Author
Products & Materials Specialist and LEED AP BD+C Brent Ehrlich excels at deep, unbiased, and nuanced technical research on the health and environmental impacts of green building products and materials. Some areas of focus include:
product and material constituents, including their risks
product certifications
... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Green Building Product Certifications: Getting What You Need.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Differentiate between a standard and a certification.
2. Describe "greenwashing" and list at least two ways to spot it.
3.... Read more
Forum topic
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
Forum topic
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?
Spotlight Report
Building materials emit massive amounts of carbon long before the lights go on.
In this course, BuildingGreen takes an analytical look at the greenhouse gases that are emitted in the process of constructing our buildings in the first place—the embodied carbon. The report focuses on how architects and designers, working with other key... Read more
Forum topic
For the fourth year in a row, we’re proud to release our sustainability survey findings, based on the real-world knowledge and experience of our clients and partners, to help determine how sustainability, resilience and wellness are perceived by the commercial real estate industry. We’ve compiled these survey results in our 2019 report, which... Read more
Forum topic
Dear SD Leaders: I'm writing to let you know about a great opportunity in campus-wide sustainability and design leadership. Washington University in St. Louis (my alma mater) is seeking a new University Architect and Assistant Vice Chancellor. WashU has a very strong legacy of sustainability leadership which has recently been reinforced with... Read more
Forum topic
I am wondering how architectural firms plan to close the gap to zero in the next few years.
Owner's dictate outcomes and the typical owner is not committed to zero - even when sustainability is a focus of the project.
We can present solar-ready designs, all electric buildings, geothermal, etc. but there is still quite a gap to... Read more
Forum topic
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
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Boost Happiness and Save Energy with Adaptive Thermal Comfort!
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
Define “adaptive thermal comfort” and explain how it can contribute to occupant health and satisfaction.
Compare the adaptive comfort model... Read more
Forum topic
Hi Folks,
I mentor startups in the clean tech space and there are a number of cool new things coming to market. I am looking to gather names of interested people who want to get the opportunity to take a look at these cool new things and give some feedback and even - if stars align - pilot and test some of these new technologies (given... Read more
Forum topic
Hi folks!
Do you have examples or case studies of projects with compelling examples of circularity/salvaged material reuse? We’re looking to go beyond the examples we've seen of furniture reuse or creating art from salvaged material, and we’d like to collect some examples to get our client excited about the possibilities in a deep... 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
Forum topic
I'm working on convincing my firm to hire a director of sustainability. I'm gaining some traction with the discussion thanks to the fantastic feedback and input from the summer summit "Role of the Sustainable Design Leader" breakout session. Thanks everyone! Does anyone have job descriptions for sustainable design leaders that they'd be willing... Read more