Hello SDLs!

Many of you have internal research groups or internal grants to foster thought leadership in your firms.  We have run an annual research-innovation grant program for about the last 5-6 years.  Anyone in our firm is allowed to apply, submit their idea, the time/budget they need, define a deliverable and then a small group... Read more

Hi folks,

Mahesh announced today that he's leaving his position as CEO of USGBC, GBCI, and ArkScoru, effective Nov. 1. An interim CEO will be announced tomorrow.

I think that Mahesh did some great things for the organization(s)--and he had some really loyal team members. He could also be challenging to work with--as I learned... Read more

Know any awesome sustainability leaders within GC or CM firms? They can be at mid-sized or large construction companies—any firm in the ENR top 400 qualifies for sure, others might need some vetting. The key is people who have sustainability as the focus of how they spend their time--either formally by title or otherwise. 

We want to... Read more

Hi Gang, 

We are looking to implement the contractor commitment and are running into COVID-19 protocol barriers when looking at the Jobsite Wellness category specific to the soap as well as the food storage/eating areas on site. Anyone else run into this issue? 

-Kena 

Hi Green Commons,

It’s been eerily quiet here since Tuesday night. I’ve been quiet mostly because I just didn’t know what to say. The election results are certainly a blow to pretty much everything we’ve been working for. There is so much we don’t know about things might play out, but I’m feeling a range of emotions ranging from... Read more

Hi all -

I got this yesterday from Renew Oregon, a credible environmental NGO here in the state.

"A secretive special interest group has filed a petition at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to take “net metering” rules away from states and make it a federal issue.  Net metering is the program that allows homes and... Read more

Composite windows come in two basic types: fiberglass, and wood/plastic composite.

BuildingGreen-Approved Windows

Fiberglass and other composite window lines have NFRC unit U-factors of 0.20 or lower. Higher U-factors are allowed for products that include significant recycled content.

Manufacturers also must demonstrate... Read more

Hi folks,

We're kicking off a new way for us to collaborate as a network: monthly web-based conference calls. The first one will be on Friday, Nov 15 at 1:00 eastern time. The topic will be "Sustainability and the Small Firm: Practices in Transition" -- which is the name of the proposal James has submitted (and gotten first-round... Read more

Re: 310 CMR 78.00: Ban of Covered Products Containing Certain Flame Retardants. This law took effect as of April 01, 2021, and is enforced by Mass DEP. 

Quick Summary: Law bans 11 types of chemical flame retardants from... Read more

Fellow Sages,

I was at an interesting lecture last night. Phil Bernstein (formerly of Autodesk, now at Yale) was speaking (in Lawrence, Kansas, at the U of Kansas) about AI and design/AEC ... you may know that he authored the 2022 book, Machine Learning, about AI and the AEC field. 

Phil has a very interesting posture about AI... Read more

Greetings SDLs - I am looking for recommendations for VLT meters that folks have had sucess with (reliability, accuracy, etc.). Are there any that art partiularly useful when in the field for existing buildings? 

Many thanks,

JD

We have an environmentally-minded client who asked us to look into an alternative to the blue adhesive film that is typically used to seal uninstalled ducts for IAQ purposes. From a human health and waste perspective, they were hoping to find something that was both plastic-free and reusable. Has anyone tried out other options? I thought it was... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Why Post-Occupancy Review Is the Future of Design (And How It Can Serve You Now).

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


1. Explain the importance of post-occupancy evaluation (POE) for occupants and the opportunities in POE for architects.... Read more

Hi folks,

In case you know someone who might be right for this Seattle-area gig:

The position is a Senior Program Manager with CBRE on the Microsoft account working with Katie Ross, MS Sustainability Program Manager, to deliver their sustainability program to their real estate globally. 

Here is the posting: https://cbre.... Read more

Check out this new executive order. It is broad and includes a lot of items, but of interest to this group, there are some things in here that we pointed towards in our letter back from the beginning of the year, including 24/7 carbon-free electrical energy, a net-zero emissions portfolio by 2045 and net zero emissions from procurement... Read more

Hello Green Gurus,

Here is an exciting event we're planning for the end of the month!

Innovative Projects Showcase - “The Power of Collaboration”

A selection of your fellow sustainability leaders will showcase a few recent projects that exemplify integrative process and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Each presentation... Read more