Hi Fellow Design Professionals: It would be great if you could participate in this important research on the status of professionals addressing extreme heat.

Thanks.

MAL

Planning for Extreme Heat Survey

Our research team from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University is studying how planning... Read more

Hi all,

We are designing a mass timber building and are closing in on selecting our mass timber supplier.  One supplier is offering FSC wood and the other is offering PEFC.  I don't know enough about PEFC to make a clear recommendation to the client about how it compares to FSC.  I understand that PEFC endorsed SFI, so that concerns me... Read more

Does anyone have any comparative analysis/reviews of the various energy modeling protocols that includes the 'new' Trane TRACE interface?

Thanks!

Robert Phinney

rphinney@pagethink.com

It’s Summer Summit season! One of the “good problem to have” challenges we’ve had at recent SDL Summits has been too many great five-minute presentations. It’s hard to find time for them all. This year, since we’ll be online anyway, we can get a jump on that by starting the five-minute presentations early. Plus, we can share them across all the... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Cladding: More Than Just a Pretty Façade

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


1. Explain how different commercial wall assemblies handle moisture.
2. Know what questions to ask to determine a cladding system's environmental impact.... Read more

P.J. is an accomplished writer and speaker who brings passion, humor, and discernment to all her work.

Whether it’s a spotlight report on decarbonization, a webinar on ESG, or just a chummy email bulletin, she is ferociously committed to truth and accuracy.

Hi SDL: Check out this great interview with Paul Hawken and  COTE members Gunnar Hubbard and Kira Gould. Lots of inspirational ideas about the importance of the built environment in carbon drawdown: 

Here's that link---

https://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/aia-cote-in-conversation-with-paul-hawken_o

thanks.

... Read more

Anyone know of tools/methodologies for estimating embodied carbon and carbon sequestration potential of individual green infrastructure projects (e.g. bioswale along bikeway)? I've seen tools for the larger scale (e.g. land use change) as well as specific to trees (e.g. i-Tree), but these don't fully meet my needs.

Thanks!

I'm definitely slow on the draw here, but happy to be congratulating you, Allen! What a great recognition of your work as a firm! And I love that the story about it highlights the firm's diversity.

Also worth noting--just 'cause no one here has said it yet--how cool it is that Ed Mazria won the Gold Medal this, and that AIA updated it's... Read more

Hello everyone! 

A small subgroup SCL members have been working on writing a response the presentation Wes Sullens gave us at the Summit this past winter. It's been a long process but the letter and all it's reccomendations are drafted and ready to present. The group felt it prudent to post the response here first for a short public... Read more

Hey Everyone! My firm is a part of the local Passive House group helping organize the local Humid Climate Conference on May 2nd - 3rd. I wanted to make a post in the chat for those interested to sign up.

The theme is "Barriers To Better Buildings" and it's going to be a really strong, humid climate focused conference. We've nearly got... Read more

from the Tortured by Randomness Department:

Y'all ... I was recently reminded (by Bill Reed) about a lovely quote ... and I'm keen to use it in a talk upcoming ... 

Here it is:
Place is a doorway into caring. Love of place unleashes the personal and political will needed to make profound change. It can also unite people... Read more

Just had a contractor call who said they had a university client interested in using natural-gas-fed fuel cells as an alternative to grid power in some applications.  They were interested in an intermediate scale: 300kW.

Anyone with any experience with these devices? 

Hi Sustainability leaders,

Realizing that many of us are now stuck and home and may be feeling isolated, we thought it would be fun to offer an open hang-out time for anyone in the Peer Networks. If you'd like to connect, share some thoughts, hear from others, or just get to know other Green Gurus, join us on Zoom this Thursday. If it... Read more

Dear SD Leaders: I'm writing to let you know about a great opportunity in campus-wide sustainability and design leadership. Washington University in St. Louis (my alma mater) is seeking a new University Architect and Assistant Vice Chancellor. WashU has a very strong legacy of sustainability leadership which has recently been reinforced with... Read more