Greetings to all of the sustainability leaders in the Green Commons!

Note: This is a message about politics, which we generally try to avoid in our safe space--but in this case it’s directly tied to climate action so I feel good about sharing it. Feel free to let me know or check in with the BuildingGreen folks if you have concerns or... Read more

Hi SDL: Check out this great interview with Paul Hawken and  COTE members Gunnar Hubbard and Kira Gould. Lots of inspirational ideas about the importance of the built environment in carbon drawdown: 

Here's that link---

https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/aia-cote-in-conversation-with-paul-hawken_o

thanks.

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So every year about this time I get to spend many lovely moments with our AIA 2030 Reporting data. In order to make the data useful the CBECS baselines/National baselines aren't great in telling us how we did.

For about half our 15 projects that we report in the average year - performing arts, convention, data science schools, etc - a... Read more

HI All,

I have been tasked with putting together a cost comparison of doing a LEED v4 Gold building vs. making that same building Passive House. Obviously they are two different systems, with two different outcomes, and it's not really intended as a total apples to apples cost comparison, but more a value comparison for a developer.... Read more

Hello all,

We are looking at ways we can use our specs to reduce toxicity in projects and one step towards that goal may be to require RoHS compliant lighting, switches, alarms, meters, etc., as required by the Small Electrical Components exception in the Living Building Challenge. Based on LBC projects I have been involved with, it... Read more

Hello! We are currently working on an LBC Petal project pursuing the Materials Petal. Does anyone know whether H1 lubricants are inherently Red List Free given they are food grade lubricants? We are trying to figure out whether NSF H1 registered lubricants need ingredient reporting or whether the NSF registration works similar to Delcare, RoHS... Read more

Composting toilets convert human waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer for nonfood plants, rather than mixing the waste with potable water and flushing it down the drain. They can also save infrastructure costs and minimize the burden on wastewater systems.

They’re not for every project, but they do warrant consideration. Composting... Read more

Hi everyone -

I'm writing to conduct an informal (and unscientific) poll about the green certifications achieved by office spaces (main or branch) for Green Gurus firms. SERA is preparing to embark on the journey of finding, designing and inhabiting new office space, and we're interested to hear and learn from your experiences,... Read more

Hi All! This is a question for NYC and surrounding area (but if its the right fit, could extend beyond)! 

Can anyone recommend a designer for healthy and sustainable furniture for an affordable housing development?  The spaces that need funiture are: a community facility, common spaces, and residential units (for formerly homeless). ... Read more

I am the Sustainability Program Manager for Sellen Construction in Seattle, WA where we build healthcare, education, office buildings, museums, historical renovations, and unique structures like sculpture parks and the “spheres” that have been in the news lately.  My role blends environmental regulatory compliance, sustainability in field... Read more

What is the status of the roof insulation market regarding non-halogen containing polyiso boards? I know GAF and Atlas still have them. I thought JM had them as well, but seems to have taken them off the menu. Are there performance issues?

Hello Sustainability Leaders!

It’s been almost a month since we met in NYC for our Regional Mini-Summit! I’m pretty sure time moves faster when the seasons are changing! I hope the fall is treating you all well.

We have completed our Post-Summit Report, and would like to share with you all. Click here to view the report.

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Hi folks,

As you've no doubt heard from us by now (several times), in lieu of Summer Summits this year we're offering a combination of events this fall. Our series kicked off last week with a great Regional Mini-Summit in Boston. Regional events like this were in our plans before COVID blew everything up, so this one was a long-time... Read more

As part of my goal to increase staff education frequency, I'd like to introduce some training and certificate programs into the mix. I wonder what programs others have recommended to staff? Not just attending conferences (low accountability) or CEUs, but things like the Parsons Healthy Materials Certificate, or Phius/PHN passive house... Read more

After reviewing BP language today with internal staff, we realized we'll need to add a glossary to explain industry jargon and technical terms that might not be widely used. I'd like to consolidate those terms onto one web page, a glossary. This probably should be on the list with the best practices, and it will need its own page. Thanks!

Hello everyone, Happy New Year! 

I wanted to send a quick note that we have an awesome group registered for the Sustainable Design Leaders Winter Summit 2020 and we still have a few open seats! This is taking place Jan. 29th - 31st, 2020 at The Lodge, Gulf Shores, AL with an exciting Pre-Summit Workshop happening that Wednesday. If you... Read more