Hello friends,

Recently, as part of the AIA 2030 working group discussion – a topic came to light that was a conversation among (I believe) the SDL subset of our community, on a topic that is my personal obsession and daily focus – so I wanted to pipe up and share thoughts. BUT I want to respect the safe space, so if those of you in SDL... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of The Urgency of Embodied Carbon and What You Can Do About It​​!

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


Define “embodied carbon” and explain why embodied carbon is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, which threaten health and safety... Read more

Hi all, hope you're keeping safe and healthy. I'm thinking about protocols to put in place on jobsites related to COVID-19 in addition to our IAQ plans. Wondering if anyone's company has started to layout specific protocols, PPE, etc. and is willing to share.

What got me thinking was this article from Prof. Joe Allen at Harvard about... Read more

I've written waste and recycling policies many a time before for both construciton and operations... but in a volunteer committee application this morning, the maintenance team got bogged down on "how do we collect recycling without plastic bags" question. I told them there's not any kind of plastic bag that I'm aware of which can be thrown... Read more

Hey all,

I got plugged into this group about two weeks before GreenBuild and wasn't able to make it to the summit. I'm still catching up on all the work this group has been doing recently, but I know one of the big ticket items is the SCL Contractor Commitment. 

I've read through the commitment that was posted right before... Read more

Has anyone used the new 3M Smog-Eating Granules on a roof before? Malarkey and Soprema are offering this as an option for their roof shingles. Seems like a great technology for urban areas, but I'd be curious to see if anyone here has actually successfully specified and installed it.

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/roofing-granules-us/... Read more

Live webinar tomorrow (link available after for viewing any time)

Tomorrow at 3pm EST will be the first in the series - mid-sized firms who successfully met the 2030 targets in 2019. 

Lessons learned and sharing stories. 

https://2030secretsofsuccess.eventbrite.com

Looking for an example or case study for a building utilizing a radiant heating/cooling in climate zone 4a. General use type is office with some public assembly spaces, total of 85,000 sf.

As usual, everyone, especially mechanical engineer, is terrified by the thought of "condensation." So far, I read a DGWW case study, "Energy... Read more

Hi All! 

We have had a few multi-family projects consider this single package vertical unit with integrated ERV, but we haven't pulled the trigger for fear of the unknown. Our local engineers aren't sure how it actually performs and worry it may not meet code requirements for separation between exhaust and intake. Has anyone else used... Read more

Anne Hicks Harney, FAIA, has more than 30 years of experience, focusing on high-quality design imbued with a solid technical and sustainable foundation. At Long Green Specs, she provides sustainability-focused construction specifications and building material expertise to architectural firms across the country. She was chair of the AIA... Read more

Sitting in SFO after an exhausting but also weirdly refreshing Greenbuild. Saw many of you at the Peer Networks event, which was so awesome!

Before my flight boards, I wanted to let folks know we're seeking a new Editorial Associate. It's pretty entry level with lots of room to grow. If you know a talented writer who's got background in... Read more

Happy Monday all!

i am looking for ROM on cost premium for LEEDv4 to go from Gold to Platinum and from Gold to Net Zero, anyone have any stats?  just looking for % premium.  Our projects show around 1% to get to Gold but not sure what it looks like above that.  Thank you!

The High Performance Buildings Database (HPB) provides case studies of projects ranging from homes and commercial interiors to large buildings and even whole campuses and neighborhoods. These may be certified green projects, or simply projects that have one or more notable environmental features. We review each published case study to focus on... Read more

Engineered wood efficiently utilizes fast-growing, small-diameter trees.

When sourced from responsibly managed forests, engineered wood can store carbon that would otherwise enter the atmosphere, and can replace high-embodied-carbon concrete and steel in some structural applications.

Engineered wood products can also provide a... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Ten Strategies for Growth in a Recession.

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


1. Understand the importance of diversifying.
2. Restate the benefits to doing energy-modeling analysis very early in the design process.
3. Discuss how... Read more

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to share this report from the 2024 Sustainable Design Leaders Summer Summit.

As usual, this report contains no revealing information that would counter our "safe space" rule so that it can be shared publicly. Feel free to pass it along to anyone interested.

It's hard to capture such a rich event in... Read more

Hi,

Has anyone used a sustainable product that complies with the EQc Low-Emitting Materials requirement that is a general construction adhesive similar to Liquid Nails? I've checked the Mindful Materials website and can't find anything. I found Red Devil General Prupose Construction Adhesive on UL Spot, but have never used it before. Any... Read more