Sustainable Materials
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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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Dances with Hazards: How Real Experts Pull Human Health into Design
Feature Short
John and Catherine prove that designers can work successfully with HPDs, especially if they have a toxicology consultant to support their multi-faceted selection process.
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What’s an EPD? Environmental Product Declaration FAQs
Feature Short
We answer FAQs on EPDs, which allow manufacturers to disclose a product’s carbon footprint and other impacts.
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Wood, Concrete, and Steel—And Their Incomparable EPDs
Feature Short
Don’t expect the turf battles over sustainability of structural systems to be settled anytime soon by EPDs.
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EPDs Will Change How We Build—But Slowly (Executive Summary)
Feature Short
Are EPDs actually going to have an impact on sustainable design and construction practices? Eventually. Just don’t get caught up in the hype.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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New Insulated Metal Panels without Halogenated Flame Retardants
Product Review
Kingspan and Centria IMPs are using halogen-free flame retardants, resulting in less toxic, better performing insulated cladding.
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Composite Wood: EPA, California, and LEED v4 Requirements
Product Review
EPA criteria are similar to CARB’s and create a federal formaldehyde standard for composite wood. We explain the LEED ramifications of these emission standards.
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Anaerobic Digesters: Turning Food Waste into Energy
Product Review
In an industry first, Impact Bioenergy has developed small-scale anaerobic digesters that reduce waste and produce methane to generate heat and energy.
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Innovative New Products from Greenbuild 2017
Product Review
Highlights from the 2017 Greenbuild Expo floor include dynamic glazing, heat-pump technologies, and blown-in wool insulation.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Cities Crack Down on Buildings via Performance Standards
News Analysis
Stringent performance standards for existing buildings are a new idea that’s shaking up the industry.
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Marin County First to Adopt Low-Carbon Concrete Code
News Brief
A California county has the first code to address both concrete performance and concrete’s carbon emissions.
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Structural Engineers Study Embodied Carbon of 600 Buildings
News Brief
More than half of a building’s embodied carbon is in its bones, prompting research—and soon, a new Revit tool.
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EC3 Links Whole-Building Life-Cycle Assessment to Products
News Brief
The Embodied Carbon Construction Calculator brings to light specific brands’ environmental data.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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