Championing the
Changemakers

Hi Folks ,

Two fun and useful events to help us all do more in less time!!

1. DeCon Hackathon 4/12

These are sessions where the community comes together to 'crowdsource' standard construction details that are disassembly-friendly for a public detail library so that everyone can use it and start adapting those details in... Read more

This may seem a bit in the weeds, but I have typically paid extra at Greenbuild for the access to the materials after the conference - we use that to develop presentations back to the teams who are not able to attend. For many years it was helpful - getting some materials to help folks see what they missed.  Last year they went to a new service... Read more

Hi all,

We are about to start a affordable housing passive house project in Boston and in a few presentations I've seen great signs that builders use to try to get the point across to subs as to how important air sealing is. Some are even quite funny! The builder we are working with does not have a sign like this, but is open to ideas.... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Designing for the Next Century's Weather

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


1. Understand how to adjust building designs to rising temperatures and humidity.
2. Recognize how climate-responsive buildings may not respond as expected in... Read more

At our SAL call today, folks were talking about how there was just too much to read about DEI. This is the best short summary I have read about the problems of incorporating it into the organizations where we work. It's much easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk because it takes time and accountability.

Greetings Sustainable Construction Leaders,

As we begin closing out 2021, we wanted to give you a quick update that the next SCL Salary Survey will be coming to you in early January! The BuildingGreen team and SCL Steering Group have been busy this past month polishing up the questions for this anonymous survey.

A reminder of the... Read more

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone out in the network has experience with the following:

>Low carbon concete mixes for polished concrete slabs: we're hearing concerns from our concrete supplier that using a low carbon mix design for a polished concrete slab will cause pitting. What experience do others have?

>Low carbon concrete... Read more

Hi all!

A couple years ago now there was an incredible thread here about circadian lighting design and WELL. There was a lot of dipping toes in the water with intent to gather lessons learned and report back.

What have been the high points and low points of circadian lighting design so far? What seems cost-effective and worth... Read more

Hello SDL Leaders,

Over the past month, I have been working with ILFI to navigate the question of residuals in LBC compliant products vs. products reporting for a Declare label.

Through our conversations, it came to light that ILFI considers the LBC Red List threshold to be 10,000 ppm, rather than the 100 ppm written into the... Read more

My name is Boyd and I’m the newest member of the BuildingGreen Peer Networks team. I’m joining BG after a long line of jobs in the service industry. I’ve worked everywhere from breweries to adventure sports companies and I’ve loved every job along the way. I was drawn to BG because of my history of meeting people and fostering connections and... Read more

Hi all,

We are looking for a great energy analyst with communication skills  to join NBBJ - if you know someone who fits the bill, send them my way! http://jobs.jobvite.com/nbbj/job/oTrk8fww

Margaret

At the start of 2021 there was one signatory to the contractors commitment (thanks Leopardo!).  Today, there are 12 companies participating, representing over $24 Billion in total revenue.

We don’t always give ourselves enough credit or take enough time to savor our accomplishments because there is always more to do.  But, this is a big... Read more

Attached are the raw notes from the Design Process Conversations.

And here are the Guiding Questions from the Agenda Survey:

Design Process: how to intervene to get better outcomes?

How do I crack the nut of making a difference within my firm in the Design Process?

What strategies alter our fast-paced design... Read more

Lake|Flato developed a project process road map as an internal project management tool over a decade ago, and we're looking into updating it.  It serves as a sort of "checklist" of major design, sustainability, and QA/QC milestones for each project phase.  I know we've talked about similar tools at other firms at past SDL summits, so wanted to... Read more

Hi, all.

Has anyone used Unicel's Timber Curtain Wall System? It uses engineered glulam wood mullions on the inside with aluminum mullion caps / butt joints. Has anyone gotten close to using it, but couldn't get it procured for a particular reason? They note up to 72% more energy efficienct than a conventional aluminum curtain wall and... Read more

There are a number of clear finish options available, from natural oils and low-toxicity products primarily used on residential woodwork through factory-applied finishes where specific aesthetics and/or added durability are required (such as those used on cabinetry or commercial architectural millwork). Many of these have very high VOC levels,... Read more