Championing the
Changemakers

Just about every week, I get a call or an email that turns into a building science puzzle. While the problems are varied, how you solve them doesn’t change. First, you understand how heat and moisture move through building assemblies. Second, you follow the advice of your spouse.

My wife of 27 years is a real master at jigsaw puzzles,... Read more

When researching product ingredients, it’s common to end with more questions than answers. Is saturated fat good for you if it comes from a coconut? Why does my shampoo bottle say “fragrance-free” on the front and then list a fragrance on the back?

With the release of its new Product Lens report, UL... Read more

In September 2016, the fluorescent lamps on the International Space Station will be replaced with LEDs that can change light intensity and color spectrum based on whether the astronauts need to be lured to sleep or roused awake. Since the astronauts see the sun rise and set every 45 minutes but get virtually no exposure to sunlight, the study... Read more

Cradle to Cradle (C2C) was the first certification to attempt to define in 2005 what true sustainability might look like in a building product.  Since then, several hundred products have been certified at C2C’s lower levels: Basic, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. But until now, Platinum certification, the highest level, has appeared more aspirational... Read more

All the debate about whether open offices are a silver bullet or the absolute worst seems to be working its way towards a compromise: keep the open plan but incorporate quiet, private spaces for people to use when they need them. 

The open layout has some strong environmental plus sides: fewer walls mean simpler air handling systems,... Read more

In the 1990s, carpet was king in commercial construction. But it wasn’t a benevolent dictator: back then, it came with outrageous indoor emissions, had no recycled content, and typically became trash after a couple years of wear. The carpet industry has spent the decades since then reinventing itself. But it looks like regime change is coming... Read more

Most of the energy-efficient equipment we use in our homes and businesses, from lighting to heat pumps to laptops, runs on direct current (DC). Unfortunately, power coming into our buildings from the grid is alternating current (AC) that has to be converted to DC. With each conversion, energy is wasted (see A Surge of Popularity for Efficient... Read more

A few years ago, the chances that a new building project would pursue net-zero-energy (NZE) use were pretty slim. But in the last year or so, the concept of NZE has rapidly matured, and more and more projects are using it as a goal. So, what made this possible? And should you be considering NZE for your next project?

To start with, ever... Read more

As a standard that seeks to promote occupant health, WELL requires project teams to use clean and green products to get with the program.

The International WELL Building Institute organized the system by outcomes rather than inputs, so we have categories…er, sorry—concepts like Air, Comfort, and Mind instead of the LEED categories of... Read more

Enough with all the eco-babble! Just give us the answers!

Those words were the most memorable of the extensive and varied feedback we received from readers after introducing Environmental Building News in 1992. 

The comment arrived on a paper reader-response card we’d inserted into the printed issue on its way to the post office... Read more

The Healthy Building Network (HBN), a national nonprofit known for advocating for getting toxic chemicals out of buildings and building materials, has announced a leadership transition.

Bill Walsh, who founded the organization in 2000, is passing executive leadership responsibilities to Gina Ciganik as CEO. Walsh isn’t going anywhere:... Read more

The first rammed-earth walls used dirt combined with simple, natural materials like straw, all compacted together and dried. Later, lime, pozzolans (which can act like cement), and other ingredients were added to improve the compressive strength, moisture resistance, and other characteristics.

SIREWALL takes rammed earth and modernizes... Read more

Well, you’ve done it. You’ve sifted through countless product declarations on multiple transparency platforms. You’ve compared apples to oranges, and maybe a few pineapples.

Where no declaration exists, you’ve written to manufacturers encouraging them to share their secrets and confess their sins. The 50% or so who are going to respond... Read more

Despite the current high volume of multifamily construction, it can be hard to find green products in some parts of this sector. Kitchen cabinetry is one such area. Have you ever tried to find residential cabinets that can be ordered in volume and are also made 1) in North America 2) with low-emitting materials and 3) wood or fiber certified to... Read more

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has announced that Rick Fedrizzi will become its CEO in November 2016 and will immediately take the role of board chairman. IWBI runs the WELL Building Standard, a rating system for buildings that’s focused on human health and well-being.

The move helps cement a strong relationship... Read more

If there’s a carcinogen in your insulation but you never come in contact with it, can the carcinogen give you cancer?

Of course it can’t. But if you or someone else—like a factory worker—does come in contact with that substance, a deadly illness could result. Knowing that, might it be better to simply eliminate the chemical, or replace... Read more

Glare and solar gain can completely undermine daylighting goals. Window coverings to the rescue!—but some are better (and less toxic) than others.

BuildingGreen-Approved Window Shades

Interior shades, screens, and other window treatments should effectively manage solar heat gain and glare and should be free of PVC, perfluorinated... Read more

Think you know everything there is to know about green, high-performance insulation products and practices? Let’s find out! The answer key—and articles to learn more—are at the bottom of the page.

1) BuildingGreen doesn’t recommend radiant barrier products. Why not?

(a) they are not a substitute for conventional insulation... Read more

Until now, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was the wobbly leg of the three-legged stool that is the core of our environmental legislation in the U.S. Unlike the other two legs—the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act—it hadn’t been revised for 40 years.

This legislation gives EPA the authority to issue regulations on all... Read more

Choosing products for LEED compliance?

The products in the collections listed below contribute to the requirements of LEED in the credit categories listed below. You can also view all our product collections that are LEED-related here.

Interested in setting a higher bar? Some products that help earn LEED points don't meet our... Read more