Championing the
Changemakers

Hi All- I'm posting this question for my ZGF colleague Chris Chatto.  Somehow he wasn't initially included on the SDL list as it moved from Wiggio to BuildingGreen's (Green Gurus) site.  Happy New Year, Lona

Hi everyone –

We could use your help in developing a determining a “red list” premium for a feasibility cost... Read more

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/06/04/new-china-policies-spark-di...

New China policies spark disarray in region’s recycling industry
Buried in the mountains of refuse at Casella’s recycling plant in Charlestown are tons of material that should have gone straight to the landfill — from tires and pots to lobster buoys and... Read more

Dear all,

For a specific existing building application, we are looking for a half inch insulating glazing unit, preferably with low-e coating. Based on my research, 5/8" seems to be doable (1/8" glass + 3/8" air gap + 1/8" glass) but I'm yet to find a viable 1/2" solution. Have you come across any on your projects? Thanks for your... Read more

We've been doing some work gathering actual energy data on our recent projects. (In January we actually issued a report on 21 public buildings ). 

One of the biggest issues is getting access to the actual data - many clients don't want to share. 

Has anyone crafted proposal or contract language allowing/requiring design team... Read more

The High Performance Buildings Database (HPB) provides case studies of projects ranging from homes and commercial interiors to large buildings and even whole campuses and neighborhoods. These may be certified green projects, or simply projects that have one or more notable environmental features. We review each published case study to focus on... Read more

Michael led Opsis through several workshops as we began our journey to create a more equitable and socially just workplace. Michael had a great sense of humor and a really kind manner. I feel deep gratitude for having known him and for the lasting impact he has had on our lives. I know others in this group also worked with Michael and would... Read more

Hi everyone! LMN is embarking on a 17-part series to explore a more comprehensive carbon metric via summaries of various topics with lots of link. This dovetails with many other efforts in the industry and will reference all the best stuff that we are aware of...such as MEP 2040, SE 2050, CLF stuff, Epic tool, CARE tool, Arch 2030 publications... Read more

Greetings Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) advocates!

We have an opportunity to advocate to the US DOE on behalf of HPWHs!

Geoff Wickes is an emerging technology product manager for NEEA (Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance) currently focused entirely on HPWH technology, policy, and market adoption (and in full disclosure: also a... Read more

Hello SCL,

We are getting back to our usual schedule of a pre-Greenbuild SCL Summit. We will be opening registration and announcing topics shortly. In the meantime, please pencil us into your calendar.

Date: September 25, 2023

Location: ZGF Architecture 600 14th St NW #800, Washington, DC 20005

Time: Soft start at... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of Finding Furniture Without Toxic Flame Retardants.

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


1. Explain why avoiding toxic flame retardants is important.
2. Explain how we were swindled into dosing our buildings and our bodies with flame... Read more

Welcome to the quiz portion of "Spec This, Not That: Avoiding Toxic Chemicals in Commercial Building Projects"!

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


My firm didn't have representation at the winter summit, but I've just read the report (thank you, RoseAnn!), and was really glad to see there was conversation around mass timber. I'd love to talk with anyone who was involved in that roundtable to get a deeper download about the discussion. We've been doing a lot of mass timber buildings and... 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 Gurus!

This query just came from GSA via the Large Firm Roundtable. It seems that one way we can help is simply to route this to the best concrete and asphalt suppliers we know of, so they can respond.  

Can you pass on some information to the large firms sustainability roundtable? GSA, and the White House, just announced new... Read more

Dear SDL,

After almost 12 years at Sasaki, I have finally decided to leave for a path slightly-less-traveled. My own development project in Boston (passive house, ZNE condos) is in construction and I will be focusing my attention on that over the course of this year, and then hoping to continue doing similar integrated... Read more