Explainer
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
EBN Advisory Board member Mike Nicklas led an international delegation of renewable energy experts in promoting sustainable energy at the Earth Summit last month. He and others were negotiating for inclusion of renewable energy and energy conservation measures into agreements being worked out for the United Nations... Read more
News Brief
At first glance,
An Environmental Handbook for Florida Contractors looks like it deals only with the environmental regulations that Florida contractors must contend with. And, indeed, the Handbook describes in detail the requirements for complying with regulations at the federal, state, and local levels. But the book goes much further,... Read more
Explainer
News Analysis
The City of Austin’s Green Builder Program was one of 12 award recipients in the United National Local Government Honours Programme at the Earth Summit in Rio, and the only winner from the United States. “The purpose of the Honours Programme is to recognize innovative local approaches to... 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
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
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
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
ICYMI, this washington post piece reminded me of our summit conversation last Friday about architecture's/SDL's role in reimagining the world post-covid through innovating our practice.
The article contains some compelling quotes from several visionary architects (fascinated that it's mostly big-A architects, largely bypassing input... Read more
Forum topic
Hey, all. Two questions:
-How do we communicate to you LEED User content that needs to be pulled through to BIT-user pages? Are you all going to assess each BP page for potential articles/topics that will be linked?
-Regarding the forums- is there a way to notify program staff when a forum has an unanswered question? Hoping to... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all,
We've had a number of clients in the states surrounding Texas that have been hit with really high natural gas bills for February. Some as high as $2.00+/therm. Many are healthcare facilities. Has anyone seen any federal, state, or utility relief programs that are assisting customers with these bills?
Thanks,
Adam... Read more
Product Guide
Indoor pollutants can cause health problems and disrupt HVAC system functioning.
BuildingGreen-Approved Filtration
BuildingGreen approves a variety of equipment, filters, and pre-filters that remove particulates and contaminants, minimize pressure drop, or reduce pollution from operations. Products include:
MERV 13 or higher... Read moreForum topic
Hi folks,
If you're registered for the Summit, you should have gotten this message from me separately, but I wanted to post it here too to be sure. It would be great if everyone coming from out of town could stay together! We've achieved critical mass in terms of Summit participants--this is going to be a great and impactful gathering!... Read more
Forum topic
Friends,
Might anyone be aware of research studies on the beneficial mental health effects of green buildings that you could point me to?
Thanks in advance.
Author
Ben Hewitt works behind the scenes to build and maintain BuildingGreen.com and LEEDuser. He brings with him over two decades of experience in his field. As an efficient problem-solver, his goal is to make the websites more user-friendly for his coworkers and designers and project teams using BuildingGreen’s resources.
Ben has proficiency... Read more
Basic page
A building project brings brothers back together, but a fast-moving storm challenges the project and the family.
Of storms & chins »
Whistleblowers alert state health agencies to possible foot fungus scourge... Read more



