Championing the
Changemakers

Hi SDL: sorry to send another missive so soon but I wanted all to be aware of a great new effort just announced today coming from Greg Kats and Vivian Loftness among others - The Smart Surfaces Coalition. This effort brings together resources and research around city-scale resilience. "The Coalition is committed to the rapid, cost-effective... Read more

Early laminate flooring had problems with premature surface wear, moisture damage, and hazardous formaldehyde emissions—and some products may still have these problems.

BuildingGreen-Approved Flooring

Laminate flooring products listed by BuildingGreen have high recycled content (greater than 70%) or FSC-certified content and:... Read more

Posting for Kira Gould: 

Since his death on August 27, 2021, Lance Hosey has been missed by our community. We miss his voice and his vision -- as well as his collegiality and humor. Now, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation announced the Lance Hosey Scholarship Fund to Make Things Better. We are pleased... Read more

Hi all - I've heard from a few of you that you are interested in doing a book club or other internal education based on the Path to Zero Carbon. If you would like the word docs or pdfs of each of the 16 posts, let me konw and I'll send them to you.

I'd also like to know of those who are using it how it's going and what you're finding... Read more

Hi folks,

I hope you're all doing well, despite the heat (thermal, political, social...ugh!).

We've had low turnout on the SAL monthly calls lately; it seems that these aren't a high priority for many of you. That's not necessarily a problem, if you're finding value in being in the network for other reasons, that's fine.

We... Read more

The Getting to Zero Forum is happening next week in Minneapolis, Minnesota (my home state!). Anyone else from this group planning to attend in person? I'm especially curious as the Forum comes so quickly on the heals of the Living Future Conference.

As a proud Minnesotan, I have a hard time imagining how anyone could ignore an... Read more

Ali Flynn and Alejandra Arce Gomez are planning a breakout meeting for the Waste Managment Group for all interested. 

Please fill out the doodle poll below so that we can find a good time:

https://doodle.com/poll/qxd4zxrw9xzrxwc6

Ali and Alejandra have drafted an updated version of the Commitment for Waste (attached) after... Read more

Hi SD Leaders, my firm wants to make a case for conducting LCAs on all major projects. I'm curious what your experience is - how long does it take to conduct an LCA (for the analyst's effort and other project team members who attend meetings about the LCA and use its results), and the type of LCA software you're using. 

I feel sure you'... Read more

We are hiring! Please share with any potential talented and passionate candidates.

https://archinect.com/jobs/entry/150052970/sustainable-design-specialist

ps. And, yes we recently rebranded for our 40th anniversary for those who may be confused :) 

Hey All!

One of the initiatives from our first meeting in Chicago was to gather and develop resources related to plug and process loads in buildings which will help us all with: energy modeling, equipment sizing and power distribution.  We had our first call this morning and are rolling.  Aspirations are that this could turn into a... Read more

Greetings, Green Gurus!  As many of you know, I teach a course at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Architecture, and one of my former students has just graduated from their and MS in Design - Environmental Building Design program.  She is looking for employment at a firm that has a focus on sustainability.  Unfortunately we... Read more

Dear fellow SCL'ers,

Recently one of our members, Ryan Poole, sustainability leader at DPR, has been facing some personal challenges. His wife is 35 weeks pregnant and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. They have moved across country - from Colorado to South Carolina - to be closer to thier parents and their support system, but they can... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Better Window Decisions: Mastering the Performance and Cost Options.

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


1. Understand the energy metrics that inform how windows affect energy loads
2. Describe ways to avoid air leakage and condensation... Read more

If you don’t spend your “day-to-day” in the healthy materials space, it’s hard to create strategy and align your company to meet your customers' (what seems to be) ever-changing asks and project goals. This... Read more

Hi Green Gurus,

In this stressful time, I think it is important for us to continue to feel connected and supported.  Also, it is difficult to come to terms with the reality of what is happening.  So, I thought it would be helpful for us to share some information about the response of our respective firms to the Coronavirus.

The... Read more

Products & Materials Specialist Brent Ehrlich excels at deep, unbiased, and nuanced technical research on the health and environmental impacts of green building products and materials. Some areas of focus include:

product and material constituents, including their risks

product certifications

third-party product... Read more