We have a project that is looking for plaster/stucco/textured wall products that are sustainable, or “more sustainable.”

I know these products exist, but I haven’t had to spec or work with any, so I’m reaching out.

The project is in MA, so I'm also soliciting recommendations for products and/or companies who are experienced using... Read more

Please help share the latest COTE news, with reports from the AIA Conference, a letter from chair Lori Ferriss, Michelle Amt's review of the 2023 Top Ten winners, and more.

**Be sure to make a note**
The COTE Top Ten Awards cycle has changed. The adjusted timeline is already upon us: The 2024 awards call opens on August 8, and... Read more

This is deep nerdy stuff, so don't say you haven't been warned.  ASHRAE has opened the first public review to its net zero standard (228).  Here's the blurb:

Standard Method for Evaluating Zero Net Energy and Zero Net Carbon Building Performance ASHRAE Standard 228-202x sets requirements for evaluating whether a building or group of... Read more

I really appreciated our day on Tuesday--seems that we had a great inaugural Summit, and covered a lot of important ground. 

Here are the raw notes (flip-chart pages) from the day. Some of us came away with Action Items--see the list on the last page. 

Five-minute presentation decks and a more polished report to follow shortly. We... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Choosing Insulation: High-Performance Wall Assemblies – Unit 3.

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


 

1. Describe key environmental and performance factors for insulation materials.
2. Recount bottom-line insulation material... Read more

Hi all, 

I'm posting this on behalf of Wyck Knox of our office. He can be reached at knox@vmdo.com: 

"I’m on the editorial board of the Green Schools Catalyst Quarterly, the only peer reviewed journal dedicated to sustainable K-12 schools. (http://catalyst.greenschoolsnationalnetwork.org/gscatalyst)

One of my tasks in that... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of The Sound of Sustainability: Acoustics in High-Performance Design!

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


Describe how increased acoustic performance benefits indoor environmental quality (IEQ).

Recount the negative impacts of poor acoustic... Read more

Hello Everyone!

Wondering if anyone has expertise in Algae Photobioreactor facades? Here is a product: https://cellparc.com/

My basic understanding is that they produce heat and biogas (as well as providing shade and some thermal value.)  However, I am not clear on the GHG balance benefit, so to speak.  I cannot determine if the... Read more

Split systems are multi-component units that use an outdoor condenser along with separate indoor fan coils to move refrigerant—and provide heating and cooling—in buildings without the need for ducts.

BuildingGreen-Approved Systems

BuildingGreen approves mini-splits that are tested to AHRI standards and have minimum SEER and an... Read more

TRENDING IN STANTEC’S REGIONS

Based on current projects, pursuits, and ongoing thought leadership, the following are hot topics across the Stantec Buildings group.

Read on to stay up to date with evolving skills and expertise not only in your own BC but also... Read more

Hi folks,

We've arranged a room where we can gather for an hour and check in during the Thursday afternoon reception time at Living Future. If you'll be there, come join us!

Thursday, May 2 at 5:30, Skykomish Room (#604, 6th floor)

The group will be mostly Sustainable Design Leaders, as that's by far our largest group, but... Read more

Hi folks,

BSR/ASHRAE/ICC Standard 240P, Quantification of Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Buildings, is out for Public Review until March 18. It covers what construction activities have to be tracked and reported and provides placeholder values to use during design. If you have input or suggestions on what would be needed to make... Read more

Hello MEP Leaders,

Happy 2022! Here's your reminder that our virtual meetup for this month is coming up next Tuesday, January 11th at 2:00pm ET.

All members of the network are invited to join! The agenda for the call is available here.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83598691786?pwd=... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Net-Zero Energy Isn’t the Real Goal: 8 Reasons Why!

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


Describe why focusing on carbon instead of on energy at the building scale is a better choice for the environment. Name eight reasons why net-zero-energy buildings... Read more

We are no longer accepting reservations for the SDL Summer Summit 2020.

At Living Future last week a woman from Google asked about cost comparisons and I shared that the City of Santa Monica conducted a study analyzing the costs of a prototypical mixed-use project for a Living Building vs. LEED v4 Platinum vs. code compliant (Title 24, part 6). I thought this group might be interested as well so here is the link... Read more