum's band) has organized this awesome sustainability scavenger hunt.

It's fun. It's easy. Anyone can participate from anywhere - it's all app based, and it's a great way to get energized for Earth Day or week! And it's for a good cause, a fundraiser for supportive organization. Have... Read more

We have a client thats going through a TI remodel in a building thats a LEED Core+Shell certified building. One of the questions we are trying to figure out is are there things we need to be doing to not imperil the building's certification. 

I think the answer is that the landlord had to write tenant guidelines at the time of... Read more

Hello all, 

Many of you have been asking about the CC reporting template for 2023 projects. It is still in-progress, but we can promise a huge upgrade from the past couple of years. In particular, the new template is designed for ongoing project tracking over the course of the year (rather than purely documentaion after the fact).  ... Read more

Hello Green Gurus,

Here is the information for August's Peer Networks Webinar, A more Mindful Future: mindful MATERIALs plans for Digital Transformation through the Common Materials Framework. We hope you will join us!

Register HERE

A more Mindful Future: mindful MATERIALs plans for Digital Transformation through the Common... Read more

Hello - Other than hiring an acoustic consultant, I am wondering what in-house tools you are using internally at the design stage for modelling acoustic performance? 

Thanks, Mona

Wondering if anyone has a slide presentation on the Framework for Design Excellence that they would be willing to share (to present to students). Rather than defining my request as lazy I'd like to offer up the qualification of efficiency.