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Hi All,
I wanted to pass on a few cool things we have going on at Built Environment Plus (formerly USGBC MA) I really am conscious of not spamming you often and reserve posts for some of our most exciting happenings.
August 5, Building Tech Forum/MaterialsCAN: Getting to Zero with Embodied Carbon. Featuring 13 5-minute... Read more
Author
With extensive environmental science research background, Elene Drosos provides contemporary commentary on the current climate affairs. She contributes up-to-date trends and shifts in regulations in major green building issues such as LEED and natural disasters. Her passion is to strive for biophilic design where native landscapes can dominate... Read more
Quiz
The headlines are everywhere—from heat waves in Europe to wildfires in the Western U.S. to tropical cyclone flooding in Australia. In this age of climate change, just as there’s an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and other greenhouse gasses, we also need to adapt and invest in resilience.
Increasingly, owners are asking for risk... Read more
Spotlight Report
Biophilic design features are not just aesthetically pleasing; researchers have found that patients heal faster, workers are more productive, and children learn better when more elements of nature are present.
And yet there are still very few projects developed today that inspire a connection to life and the natural world. Some people... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of The Chemicals on Our Carpets and Textiles.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Understand when and where certain treatments may be superfluous or even pose unnecessary risks.
2. Recognize which applications might necessitate certain... Read more
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Hi all,
I see that this was a hot topic for the Winter Retreat this past year, but I am wondering how your firms manage standard materials across your practice. two aspects - standard specification items, and also designer choice materials.
1. Do you have a spec baseline with high performance materials that you start with for all... Read more
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For a number of years a colleague and I have been teaching a course about sustainability and water in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania's architectural school (PennDesign). This year we're hoping to bring a few new opinions to the table for at the same time as we broaden the discussion. Because the class will be virtual again... Read more
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Hello,
Has anyone come across a rating system 'crosswalk' infographic?
Cheers, Mona
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Hello Sustainability Leaders,
Our next First Friday Fika* is tomorrow -- Friday, September 1st at 11am ET (8am PT). We'll meet on Zoom for some lightly structured coffee-chat time. This includes both facilitated sharing and open conversation about the topics you're interested in at the moment. Any Peer Network member who wants to say hi... Read more
Product Guide
Composite windows come in two basic types: fiberglass, and wood/plastic composite.
BuildingGreen-Approved Windows
Fiberglass and other composite window lines have NFRC unit U-factors of 0.20 or lower. Higher U-factors are allowed for products that include significant recycled content.
Manufacturers also must demonstrate... Read more
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Are your firms discussing the health effects of silica dust on people working with engineered stone and the recent announcement of the upcoming ban in Australia, as of July 2024?
https://www.dezeen.com/2023/12/14/australia-bans-engineered-stone-silico...
According to the article, a recent report says that there is no safe level of... Read more
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Imagine folks have seen this, but thought it was worth bringing up: this study which shows the great need to build new renewable infrastructure to support electrification.
I've been in a few discussions with folks where we've discussed how electrification is objectively a good goal, but are we passing carbon from one source to another?... Read more
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Mark your calendars! Wednesday March 9th, 3-4pm ET (12-1pm PT) - Sustainability Leaders State of the Regions.
We’ve seen a lot of momentum building around the potential for regional Sustainability Leaders groups, and we want to learn how best to support this activity. On this call, we’ll have a few currently active regional groups share... Read more
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Lake|Flato is growing our design performance team! If you know any great applicants for our new design technologist position, please send them our way:
Design Technologist in San Antonio.pdf (lakeflato.com)
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There has been a lot of discussion re antimicrobials in this group, so here is a pre-release of this month's article on the topic. It's not an extensive feature, but I hope you find it informative.
Brent
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Hello good people and fabulous troublemakers,
PFAS is in everything. In May, the NY Times published an article about this, along with the governments work to remove it from drinking water. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/10/climate/six-things-to-know-about-forever-chemicals.html
As you may know, a working group has been gathering... Read more