Championing the
Changemakers

Dear Colleagues:

This is a request from AIA COTE Advocacy to sign another petition on behalf of your firm. I know it's incomprehensible that we have to do this, but we at AIA COTE Advocacy think the US Federal Emergency Management Agency's removal of the term "climate change" from all their strategic planning documents is evidence of an... 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, accuracy, and thoroughly... Read more

Shamus Gumshoe

Hi: Great to see so many of you at AIA COTE Top Ten last week.  I'm forwarding the message below for those of you who know Marsha Maytum and can contribute to this important effort. Deadline is next Friday June 23rd!Thanks.

Mary Ann

Hello, friends,

During A'23, Je’Nen and I discussed our desire to send Marsha photos we have... Read more

Exterior doors often have poor insulation and seals that allow air through.

BuildingGreen-Approved Exterior Doors

BuildingGreen has different criteria for commercial and residential exterior doors.

Commercial swing (hinged) doors must be NFRC-rated, certified, and labeled for U-factor. They have a maximum air leakage of 0.... Read more

Not to distract from Tanya's post, but we too have a new opening for a Sustainability Specialist in our Dallas office. If you know anyone...https://careers-pagethink.icims.com/jobs/1254/sustainability-specialist/job

We are pursuing sustainability goals (and documentation of those goals) outside of any certification/rating system for a current project.  However, we have set up a criteria list of goals by following strategies/credits from many of those systems (LEED v4 EPDs, SITES v2 threatened tree species, WELL v2 mindful eating, etc.).  This approach is... Read more

Is LEED Online mind-numbingly slow today for anyone else? Or is it just me? I may give up and try again tomorrow. Frustrating as I was hoping to submit a final review today. :(

I've got exciting news to share! Ayers Saint Gross' JUST disclosure went live on Monday. See our blog post about it here: https://asg-architects.com/ideas/blog/. That has a link out to our actual disclosure as well. It's been a bananas week with our internal communications campaign on it in full swing. I know a number of your firms, based on... Read more

Hello all, 

Wondering if anyone has experience with lead limits in electrical cable and wiring? 

LEED for Healthcare allows a limit of 300 ppm of lead in electrical wire and cabling - my search for compliant products has been all dead ends. (MRc PBT Source Reduction - lead, cadmium, and copper)

Acceptable regulations for... Read more

Hi All,

How are folks funding training for your employees? Would it help to have free training opportunities besides lunch and learns or ones you do yourself?

For those of you outside of Massachusetts you may have employees or friends in MA that this could be relevant to.  I'm hoping my friends in MA have already heard this.

Hello! Does anyone know of any general contractors who produce a CSR? Is anyone aware of any general contractors who have an ESG rating? If so, what company is being utilized (i.e. EcoVadis) to get the ESG rating?  

Folks, it is with a heavy heart that I write this: Lance Hosey passed away unexpectedly on Friday. 

Many of you know him from the early days of the SDL group, or as an outsized presence at any of the many conferences where we overlap. He's been a list-maker, poll-taker and all around troublemaker in my life for over 20 years; I know I am... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Eight Tips for Passing the LEED v4 AP BD+C Exam.

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


1. List important tables and calculations from the reference guide.
2. Explain what's pertinent about credit options and documentation.
3. Detail... Read more

Here are additional slide decks from people who presented in one of our general sessions: at Max's Pot, or in the mornings. Also Jerelyn's Wednesday evening presentation on BuildingGreen's work on sustainability literacy.

Among those included here are my slides on the Rich Earth Institute and urine diversion into fertilizer--did you... Read more

For those who haven't heard yet, we've reached a critical milestone with the Contractor Commitment. 51% of the SCL network voted to approve the language of the current draft. That's the mark we needed to hit, so we can move forward with planning the launch! Thank you to all those who have worked tirelessly over the last two years developing... Read more

HI Green Gurus. Great news for those who signed the petition to WHO last summer, and even those who didn't. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) released on March 1, 2021 a Roadmap to improve and ensure good indoor ventilation in the context of COVID-19. This document provides practical advice on how to mitigate COVID-19 through airborne... Read more

Hello fellow sustainable design leaders! I am about to kick off an intensive effort here at EHDD to refine our internal standards for materials. We will be considering both GWP as well as the health of materials (avoiding harmful chemicals). In addition to setting the standards, I will be working to develop a process to vet materials before... Read more