News Analysis
A study published in the June 5, 1992, issue of
Science by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Arizona suggests that smoke emitted into the atmosphere from human activities may be having a significant effect in counteracting... Read more
Product Review
To the best of our knowledge, this product is now being marketed under the name Rauhsaser by Better Wall System of Kenora, ON.
CoverAge is a tacky name for a great product that all remodelers should know about. It is a paintable, textured wallpaper that’s made entirely of recycled paper (at... Read moreNews 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
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
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
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
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of The Value of Variability.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Understand why variability is important to the comfort and well-being of building occupants.
2. Define “alliesthesia” and explain how it relates to the well-being of occupants... Read more
Forum topic
Hi everyone - I will be holding my breath and attending the AIA conference in person this June. Is anyone else going? I'd love to reconnect with each of you!
Apologies if I've missed it - with there be a BuildingGreen meetup?
Feel free to email me if you don't want to reply all - kanderson@lmnarchitects.com
-Kjell
Forum topic
Hi SD Leaders, my firm wants to make a case for conducting LCAs on all major projects. I'm curious what your experience is - how long does it take to conduct an LCA (for the analyst's effort and other project team members who attend meetings about the LCA and use its results), and the type of LCA software you're using.
I feel sure you'... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all,
I am working on a Div 01 sustainability spec section for our firm to include by default on all projects. I've been finding a lot of great sample language out there for embodied carbon measures and material transparency (huge thanks to anyone here who had a part in developing those resources).
One thing I'd like to include... Read more
Forum topic
Greetings to the Green Commons!
Those of you who attended Greenbuild may remember that during one of the keynotes, Ali Zaidi - White House National Climate Advisor, announced that the White House was developing a definition for "Zero Emissions Buildings" (here’s a [LINK] to a related Washington Post article). The draft language for the... Read more
Forum topic
Dear SD Leaders,
A friend is looking for a High Performance and Sustainability Leader to join their mid-size architecture company in New York.
If you know anyone that could be interested in this position could you please kindly send them my way?
Thank you
Marzia
Forum topic
This are opportunities for us to get involved as design and construction allies with the new administration and the US Department of Energy on more efficient building.
The first link below is for low-carbon projects that will provide the case studies and solutions that the industry can follow. The second is identifying barriers and... Read more
Forum topic
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Show and Tell at Greenbuild! Here are slides from the presentations:


