Friends,

Through AIA work I have been working with Kim Shinn from TLC Engineering. Kim is involved on the ASHRAE 209 development and has been advocating that the AIA, ASHRAE and USGBC align around this standard. Personally I think this is a good idea as I expect that this standard could easily make it's way into regulations and contracts... Read more

The Water Sub-Group met today. This group is working on three items: 

1. Project Water Plan Template

2. Project Water Tracking Form Template

3. Research and Resources Document

The Meeting minutes are attached. The next meeting is 5/19/20 @ 2:30 PM CST, via webex and teleconference.  Please contact me if you would... Read more

The Path to Zero Carbon is a series of rigorous, deeply researched white papers produced by Kjell Anderson and others at LMN Architects in collaboration with subject matter experts from across the industry--including some of you! Architecture 2030 is exploring capacity and funding needs to host and convene experts to regularly update the series... Read more

HGA is seeking a Sustainable Materials Specialist to join our team! 

The role involves working with project teams to educate, research, and support decision-making related to sustainable materials and, in connection with sustainability experts across the firm, developing resources and tools to elevate HGA’s materials baseline.

The... Read more

Hi All,

Has anyone successfully adopted a Revit to ClimateStudio workflow with their new export tool? Right now we are using cove.tool because it works reasonably well with iterative Revit modeling, but are itching to try a more accurate and nuanced alternative.

Thanks for any and all experiences!
Misha

Love the profile of Anica as the "featured member" on AIA's website--congratulations, Anica!

It's great to see the "just do it" attitude to achieving the 2030 goals: "We do not rely on clients to tell us to design a high-performance building; we are going to do it anyway, it's our job."

Hello Green Gurus,

We’re always trying to improve this online space, from adding an events calendar and 5-minute presentation recordings, to creating a filterable member directory. We have several other ideas in the works, and we’re looking for a group of Peer Network members to help us test them before they go live.

Requirements... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Can We Replace Foam Insulation?

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


1. List four ways in which foam is environmentally problematic and provide four examples of foam replacements.
2. Discuss the industry's relationship with foam... Read more

Hi all, how many of your companies have started ESG reporting? If so, are you working with a consultant to calculate your impact of business operations? Or are you calculating it yourself? Are you purchasing offsets? I've been getting a lot of cold calls about this, mainly from a UK-based company. We are not yet at this point, but it seems like... Read more

Hey there SDLs!

We're having a debate in our firm about whether we're at a tipping point to hire an in-house energy modeler - someone capable of doing an MEP-caliber energy model inside a design firm. I know some you have in-house energy modelers on staff and I'd love to hear your experiences:

- How did you know your firm was at a... Read more

Hi folks, 

For those who have already been involved, this is a friendly reminder that our next Sustainable MEP Leaders call is Monday the 29th at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. Here is the Zoom link to join, and here is the agenda for the call.

We have also had a couple of new people join the network – welcome to Cindy Cogil and Sergio... Read more

We have an increasing number of projects, where the client is coming to us with "net zero" aspirations and plans, some of which don't fit the typical all-electric, grid-tied building that produces 100%+ of its annual energy use on-site.  There include examples like:

1) A (targetd) living building that maximizes on-site production, with... Read more

Standard HVAC systems require large fans and ductwork to move conditioned air throughout a building, which wastes energy and building space.

BuildingGreen-Approved Chilled Beams

BuildingGreen lists chilled beams that rely on water and smaller ducts to provide HVAC throughout a building.

Performance and Health Considerations... Read more

Hi all - back in May I asked you for help reviewing our series ahead of publication. The first 5 posts are up, with the 6th a day or so away. Thanks to everyone who has helped out! 

It's a fail-forward effort to help us figure out what we are missing in our climate action on our projects and advocacy. Enjoy, and let me know if and how... Read more

If you are intending to participate in the Sustainable Construction Leaders Pre-Greenbuild SUMMIT on November 13 in Chicago, please register. We are preparing the pre-Summit survey that will help to determine the topics on the Summit agenda. You will not want to miss having your top-of-mind challenges be part of the conversation with your... Read more

Hi all,

Our team has been working hard to wrap up this year's SCL Summit Report, and we're excited to announce that it is finally complete!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zcSPctZ1BiyPQomiw4wTQLajR816mm3KJV0BL5B14-0/edit?usp=sharing

In addition to the usual summary of key points from the summit, this report captures... Read more

Greetings, All.

The Resilient Outcomes Working group has been putting together a resource list (and map) of resources for supporting resilience-focused design across the US.  So far, we have around 50 resources on the list, ranging from the AIA Resilient Design Toolkit to local Vulnerability and Adaptation reports and tools.

We... Read more