News Analysis
EBN Advisory Board member Mike Nicklas led an international delegation of renewable energy experts in promoting sustainable energy at the Earth Summit last month. He and others were negotiating for inclusion of renewable energy and energy conservation measures into agreements being worked out for the United Nations... Read more
News Brief
The American Institute of Architects convention in Boston this past June was the setting for a changing of the guard in the American architectural establishment. The Institute’s first woman president took the reins, the Committee on the Environment became its largest and fastest growing committee, and the first installments of the Environmental... Read more
Feature
Carefully stake the building site and driveway, remove trees that are within the excavation area or too close, then erect a fence to keep heavy equipment off fragile soils and away from nearby trees.
Protecting trees and the local ecosystem when building on previously unbuilt land is a vitally important—yet often overlooked—part of environmentally responsible construction. Healthy trees and shrubs can reduce a home’s environmental impact and directly benefit homeowners in a number of ways:
•Enhancing comfort by shielding the house... Read more
Op-Ed
Introducing the first issue of our newsletter.
Buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. In North America, buildings and the building industry account for about 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, 35-40% of ozone depletion, 20-30% of municipal solid waste, vast quantities of natural resource consumption, and dramatic loss of open space each... Read more
Feature
Ozone depletion and global warming are two of our most serious environmental problems—and foam insulation materials containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) contribute significantly to both of these problems. The environmentally concerned builder or designer should make it a highest priority to avoid them. Even many of the non-CFC alternatives... Read more
Feature
Susan Maxman is the first AIA president to make sustainable design a priority.
Q.Where would you say architects as a group stand on environmental issues?
A.Architects tend to be reactive rather than proactive. It is important that we take the lead on these environmental issues. The architecture schools in particular tend to be conservative. They just aren’t... Read more
Forum topic
Anyone else having this experience? We've got a LEED 2009 Core/Shell project that we've now been contracted to do a fitout within for one of the first tenants. If anyone else has had this experience and is willing to talk with me about how your process for it has gone, I'd be fantastically grateful.
Find me directly at awilson@asg-... Read more
Quiz
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
Forum topic
All -
We have corporate clients that are starting to request antimicrobials in response to Covid-19. I assume we are not the only ones seeing an increase in these requests. Knowing that the evidence supporting antimicrobials has limited to no efficacy, how are you approaching these conversations? We want to continue to advise based on... Read more
Forum topic
Hi Everyone!
I'm Lauren Shumaker and I'm a Project Manager/Sustainability Manager with Turner Construction. As a long standing advocate for healthy and sustainable building materials, I look forward to expanding my ability to promote material transparency and shine a greater light on our ability to positively impact human and... Read more
Forum topic
HI MEP Leaders,
Related to our thread about equipment needed for decarbonization, I have a question about what new or improved equipment is already available now that you're excited about.
Every year we at BuildingGreen publish (and present at Greenbuild) a listing of the Top-10 new and exciting products. Our focus this year is on... Read more
Forum topic
Hello Green Gurus,
Here is the information for August's Peer Networks Webinar, A more Mindful Future: mindful MATERIALs plans for Digital Transformation through the Common Materials Framework. We hope you will join us!
Register HERE
A more Mindful Future: mindful MATERIALs plans for Digital Transformation through the Common... Read more
Forum topic
Now that Ben has set up access restrictions, we have to decide what message to put on "paywall" screens. For example, on the Best Practices pages, the "Official language" tab is fully accessible, but if an anonymous user clicks on any of the other tabs they'll hit a login wall:
https://live-bituser.pantheonsite.io/best-practice/energy-... Read more
Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
A site license allows your entire organization to access and share the guide, and to keep a copy in your library.
Avoiding Toxic Chemicals in Commercial Building ProjectsWe’re excited to be releasing the 2020 edition of Spec This, Not That.
... Read more
Product Guide
There are a variety of products and practices that contribute to environmentally friendly landscaping.
BuildingGreen-Approved Landscaping Products
Edging
BuildingGreen approves products with recycled content or other environmental benefits.
Erosion Protection
Natural-fiber erosion protection options include... Read more

