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Changemakers
BuildingGreen champions the changemakers in sustainable design and building, with trusted insight, unparalleled education, and communities that are transforming the industry.
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Forum topic
On Thursday, September 27 at 2PM Eastern Time you can join the first BuildingGreen Communities webinar where we will share key takeaways from the 11th annual Summer Sustainable Design Leaders Summit (@ the Garrison Institute in upstate New York). Our new webinar format using Zoom will allow for interactive questions and comments throughout. If... Read more
Forum topic
Hello SCL,
If you didn't attend last week's SCL Summit, then I'll sum up one of the major takeaways: SCL members NEED TO COMMENT ON LEEDV5. The stakes are high, particularly around waste.
Luckily, Amanda Kaminsky is making it easy for us. She has drafted a sample comment based on our discussion at the Summit.
If you have... Read more
Forum topic
Hi Green Gurus,
A "fun" take-away from the sustainable MEP Leaders Summit (just ended today):
Inspired by Passive House, we are embarking on a campaign: "Low Load Buildings Are SEXY".
One idea we have is: what if the AIA design awards set limits on metrics like heating loads to meet basic eligibility?
If you have... Read more
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Hello Green Gurus!
The Climate Smart Wood Working Group would like to give a boost to this Ecotrust initiative to support the market proliferation of mass timber with science that attributes carbon impacts to wood building products. As many of you are aware, a couple years ago, the University of Washington partnered with Ecotrust to... Read more
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Hi All,
Our local COTE committee has the opportunity to meet with a local jurisdiction on meeting the targets set forth by their Climate Action Plan. In preparation I'm looking for innovative building codes/ordinaces that address existing buildings. I am already digging into Boston's Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance... Read more
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Has anyone used the new 3M Smog-Eating Granules on a roof before? Malarkey and Soprema are offering this as an option for their roof shingles. Seems like a great technology for urban areas, but I'd be curious to see if anyone here has actually successfully specified and installed it.
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/roofing-granules-us/... Read more
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Sitting in SFO after an exhausting but also weirdly refreshing Greenbuild. Saw many of you at the Peer Networks event, which was so awesome!
Before my flight boards, I wanted to let folks know we're seeking a new Editorial Associate. It's pretty entry level with lots of room to grow. If you know a talented writer who's got background in... Read more
Forum topic
Please share your thoughts in preparation for our monthly call this Thursday (call info below).
Given these items that are changing at AIA, are any of them motivating changes within your firm? If so, how? If not, why?
1. Awards criteria now includes COTE Measures of Design Excellence
2. Code of Ethics now includes rule on... Read more
Spotlight Report
When BuildingGreen started publication in 1992, simply finding building products designed with environmental benefits in mind was a big challenge.
In the years since we’ve seen rapid advances in green building materials and products, and manufacturers are beginning to take topics such as embodied carbon and social justice concerns—... Read more
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Hi All!
Our company recently rolled out a corporate Green Team of volunteers across the company working to drive sustainability initiatives at their respective office locations. I wanted to reach out and ask who has a Green Team (or similar name) at their company and learn more about how different Green Teams are structured within the... Read more
Forum topic
A new article addressing whether PFAS finishes on upholstery fabric actually work (Spoiler alert - they don't) has been published and can be found here:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/24723444231159856
This is authored by the fine folks at Green Science Policy, Arlene Blum's group that is the source of the Six Classes of... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of LEED 2012 Second Public Comment Period Opens.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Recognize the emphasis on making language more cleanly worded (while maintaining overall intent and requirements) and the focus on dividing sections by topic... Read more
News Analysis
Product Guide
Wood was the first material used in window frame and sash construction, and it remains popular for homes with its warm feel and relatively high energy efficiency.
BuildingGreen-Approved Windows
Wood windows must achieve an NFRC-certified unit U-factor of 0.22 or lower. Manufacturers also must demonstrate that their highest-... Read more