News Analysis
A study published in the June 5, 1992, issue of
Science by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Arizona suggests that smoke emitted into the atmosphere from human activities may be having a significant effect in counteracting... 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
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
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
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
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
Hi all
I would like to warmly invite all of you to our Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies 25th anniversary events. I think the events are very pertinent to what this group is about and are all free. If you are in the LA area please come! The 11th includes an outdoor reception at the center after the presentations. It’s also an... Read more
Forum topic
Seeking Pros/Cons, Feedback/Commentary about signing the US Architects Declare Commitment.
https://us.architectsdeclare.com/
Reviewing against the "shoulds" and "shalls" of the 2020 AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct ... and other commitments that are out there ... any feedback welcome.
Tips for how your workflow... Read more
Product Guide
CEUs are available for reading all the building-envelope product guides and primer. Click here to learn more and take the quiz.
Water and air that penetrate building assemblies can damage materials, cause energy loss, and lead to mold, mildew, or other problems. The products used to address these may contain materials that are... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Whole-Building LCA Tools for LEED v4 and v4.1.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Understand the basic goals of whole-building life-cycle assessment, including how it can improve environmental performance and contribute to credit achievement in... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all,
Later today, we will be delivering the BITuser development site ready for content input. Andrea has created instructions to help get you started.
We would like to set up a few editor profiles for you. Could you let us know who should have a profile for content management? We need first and last name and an email.
... Read more
Forum topic
I wanted to share some thoughts from Brenda Stanfield about the Design for Freedom conference and the work that she is doing to fight the difficult problem of forced and child labor in construction materials.I feel like it is a step up from the LEED social justice pilot credits, which are a great start. Hopefully it helps you in your work. I am... Read more
Forum topic
We're looking to add a green wall to our existing offices in NYC. Can anyone please share any good product/vendor recommendations?
We were hoping to use Naava walls, but they seem to have retracted into Europe, as far as I can tell.
Forum topic
We are hiring! Please share with any potential talented and passionate candidates.
https://archinect.com/jobs/entry/150052970/sustainable-design-specialist
ps. And, yes we recently rebranded for our 40th anniversary for those who may be confused :)

