For a number of years a colleague and I have been teaching a course about sustainability and water in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania's architectural school (PennDesign).  This year we're hoping to bring a few new opinions to the table for at the same time as we broaden the discussion.  Because the class will be virtual again... Read more

Hello Green Gurus.

I've been looking into EPDs lately and ran across a few companies with Product Envionmental Profiles (PEPs) which they say are also known as EPDs. Does anyone have any experience with PEPs or know if they actually are EPDs? They reference ISO standards 14040 and 14044 in the writing and ISO 14025 in the list of... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Re-forming the Building Industry: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion!

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


1. Define equity, diversity, and inclusion, and explain their relevance to the building industry as well as how they contribute to occupant and... Read more

Wondering if anyone has a slide presentation on the Framework for Design Excellence that they would be willing to share (to present to students). Rather than defining my request as lazy I'd like to offer up the qualification of efficiency.  

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

Welcome to the quiz portion of Biobased Materials: Not Always Greener.

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


1. Explain why "biobased" is too general a term.
2. List the primary concerns associated with biobased building materials, finishes and furnishings, and wet-... Read more

Many wood panels are unsustainably sourced, and some have high formaldehyde emissions.

BuildingGreen-Approved Panels

Laminate panels approved by BuildingGreen:

Greetings!

Ayers Saint Gross is in search of a Sustainable Design Coordinator to join our team. This person is anticipated to sit in any one of our offices - Baltimore; Washington, DC; Tempe, Arizona; or Austin, Texas. Fit and skillset are more important than geography. The position is anticipated as full-time, but if the right candidate... Read more

The AIA conference is coming up soon as well.  It is scheduled for June 19-23 in NYC. I have heard about a lot of great sessions and I am thinking it would be helpful if we could collect info here.  Please respond to this message with info about your session and I will compile all of this into a handy reference document.  I will start with my... Read more

I am excited to share with you the final draft of the letter back to LP50 manufacturers.  The LP50 manufacturers sent their “Closing the Loop on Product Transparency” to design firms earlier this year.  For more background information, please check out Chris Hellstern's original August 20th post on this Green Gurus forum.  When we posted the... Read more

I can hear Kjell saying "All models are wrong, but some are useful." Having said that we are having trouble getting usuable predictive energy use information from our electrical design engineer. They are telling us that their energy models are not for accurate pEUIs but just to compare various scenarios. Are they being lazy? Should we push for... Read more

We are trying to figure out how we are going to meet the LEED Credit for Building Life Cycle Impact Reduction for the first time.

One approach we're trying out: We're taking the results of our Tally model and looking at potential reductions from low-carbon concrete. However, the problem I am encountering is that when I take some of our... Read more

There has been a lot of discussion re antimicrobials in this group, so here is a pre-release of this month's article on the topic. It's not an extensive feature, but I hope you find it informative.

Brent

SAVE THE DATE: ALL Peer Networks Show & Tell
Tuesday, November 19 | 8pm - 10pm
The Kendeda Building, Georgia Tech | Atlanta, GA

Start your time at Greenbuild on a high note!

Join your Peer Networks Colleagues from SDL, SCL, MEP, SDLS, and SAL for a high energy evening full of lightning round previews of the best... Read more

Is anyone planning on attending the WELL Conference in Scottsdale in March?  I'm trying to figure out if it's worth attending or not?

The Sustainable Construction Leaders peer network brings together the most committed sustainability directors from leading construction companies throughout the U.S. and Canada. We invite you to apply for membership.