I'm in search of anyone who's done a LEED ACP Pilot Credit. It's unclear to me whether using one of these pathways replaces the way the base prereq or credit would function in the rating system being used by a project seeking certification or if it's a strategy to achieve Innovation in Design credits only. The documentation I've been able to... Read more

What do you specify for the laboratory countertop? Are there any healthier options I should suggest to my team? Thank you!

Hi all - Reflecting on the COTE Top Ten Awards and Lloyd Alter's recent article  https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/keep-aiacotes-its-time-scrap-aia-awards.html, I am curious how many local/state AIA awards programs have incorporated sustainability reporting metrics as a requirement for all awards submissions, not just for categories... Read more

Hi folks,

We have a really great webinar set up for Thursday, Oct 25 at 2pm eastern. This one is based on the 5-minute presentation from Heather DeGrella at the Summer Summit--our jaws were on the floor when she presented it there, and we were hungry for more.

Sign up here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/... Read more

Hi folks,

Here's a neat resource that just showed up. Pages 5-7 list exactly what kinds of activities could be covered by new federal funds, and what part of the legislation relates to each activity...

From USGBC:

With the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act, the Federal government has now approved $176 billion for K-12... Read more

Dear SD Leader Community: I'm excited to announce the 2021 Steedman Research Fellowship that provides $75K for international travel for recent architectural grads (within 8 years.) I have the honor of serving as this year's jury chair with a fantastic jur. The topic is "Disruption" (seems most appropriate.)

More details here: https://... Read more

Hi Green Gurus,

We are convening our first Regional Coordinators quarterly call Thursday, July 21 2-3pm ET (11am-12pm PT). Anyone who might be interested in this role is welcome to join. We’ll give you more specifics, answer any questions, and create our list of representatives for each region. We’ll finish by looking ahead at what to... Read more

Hey Gurus. Might anyone have experience, or thoughts, with regard to establishing an energy use baseline for a new advanced manufacturing facility we are working on for a regional technical community college? This type of academic facility is so relatively new, the program doesn't fall into the typical "College/University" building type from ... Read more

Hi All,

I want to share this report, released today, that I and some other folks on Green Gurus have been working on.  The report dispels the myth that Zero Energy Buildings cost more (specifically in Massachusetts) and it goes further, making the case that Zero Energy Buildings are actually great investments.  Take a look, tell us what... Read more

Hi All,

We are trying to make a case for hiring a full time sustainability specialist in our firm, and one of the arguments we want to use is that the ratio of sustainability specialists vs the ratio of full time employees in our company is quite low. That being said, I want to have an understanding of where other firms stand with this... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Raze or Retrofit? Six Extraordinary Answers to an Everyday Question.

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


1. Understand how the embodied impacts of renovation compare to those for new construction.
2. Provide three reasons why building... Read more

Hello all, 

Our firm recently signed onto the Material Pledge and while there is no reporting requirements at this time we are wondering how other architectural firms are, or plan to, report projects. 

Thanks for any insight that can be shared!

-Dave

Hello Green Gurus,

Back at the retreat in March 2021 (does anyone remember back that far?), we formed an Air Quality Working Group with members from SDL, SMEPL, and SCL. Drawing on our collective experience, standards, research, and other resources, we began navigating the murkiness of indoor air quality considerations. We came up with a... Read more

He just posted the following on the Building Performance Knowledge Community forum:

Does anyone have a recommendation for software that is easy to use and relatively inexpensive for doing energy performance analysis at the schematic design (or before) phase?  We are looking for a tool that gives good quantitative comparisons for... Read more