Welcome to the quiz portion of A Guide to Selecting Sustainable Textiles.

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:


I was sitting in on the USGBC's monthly Advocacy call this afternoon and heard about a state-local policy proposal to use property tax incentive for GHG reductions.  Through a state-local partnership, owners of existing residential and commercial buildings who invest in qualifying outcome-based improvements would receive a property tax... Read more

Does anyone have experience pursing SITES certification on an essentially a zero-lot line project?

We are required to achieve silver certification, but the project scope/phasing recently changed and the entire site/parking area was eliminated and we no longer have a green roof. It still appears we can meet silver certification as so few... Read more

Hi all, curious if anyone is involved with development / advocacy for the new MA stretch code? https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stretch-energy-code-development-2022 

My firm recently added a Boston location & I'm slowly getting to know the green building world there - would love to know if anyone is organizing public comments on the... Read more

Hello all,

We are having a mini office debate on fiberglass vs aluminum windows for use in schools (k-12) in Massachusetts. In the past we have always used aluminum windows on our schools, for durability. However, their performance is not as great as other products that are up and coming on the market. There is some hesitation to switch... Read more

Hello Sustainable Design Leaders!

I have an exciting announcement today, fall Peer Network events are now open for registration! You can see all the event details and register here!

Based on feedback we received from past events and the most recent surveys, we decided against doing one long week of events for this fall and instead... Read more

Following up something I mentioned at the summit - the EPA is hosting public comment webinars related to the IRA and construction. The first one seems particularly relevant, 3/2/23 from 2-3.30pm EST “Reducing Embodied GHG Emissions: Construction Materials Prioritization and Environmental Data Improvement”. Good opportunity to have our voices... Read more

The Center for the Built Environment (CBE) at the University of California, Berkeley is conducting a survey to understand current practices and outlooks among design practitioners: architects, engineers, energy modelers, and related professionals. Our goal with this work is to improve climate change adaptation guidelines that support building... Read more

Hello, All.  Do we have folks in the group who helped develop Matter - a material management tool?  With its direct connection to Mindful Materials, it would be great to gain some insight from anyone in the know!  https://matterbuild.com/#/landing 

Good daylighting intentions can end up increasing glare and solar heat gain.

BuidlingGreen-Approved Lightshelves

We look for lightshelves designed to reflect direct sunlight onto the ceiling, turning what could potentially be glare into diffuse, ambient daylight that penetrates deep into the interior of a building.

Energy... Read more

Have you been perusing the recently launched Contractor's Commitment and thought to yourself, 'Companies are going to need more guidance/templates/resources if they're actually going to implement this thing'? Good--now's your chance to help develop those resources.

The Contractor's Commitment Working Group is meeting December 1, 1pm ET.... Read more

ASHRAE 209 in all its glory has been uploaded. This will impact our architectural process, for better or worse, so we should embrace it and learn from it. The revised AIA Energy Modeling Design Guide (due out next year) has been timed to correspond roughly to 209 coming out and will include references to it. The first few energy modeling '... Read more

Pierce Quéry, Roving Reporter

Welcome to the quiz portion of Existing Buildings Are Architecture’s Future!

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


Hi Sages,

As you may have seen in my message, the Peer Networks Member List is not very helpful to us (yet), because a person can only show up in one network. Many of us are also in SDL or other networks; there are many more of us than show up when you filter that list for "Sages."

Until we can get that fixed, we'll share the... Read more

Hi all - I've heard from a few of you that you are interested in doing a book club or other internal education based on the Path to Zero Carbon. If you would like the word docs or pdfs of each of the 16 posts, let me konw and I'll send them to you.

I'd also like to know of those who are using it how it's going and what you're finding... Read more

If you have been wondering about the Contractor Commitment, we have an update for you!

Several weeks ago, the subgroup leaders and the Steering Committee members gathered to agree on a basic structure for the Commitment. The idea was to align the basic expectations around issues like how many tiers there would be, what would be disclosed... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Getting Flame Retardants Out of Foam Insulation.

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


1. Summarize why and how flame retardants are used in foam insulation.
2. Elucidate the case for taking the chemicals out of foam insulation.
3.... Read more

Please use this thread for you're actions / ideas for creating more sustainable job site construction office trailers.

I know that Pepper Construction led the way with a Net Zero Construction Jobsite Trailer. (Thanks Susan Heinking!)  Is this a one off?  Any lessons learned? Any one else pursing this?  Is pepper the first and only doing... Read more