Site Assessment & Design
Whether or not a design team has a say in siting a project, carefully assessing the site should be on every project’s to-do list. A site assessment early in design can reduce costs, allay potential risks, support the health and well-being of occupants and native habitat, and promote other unique site features.
And site design goes hand in hand with building design, as the building interacts with the site when it comes to daylight, rainwater management, views and biophilia, and other building features.
Site Assessment & Design
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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How Environmental Site Assessments Work
Explainer
Existing buildings and previously developed sites are great, but they often need environmental cleanup. An ESA is the first step.
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Putting a “LID” on Harmful Stormwater Runoff
Explainer
Low-impact development (LID) minimizes pavement and maximizes rainwater infiltration, filtering out pollution and preventing erosion.
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Sharing the Skyline with Birds
Explainer
Buildings are major killers of birds, but thoughtful design can help.
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Combined Sewer Overflow
Explainer
Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) occur in municipalities with older wastewater systems that carry both sanitary wastewater and stormwater; eliminating CSOs involves investment in wastewater infrastructure and reducing stormwater flows.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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A Standard for Managing Outdoor Lighting’s Negative Impacts
Product Review
Design Lights Consortium’s LUNA Standard balances verified energy efficiency and performance data with environmental concerns to help design teams select application-specific lighting.
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BuildingGreen Announces Top 10 Products for 2017
Product Review
Our innovative Top 10 product selections reduce stormwater and wastewater, improve efficiency and IAQ, and contain fewer hazardous materials.
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Treated Wood for Ground Contact, Minus the Toxic Pesticides
Product Review
Accoya, now code-approved for fungus and termite resistance, relies on acetylation as a benign alternative to conventional pressure-treated wood.
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Win the Turf Wars with Rubber-Free Artificial Fields
Product Review
You don’t have to choose between recycled tires and natural grass for athletic surfaces. There’s a spectrum of good options in between.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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How to Use the Right Tools to Design for Climate Change
News Analysis
Weather files that help designers plan for climate change will soon be readily available. But legal liability remains until ASHRAE catches up.
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COTE Top Ten for 2023 Provide Open Space Teeming with Life
News Analysis
The COTE Top Ten for 2023 promote biodiversity, equitable access to nature, and other positive outcomes for occupants, owners, and broader energy and water systems.
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Land Use Is Step One for Decarbonizing Transportation
News Brief
Four federal agencies have released a first-of-its-kind, holistic strategy for the decarbonization of the U.S. transportation sector.
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“Tree Equity” Fund Brings Green to Urban Streetscapes
News Brief
Access to green, tree-lined space is unequal. A new $10 million fund has been created to help low-income neighborhoods tap into federal funding.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Water Tables and Basements
Blog Post
How to use geological, soil, and historical maps to keep your basement dry
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Integrate Food Production and Green Building
Op-Ed
Adding local food production to the goals of green building makes sense for the environment and human health.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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On-demand Webinar- Rainwater Management and LEED: Strategies to Protect Ecosystems and Communities
Webcast
In this webinar, we will review the LEED v4 and v4.1 BD+C Rainwater Management credits and discuss how real project teams are approaching and implementing successful management strategies.
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Resilient, Sustainable Water Management: A Holistic Approach
Feature Article
Water is our planet’s lifeblood. But climate change has redefined how we view water, with drought amplifying water scarcity and changing our relationship with the landscape and the built environment.
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Native Landscaping for Biodiversity
Feature Article
Removal of invasive plants and support of native plantings are critically important for maintaining healthy ecosystems.
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Resilient, Sustainable Water Management: A Holistic Approach
Spotlight Report
This report covers innovative ways of managing our water, including avoiding water use altogether, reducing the amount necessary for a given use, and reusing water.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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Houston Becomes “Bike City USA”
April Fools
Building on Texas’s reputation for environmentalism, which stems from its clean grid, Houston is aiming to rival Amsterdam and become a worldwide leader in urban bicycle commuting.
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Trump Presidential Library to Feature Golf, Gambling
April Fools
The Trump Presidential Library will break with staid traditions and offer some unusual amenities.
