News Analysis
The City of Austin’s Green Builder Program was one of 12 award recipients in the United National Local Government Honours Programme at the Earth Summit in Rio, and the only winner from the United States. “The purpose of the Honours Programme is to recognize innovative local approaches to... Read more
News Brief
Carol Venolia, Publisher/Editor
If “progressive construction” can be defined as pushing the tools and techniques of conventional builders in the direction of less environmental destruction, then Building With Nature’s material goes beyond progressive, into the forefront of visionary thinking about construction. This bimonthly newsletter, now... Read moreFeature
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
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
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
Forum topic
Hello, I'm wondering if anyone out in the network has experience with the following:
>Low carbon concete mixes for polished concrete slabs: we're hearing concerns from our concrete supplier that using a low carbon mix design for a polished concrete slab will cause pitting. What experience do others have?
>Low carbon concrete... Read more
Product Guide
Exterior shade or screening devices are generally much more effective at reducing solar heat gain than their interior counterparts.
BuildingGreen-Approved Shading
BuildingGreen approves exterior window and glazing attachments that reduce solar heat gain and glare or redirect daylight, providing important energy benefits while... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of The PVC Debate: A Fresh Look
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Catalog the history of PVC in the building industry.
2. Recount the connections between PVC and chlorine, dioxins, mercury, and vinyl chloride.
3. Explain the... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all,
We are looking for a great energy analyst with communication skills to join NBBJ - if you know someone who fits the bill, send them my way! http://jobs.jobvite.com/nbbj/job/oTrk8fww
Margaret
Forum topic
Thought this was worth sharing - Lance Davis, who manages the P100 program for GSA just posted to an email group i belong to that the GSA P100 program is to be updated in 2024. In service to that, there is a "P100 Change Proposal Form" available for folks to make helpful suggestions.
They are asking for suggestions, i think we should... Read more
Forum topic
Hi Everyone,
Who has worked on a SITES certification and can share the approximate hours involved for administering and completing documentation? A relative sense of the effort compared to LEED would also be helpful, similar to the thread about WELL on this same subject.
Appreciate any insight. Thanks! -Hilary
Forum topic
Hi amazing people!
Most of our projects are now going with some form of gender neutral/all-gender/inclusive toilet rooms or those that can easily be converted to such. With no urinals, we lose 3 LEED points because urinals are very water-efficient. With urinals, it's not as pure a solution. Do you all just take a hit on the LEED points,... Read more
Forum topic
Hi everyone,
We’re happy to officially announce some big news you might have heard about on our monthly calls: as we wrap up 2024, we will be transitioning to a new platform for our Peer Networks Hub!
Instead of finding the forums, member directory, and all other Peer Network resources on BuildingGreen.com, you will be able to... Read more
Forum topic
Team SCL,
This was a tough week. My husband coined a phrase "20% laid off."
Unfortunately, 50% of our business is currently impacted by governmental orders stating that our work is non-essential. This is bitter-sweet. I certainly want people to be safe, but we've had to make some tough decisions and in the geographies that were... Read more
Basic page
The Sustainable Community Design Leaders Peer Network brings together planners, architects, landscape architects, and allied leaders who are committed to leveraging the... Read more
Forum topic
Notes and Guiding questions here--please add your own!
2030 Commitment Check-In: Is it leading to more awareness and better outcomes on projects?
Is energy modeling and tracking going to get us to zero by 2030?
Is it effective at driving all projects across a portfolio?
What are firms getting out of reporting... Read more
Forum topic
Hey Sages, Just lobbing this over the transome - not sure if anyone else cares :) but this would be a great group to dig in if anyone IS interested.
For the past few years, I've been working on melding two completely separate worlds - our world (with typical project delivery) and the world of Agile (not just software development process... Read more
Sales page
Can furniture be hazardous? You bet it can…
From flame retardants in foam cushions to unnecessary stain and dirt repellents on upholstery materials, everyday... Read more

