I am looking at having staff members take a materials course and deciding between Parsons Healthier Materials and AIA Materials Matter certificate programs. Does anyone have feedback on either? Bonus points if you know about both and can provide a direct comparison. Thanks!

Hi SDLers,

We’re really looking forward to connecting with many of you in a few weeks for the Summer Summit. Those of you who have registered are now actively helping to set the agenda--as always, it will be filled with rich conversations and connections.

For a range of reasons--new patterns due to the pandemic, the economy, your... Read more

We have a client thats going through a TI remodel in a building thats a LEED Core+Shell certified building. One of the questions we are trying to figure out is are there things we need to be doing to not imperil the building's certification. 

I think the answer is that the landlord had to write tenant guidelines at the time of... Read more

Meant to serve generations, ADUs are versatile and carbon friendly. ADUs increase housing density and reduce sprawl. They can be climate-positive and can transform existing dwellings into multigenerational homes to give people the ability to age in place. This feature focuses on how the construction of ADUs is an opportunity to build something... Read more

I'm exploring the use of phase change material for a project. Specifically, looking at the BioPCM/ENRG Blanket product. I see on their website that ZGF used it at University of Washington. I'd love to hear any feedback from folks who have used it, and more specifically how your energy model and MEP engineer accounted for it. Thanks!! https://... Read more

Remember 2013? LEED version 4 had just been released to the public. Hardly anyone was using it, though—not only because they didn’t have to, but also because there just wasn’t a pathway to achieve many of the new credits in the rating systems. Especially the product-related credits in the Materials & Resources category, along with the Low-... Read more

Hello Everyone - we posted this to SAL, but also wanted to reach the Green Gurus folks!

To prepare for a co-creative workshop at the Environmental Design Research Association annual conference, "Health in All Places" our team ( myself, B. Sanborn, Penny Cole) is soliciting input via an all-questions-optional survey regarding ungendered... Read more

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

I have a colleague (lawyer) who is trying to assemble a list of precedent projects that used penalties or incentives for achieving energy targets. The topic she is addressing is how contracts may be changed to address growing climate change concerns.

At the moment, the only concrete example she has is a project in Washington by the US... Read more

Hello everyone,

Wondering if anyone has evaluated/considered/specified wood fiber insulation for use in lieu of mineral wool as the exterior wall insulation?  Am mostly looking to better understand domestic availability, r-value and fire/combustibility.

We have a multi-family building in DC where the client is interested in using... Read more

Some plasters have extremely high embodied energy or petroleum-based ingredients.

BuildingGreen-Approved Plaster

Products approved include:

Welcome to the quiz portion of Can Concrete Save Us? Locking Up Carbon in Building Materials

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


1. Explain current strategies of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).
2. Detail how concrete offers another possible pathway to... Read more

Hi, the SF Dept of Environment is doing some surplus construction materials studies there are surveys for designers and contractors.  They are looking for a wide array of responses, so don't worry if you don't live in that area!

See link for contractor survey if you are interested: 

https://formfacade.com/public/... Read more

Hello Sustainable Design Leaders,

Mark your calendars for an exciting webinar next Wednesday, May 27th, at 2:30pm ET and REGISTER HERE!

Missing the Forest: How forest practices impact the carbon embodied in mass timber projects is a follow-up to last month’s conversation on embodied carbon and mass timber. The presenters will be... Read more

I received the following email from Naajia at Southface.  I'll be out of town until November 8, but I'll see if there's time for me to address at least the second part before I leave:

A question regarding the BIT-User Forum was brought to my attention by a participant. Apparently when you are posting a question and you pick your location... Read more

I am still basking in the afterglow of this week's summit, and getting ready to share nuggets of wisdom with my colleagues at our all-staff next week. I was so immersed in the moment that documenting the outlines and choices presented for breakouts slipped my mind. Is there somewhere to access these slides to refresh my memory?

Thanks... Read more