Sustainable Materials
Parent
Sustainable Materials
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Engineering a Wood Revolution
Feature Article
Engineered wood products are challenging concrete and steel in structural applications while proffering a lower environmental footprint.
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Can We Replace Foam Insulation?
Feature Article
There are a lot of reasons to avoid foam, but its high performance can make it a hard habit to kick, as designers are finding out.
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Whole-Building Life-Cycle Assessment: Taking the Measure of a Green Building
Feature Article
Why we will never understand the true impact of our buildings—and how we should try to anyway
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Stone, The Original Green Building Material
Feature Article
Stone is natural and durable, emits no VOCs, requires almost no maintenance, and provides a connection to the earth and our history.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Synthetic Gypsum
Explainer
Synthetic gypsum, used in drywall, is chemically the same as virgin gypsum but is created from a byproduct of coal-fired power plants. Are designer and contractor concerns about heavy metal contamination justified?
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Brominated Flame Retardants
Explainer
Keeping furnishings, appliances, and building materials from catching fire and burning up is important, but many flame retardants aren't good for us or the environment.
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Using Fly Ash in Concrete
Explainer
Fly ash lowers the environmental footprint of concrete and improves durability. Pouring and curing concrete with high levels of fly ash requires special treatment.
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All About Formaldehyde
Explainer
A naturally occurring organic compound used in binders for composite wood products, among other things, formaldehyde can create serious health problems in those exposed to high concentrations.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Resilient Flooring: Finding the Green Sweet Spot
Product Review
What’s the best resilient flooring? Is resilient flooring even sustainable?
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Timeless Tile’s Carbon Conundrum
Product Review
Tile is an ancient type of flooring and wallcovering that can last centuries—even millennia. But can it check today’s sustainability boxes?
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BuildingGreen Announces Top 10 Products for 2022
Product Review
Innovative products include heat pumps that use low-GWP refrigerants, energy-saving window inserts, water-saving infrastructure, induction ranges, and more.
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Laser-like LEDs Blend Performance, Function, and Looks
Product Review
Award-winning Lazer Line LEDs provide high-quality, efficacious lighting in a unique form that provides different options for lighting a space.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Are Net-Zero-Carbon Labs Feasible?
News Brief
HOK has released a study on laboratory buildings showing how to slash both operational and embodied carbon.
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Maine Outlawed PFAS in Everything: How Will That Work?
News Analysis
With a recent Maine regulation, PFAS “forever chemicals” are regulated as a category—not chemical by chemical.
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A New Embodied Carbon Calculation Tool for Passive House
News Brief
The Passive House Network’s PHribbon software calculates a building's whole-life carbon footprint from cradle to grave, incorporating operational and transportation inputs.
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New York State Tackles Electrification, Embodied Carbon
News Brief
Governor Kathy Hochul has laid out plans for widespread building electrification and signed a law regarding low-embodied-carbon concrete.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Sustainable Sealants: The Challenges of Predicting Service Life
Blog Post
Caulk joint sealants can be a major deciding factor in how long your building envelope lasts. Is there a better way to predict how long the sealants last?
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Stickiness Explained! Making Building Tapes and Membranes Stay Put
Blog Post
When you use tape to seal a seam or flash a sill, you need peel-and-stick performance—not “stick-and-peel.”
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How to Choose a Sealant That Works
Blog Post
Any sealant can perform well in the right application, but knowing which to pick for your job is another thing. Our guide to sealants and how to use them.
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Transparency in Action: Health Product Declaration Ramping Up
Blog Post
Life-cycle assessment, environmental product declarations, and corporate social responsibility reporting are a great start. But can we talk about health?
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
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