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

Hi all,

Just a reminder that the last day to RSVP for the Living Future 2023 Peer Networks Meetup is tomrorow, April 26th! There are still some spaces left, with 34 people currently signed up. Please RSVP here if you'll be attending.

When: Wednesday May 3, 2023, 7:30-9pm ET

Where: SmithGroup, 1700 New York Avenue, NW, Suite... Read more

Hi folks,

I hope you've seen the plug to sign onto the letter that's generated a flurry of messages on Green Gurus--I also emailed it out directly to everyone. We've got lots of architects on board, and a handful of engineers, but I think we just have one contractor so far (Thanks Theresa!)--it would be really awesome to have more.

RoseAnn Grimes

Hi Everyone!  About ten days ago, Megan Zack posted a note announcing her new role as Chief Sustainability Officer at Wight & Company. (Yay!)  I'm so delighted that she will be stepping into this leadership role at Wight to shepard the firm in the next chapter of their journey in sustainability. 

I wanted to take a moment to say... Read more

Hi all, 

Following the SCL Summit back in November, the Waste Subgroup agreed to complete a Model Waste Management Plan to serve as a contractor commitment to reduce construction waste. I distributed the attached (very rough) draft back in Jan., and received some good feedback via forum comments. 

We would like to set up a call to... Read more

Hey all,

We have a NAVFAC project going into construction that has indicated that they'd like to hire someone to help them with the construction tracking aspects of the UFC requirements, including the Guiding Principles Assessment (GPA) program through GBCI. We're on the design side, so cannot offer these services on our own project;... Read more

The construction sector’s take-make-waste approach to materials needs an overhaul. Materials and construction account for an estimated 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually. At the other end of the life cycle, demolition in the United States annually generates 90% of some 600 million tons of construction-sector debris. Getting trashed... Read more

Dear All!

Crowdsourcing here to see if anyone has access to two LCA's that can be used to compare functionally equivalent consumer products: a fossil fuel powered to a battery one?  (A good product might be a car or stove, or a heating system with a boiler compared to a heat pump, perhaps?  Needs to include the B-use phase probably...)... Read more

After reviewing BP language today with internal staff, we realized we'll need to add a glossary to explain industry jargon and technical terms that might not be widely used. I'd like to consolidate those terms onto one web page, a glossary. This probably should be on the list with the best practices, and it will need its own page. Thanks!

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

Hello all,

We are looking at ways we can use our specs to reduce toxicity in projects and one step towards that goal may be to require RoHS compliant lighting, switches, alarms, meters, etc., as required by the Small Electrical Components exception in the Living Building Challenge. Based on LBC projects I have been involved with, it... Read more

Hello lovely Green Gurus!

Just wanted to take a quick second to let you all know how much I've appreciated this amazing network over the last few years. I have taken a position at Amazon Worldwide Sustainability in their Sustainable Buildings group, and while I will be leveraging all of my skills and experience doing much the same thing... Read more

Conventional asphalt and concrete contribute to excessive stormwater runoff and pollution.

BuildingGreen-Approved Pavements and Pavers

We look for products that improve on the environmental characteristics of asphalt as well as permeable alternatives to concrete. These include:

I am looking for a healthy and safe mold preventative product to use on wood construction to prevent mold growth as this full wood building (truss, framing, exterior sheathing) will be exposed to moisture via the elements until the roof gets put on in earlywinter.

Please share your feedback, thus far we have found what looks like a lot... Read more

Hi All, this is primarily directed at our Sustainable MEP folks, but please anyone with insight feel free to weigh in.

I am increasingly seeing designs and specifications asking for Passive House levels of airtightness as verified by blower door testing, but with traditional ventilation system designs. 

To me, Passive House US has... Read more

Our firm has had some clients that object to the term "Master Plan." We have removed "Master Planning" from our letterhead, where we list our capabilities and have replaced it with "Planning." Although we still find ourselves using it, old habits die hard, especially when we receive an RFP from a client asking for "Master Planning." Once we get... Read more