Championing the
Changemakers

Are you ready to share the story about your best projects?

AIA COTE Top Ten Awards is a great way to get recognition for your best work and the call for submissions for the 2024 cycle is now open!

The awards cycle has shifted, and the deadline for the 2024 awards is October 26.

So NOW is the time to pull together... Read more

I was asked to share this with my network...

"For colleagues working with LCA data, during design, construction, or facility management proces, please help us understand how EPDs are useful in your processes by completing the survey below:"

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ashrant-aryal-2354497a_qualtrics-survey-q...

Hello Green Gurus! We are diving deep into our carbon metrics this year and are finalizing some of our emissions factors for our Scope 1 and 2 emissions and in a few more months Scope 3. I'm hoping this brain trust has some recent knowledge to share on this topic. What we've found is there's a fairly big variance in what we've seen in published... Read more

We are putting together a free guide for firms who have not yet started to figure out what their internal standards are for healthy, low carbon materials/products. 

As part of this effort, we are looking to gather from all of you who already have standards - examples and precedent.

Also we are collecting standards from clients/... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Dream Materials: What Do You Really Want to Build With?

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


1. Differentiate the tools that encourage accountable design.
2. Identify materials that are hazardous and list certifications that optimize for... Read more

Hi all - Reflecting on the COTE Top Ten Awards and Lloyd Alter's recent article  https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/keep-aiacotes-its-time-scrap-aia-awards.html, I am curious how many local/state AIA awards programs have incorporated sustainability reporting metrics as a requirement for all awards submissions, not just for categories... Read more

Hello All,

News Bulletin: The 2020 SDL Winter Summit will be held January 29th - January 31st, 2020 at The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Alabama!

During the 2019 Winter Summit, we discovered such an amazing venue at the Gulf State Park in Alabama that we’ve decided to go back! This incredible beachfront hotel designed by Lake|Flato is... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Re-forming the Building Industry: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion!

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


1. Define equity, diversity, and inclusion, and explain their relevance to the building industry as well as how they contribute to occupant and... Read more

Hello Sustainable Construction Leaders, 

Mark your calendars! The next quarterly SCL call will be Wednesday, July 28th, 3pm ET (noon PT) and will focus on ESG.

Check in with three contractors at varying levels of development in their ESG programs. Julia Gisewite from Turner Construction, Jennifer Taranto from STO Building Group,... Read more

I see that the Architect 50 questions this year are organized around AIA 2030 Commitment reporting. I have a question about how people are answering them. The DDX reports have percentages that are by GSF. Are people using this percentage to answer the questions? Or are you calculating the percentage based on number of projects out of total... Read more

Fluid-applied flooring (FAF), or resinous flooring, is made from various hazardous chemicals that can be released into the building, especially during application.

BuildingGreen-Approved Flooring

BuildingGreen selects FAF that meets CARB emissions standards AND either contains recycled content or offers other positive... Read more

Friends,

This is a personal note. My son was just diagnosed with Asthma. I’m started to wonder if it’s just coincidence that this corresponded with him starting kindergarten in a school where they clean with Chlorine bleach. I found substitutes for his small preschool and at home.  My understanding is that there’... Read more

Just in time for Saturday Night!!

Get out the popcorn and put away Netflix!
For those who were unfortunate enough to miss this LIVE - you still get to watch the awesome talents of our community! 

You sadly miss out on the camaraderie, connection and wonderfullness of hanging out with everyone (not recorded!) but you do get... Read more

Are you getting questions, advice, and dubious sales pitches from all comers about how to design and run an HVAC system to combat infectious disease? You’re not alone. Engineers, facility managers, architects, and other building professionals are all... Read more

Team,

See this paper regarding outside air vs. filtration.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132313002515

MERV-13 is a good way to get most benefits without a huge cost.

Best,
Luke Leung

Our Sustainable Construction Leaders peer network famously developed the Contractor's Commitment.

Famous because it is the industry's only agreed-upon framework for systematically addressing the environmental and social impacts of construction activity.

Famous because it now has 27 signatories, collectively accounting for $49... Read more

Hello SDL Peers,

We are currently in the process of expanding our firmwide carbon reporting (and goal setting). I am looking to see if anyone has some "best practices" or examples of their own firm's journey to carbon neutrality. Any info or tips are welcome!

Thx, JP