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
Explainer
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
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
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
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
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
Forum topic
Check out Fast Company's new list of innovative architecture firms with Perkins + Will and NBBJ at the top with great sustainability tag lines.
That's a great demonstration of the mainstream importance of sustainability!
Congrats to all.
Here's the link: https://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2018/sectors/... Read more
Forum topic
Just saying "Hello" and happy to be joining the SDL peer network. I am leading the effort at Integrus Architecture (Seattle and Spokane) to integrate performance and design and am looking forward to learning how others are accomplishing the same.
Forum topic
SDL folks,
I wanted to make sure that you all saw that the call for presentations is open for AIA Houston’s Gulf Coast Green conference. GCG is the leading sustainable design conference in the region and has historically had some great participation from this group. The theme this year is Sustainability + Technology. Details here:... Read more
Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
A site license allows your entire organization to access and share the guide, and to keep a copy in your library.
Avoiding Toxic Chemicals in Commercial Building ProjectsWe’re excited to be releasing the 2020 edition of Spec This, Not That.
... Read more
Basic page
Use BuildingGreen campus-wide to integrate the latest innovative building technologies into course content.
Sign Up Now for a BuildingGreen Campus-wide Subscription... Read moreProduct Guide
Water and electrical metering and submetering equipment provide valuable diagnostic information and verification of building energy and water usage.
Measuring Water Use
The Alliance for Water Efficiency recommends metering all new connections, retrofitting meters onto existing unmetered connections, and submetering all new... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of The Product Transparency Movement: Peeking Behind the Corporate Veil.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Describe an EPD, naming at least six characteristics that it attempts to quantify.
2. Explain what the HPD Open Standard... Read more
Forum topic
Hey gang,
We're working on a project that's currently designed as mass timber. We're up against some cost control efforts (of course) and the CM/Client is asking about changing some of the building to steel or green steel. We set out with a goal on the project that within the core and shell, Module A GWP emissions will be net zero.... Read more
Forum topic
Thanks to SERA especially David, Kira and Clark for an inspirational conversation with Paul Hawken about his latest book. I know I needed a positive perspective! Then I found this great "Regeneration Anthem" song and had to share.
https://regeneration.org/news/210915-we-can-change-world-regeneration-an...
Happy Fall to all.
... Read moreForum topic
Hello all!
I'm new to the group, and so excited to be here. Two part question here (as we think about processes and new year goals).
I am at a smallish firm (20 people) in Boston helping to reform our processes to enable even those that are not steeped in sustainability at a daily level to be comfortable looking for opporutunities... Read more



