OVERVIEW
Standards and rating systems have been at the heart of the green building movement at least since U.S. energy standards for buildings (like ASHRAE 90.1) started ratcheting up following the 1970s energy crisis.
If you care about health and sustainability, you can now rely on dozens of ratings and standards for buildings as well as things in and around them, including:
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Lab protocols for chemical emissions from finishes and furniture
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Testing methods for durability of paints, textiles, and many other products
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Standards for energy use, ventilation, thermal comfort, and more
- Rating systems for schools, healthcare facilities, parking garages, landscapes, and healthy spaces
IN-DEPTH
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Passive House on Campus: Eight Exemplary Projects
Spotlight Report
Over the years, the original Passive House Institute (PHI) certification system has branched out considerably to offer different requirements for different building types, such as offices, hospitals, schools—even swimming pools.
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Certified Communities: When Greening Neighborhoods One Building at a Time Isn’t Enough
Primer
A comparison of community-scale certification programs.
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How Six Affordable Housing Projects Got to Green
Feature Short
Stories of designers and developers who overcame the challenges of building affordable housing that is also green, sustainable, and healthy.
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How to Get from VOC Certifications to Better Products
Feature Short
The FDA regulates flies in our soup, but no one regulates VOCs in our indoor air. Somehow that’s a designer’s job to figure out.
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VOC Testing: What It Can and Can’t Tell You
Primer
“Section 01350” has come a long way since it acquired its curious nickname. Here’s what it can tell you about indoor air quality—and what it can’t.
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Textile Choices: Cleaner Options for Every Application
Feature Short
Standard textiles can have a toxic, devastating impact on our environment. Your project can do better.
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The DNA of EPDs: The Making of Product Category Rules
Feature Short
PCRs are the instruction manuals behind EPDs. They’re supposed to provide foolproof rules for conducting LCAs, but they can also be the system’s fatal flaw.
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Imperfect Consensus in Green Building Standards
Primer
Business rivals find common ground through ANSI, ISO, and other frameworks-but the process isn't perfect.
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Standards for Standards: ISO and ANSI
Primer
ISO is an international standard-setting body that offers accreditation to certifying organizations and approves standards that meet certain criteria.
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Adaptive Thermal Comfort
Primer
Adaptive thermal comfort broadens our understanding of the comfort zone by accounting for human behavior and perception, and factors like amount of clothing and air movement.
