Design Process
Parent
Design Process
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
-
How to Use EPDs in Your Practice: Advice from Designers
Feature Short
Sure, you can just check a box for LEED v4. But the data can also inform your project, if you use it wisely.
-
How Boston Reduced Its Carbon Footprint
Feature Short
Building operations represent 75% of Boston’s greenhouse gas emissions. Here’s what we can learn from the city’s work on ambitious climate goals.
-
2030 Culture: Six Selfish Reasons to Commit
Feature Short
2030 Commitment signatories are making progress on climate goals. Along the way, they’re also finding new ways to save time and money.
-
Progress on 2030 Goals, Ten Years Later
Feature Short
The number of firms committing to 2030 carbon targets has more than doubled, and 8,182 project teams reported in 2014. But what about the carbon?
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
-
The Living Building Challenge Loves Me... It Loves Me Not
Infographic
Each Living Building Challenge (LBC) petal can elevate teams to new heights—or at times be the cause of unrequited love.
-
The 8 Shades of Greenwash: How Many Do You Recognize?
Infographic
Most building products these days have an environmental angle to their sales pitches. Many are legit, but as ever, you still have to watch for the telltale signs of greenwash—the practice of inventing or exaggerating the environmental benefits of a product.
-
Checklist for Implementing an Occupant Engagement Campaign
Infographic
Use this checklist as a guide to implementing an occupant engagement campaign.
-
Putting the “Pre” in Post-Occupancy Evaluations
Infographic
Don’t just take a survey and walk away. There’s a better way to do POEs that can dovetail with the integrative process, improve project outcomes, and save clients money.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
-
Resilient Flooring
Product Guide
PVC-free and recycled-tire-free flooring, including linoleum and composites with low or no indoor emissions
-
Metal Coatings
Product Guide
These coatings have VOC levels below 50 g/l and contain no chromium, cadmium, or hazardous airborne pollutants.
-
Wallcoverings
Product Guide
These durable wall treatments have no PVC and no toxic phthalates. This mitigates health concerns with this important design choice.
-
Textiles
Product Guide
These high-performance, low-impact fabrics are painstakingly vetted and include biobased synthetics and some natural fibers.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
-
New Orleans Principles Published
News Analysis
BuildingGreen and the U.S. Green Building Council have published The New Orleans Principles, a collection of ten key principles to guide the planning and reconstruction of the city.
-
AIA Targets 50% Energy Reduction in Buildings
News Analysis
The American Institute of Architects board of directors has set a goal of halving the amount of fossil fuels needed to construct and operate buildings by 2010-and achieving a 70% reduction by 2015!
-
Tarkett Acquires Johnsonite
News Analysis
Tarkett, the world's largest manufacturer of resilient flooring has acquired Johnsonite, a producer of specialty flooring and flooring accessories.
-
U.S. Plastic Lumber Becomes Trimax Building Products
News Analysis
American Pacific Financial Corp. has purchased U.S. Plastic Lumber and renamed it Trimax Building Products.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
-
From the Editors
Op-Ed
BuildingGreen welcomes Drew George to our Advisory Board, takes over hosting of the Big Green e-mail listserv, and announces that
EBN is now printed on FSC-certified paper. -
Why It's Imperative That We Raise Energy Taxes
Op-Ed
BuildingGreen President Alex Wilson argues for a $5 per gallon fossil fuel tax.
-
Higher Expectations
Op-Ed
Raphael Sperry, president of Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility, writes that EBN's February feature article on Wal-Mart should have included a review of the company's social-justice record.
-
BuildingGreen to Assist McGraw-Hill with New Magazine
Op-Ed
BuildingGreen is pleased to announce an agreement with McGraw-Hill Construction through which we will provide editorial guidance and articles for an upcoming magazine called GreenSource.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
-
Green Building Materials 101: A Syllabus Supplement
Syllabus Supplement
College professors: here’s a curriculum module for introducing students to healthier and lower-impact products and materials using BuildingGreen articles.
-
LEED 101: A Syllabus Supplement for Green Building Coursework
Syllabus Supplement
This syllabus supplement provides professors and students with content on LEED from BuildingGreen, LEEDuser, and other relevant resources.
-
Sustainable Design 101: A Syllabus Supplement
Syllabus Supplement
College professors: here’s a curriculum module you can use to introduce students to sustainable design using BuildingGreen articles. Feel free to cherry pick content that fits your syllabus.
-
The Urgency of Embodied Carbon and What You Can Do about It
Feature Article
Building materials emit massive amounts of carbon long before the lights go on. Here’s how thoughtful design can reduce global warming impact.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
-
Green Building “unFestival” Ends in Lawsuits
April Fools
The unFestival green building event was a disaster
-
USGBC Embraces Legal Marijuana
April Fools
LEED v4.20 introduces a wide range of cannabis-oriented prerequisites.
-
Knock Knock. Who’s There? A New Mission for Habitat
April Fools
The former Habitat for Humanity now aims to bring joy in addition to housing.
-
Leaked IPCC Draft Struggles with Messaging
April Fools
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released part two of its Sixth Assessment Report in February—but it left out some strong feelings.
