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
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
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
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
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
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
We are working on a Core & Shell project with a developer that we work with frequently. I'm looking for advice on best approaches to achieving the Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment credit- we haven't used TALLY and done this type of analysis before. What are some approaches to achieving this credit that others have found successful? I... Read more
Forum topic
Folks,
In case any of you enjoy the Phoenix weather, I wanted you to be sure to know that our company, Sundt, which is headquartered here is looking for a sustainability director to lead up our efforts. This comes after two years of work and hiring a consultant (Brightworks out of California) to help us prepare and take the next steps. I... Read more
Forum topic
Are your firms discussing the health effects of silica dust on people working with engineered stone and the recent announcement of the upcoming ban in Australia, as of July 2024?
https://www.dezeen.com/2023/12/14/australia-bans-engineered-stone-silico...
According to the article, a recent report says that there is no safe level of... Read more
Forum topic
Hello everyone,
I wanted to let you all know that I'm no longer at Bergmeyer and have moved on to a new position at Sustainable Brands as of this week. As a non-architect/non-designer, it's always meant so much to me how readily I was accepted into this group and how much of your knowledge and expertise you willingly shared. As is the... Read more
Forum topic
Hi Friends - I'm sure you've started to see news and posts from personal contacts about the shortage of masks, gloves and other PPE for hospital workers. Our company GCI General Contractors is pulling what we can to donate locally. Please urge your leadership to do the same! I just talked with a dear friend who is an infectious disease... Read more
Forum topic
For those that missed Z's subtle mention of this a few weeks ago, Bora finally decided sustainability is important enough to have someone dedicated full-time to it, and then went out and got one of the best:
https://bora.co/bora-hires-sustainability-director-corey-squire/?tax=all-posts
I've been sharing Corey's thoughts on... Read more
Product Guide
Choose a photovoltaic (PV) system to fit your energy needs, budget, and the space you have for installing the modules.
BuildingGreen-Approved PV
BuildingGreen approves PV modules that have high warranted minimum power ratings and high PTC (PVUsa test conditions).
Building-integrated PV (BIPV) products approved by... Read more
Forum topic
Like everyone we’re struggling with the tight labor market. We’re not looking to poach. What we have found previously are individuals that have a passion for high-performance buildings but aren’t working on them in their current role for one reason or another.
Openings include:
Project Manager 3-5 years’ experience on... Read more
Forum topic
Hello, folks! We recently had contact with Northeastern University about sand. I know it sounds ... dry. But sand shortages are a serious issue globally and are leading to criminal activity everywhere and even "sand mafias" in poorer nations without resources to enforce mining laws.
The ask from Northeastern is that BuildingGreen amplify... Read more
Forum topic
Greetings all, and welcome to all those who already introduced themselves! My name is Steven Burke and I am a Sustainability Manager at Consigli Construction in Massachusetts. We are East Coast only, but we have a few offices from DC up to Maine. I’ve been helping Jenn and Nadav get this group up and running, and I’m relatively new to the... Read more
Forum topic
I'm sure we'll learn more soon, but several people have asked on various platforms about how Betsy del Monte is doing (she lives in Asheville, NC, which was hard hit by Hurricane Helene).
I had a brief text exchange with her on Saturday 28 September, and I feel sure that she would be OK with my sharing it with you all:
We’re... Read more


