As an increasing number of contractors seek LEED and other third-party green building certifications, the complex set of documents used to manage construction projects must adapt to reflect the challenges and risks inherent in green building. Risks include the use of new materials and design techniques, uncertainty around the performance of the building upon completion and the ability to actually achieve a third-party certification. Both the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of General Contractors publish form contracts to demonstrate how to draft contracts that adequately address these risks.

Sustainable Life Media launched their first online Sustainable Brands Boot Camp on Friday. Leading the first webinar, “Introduction to Opportunities in Sustainable Innovation”, was Gil Friend, President/CEO of Natural Logic and author of The Truth About Green Business. Friend spoke on sustainability focused design innovation and how companies can remain competitive in the midst of today’s environmental challenges. Friend provided valuable and practical recommendations on how companies can incorporate sustainability within their innovation process.

Discover the 10 most important factors you should be using to select a green MBA program and how to use them to select the right program to put you on a successful career track.

Green roofs, green walls, green parking lots, shade trees, the greening of urban spaces in general, the restoration of urban waterways, wetlands and the re-greening of brownfield areas; can all be thought of as different techniques to nurture a green living skin over regions of urban development. While there are many important differences between each of these separate techniques as well as their underlying technologies they all share a common overarching goal of bringing an analog of the natural living green skin that characterizes the natural landscape back into our urban areas. They all promote the restoration and re-integration of these heavily populated areas back into the surrounding natural environment.

Each spring, Building Design & Construction (BD+C) editors survey the country’s largest AEC firms in the nonresidential building industry. Companies are ranked across six categories—Architects (50), Architect/Engineers (50), Engineers (50), Engineer/Architects (50), Contractors (80), and Construction Managers (20)—based on the volume of commercial, institutional, industrial, and multifamily residential building work completed in 2008. This year, in addition to publishing a list of the top 200 building team LEED APs, they have also published a ranking of the nation’s 150 largest green design firms and a list of 75 of the largest green contractors. The design firms are ranked on billings for work performed in-house. Contractors and construction managers are ranked on the value of construction put in place. For multi-year jobs, only work from the survey year applies.

This, the third and final article in our three part series on green parking lots continues the discussion by looking at how landscaping can contribute to helping prevent and control runoff as well as provide shade helping to keep the parking lot much cooler than a bare asphalt lot would get. Specifically it examines a type of landscaping known as bioretention that is designed to collect and treat stormwater.

Take even a passing glance at an aerial picture of any urbanized area and it is amazing how much of it is paved over to provide for the various highways, arterials, feeder roads, alleys, drive ways, parking lots and roadside parking spaces that our car clogged cities require. Look more closely and one quickly discovers that a significant portion of this paved over space devoted to the car and getting around is comprised of parking lots as well as the ubiquitous curbside parking strips so common in almost all urban settings. This two part series looks at the problems that parking lots, curbside parking strips and other non road paved areas exacerbate; it then goes on to illustrates various ways in which we can make these facilities greener and how doing so can improve the urban environment; lessen its impact on waterways and beautify the urban spaces all at the same time. Promoting the adoption of green parking lots and roadside parking strips is win-win scenario.

A new study finds that a “Living Building,” a building that generates its own power, as well as cleans and reuses its water is the most financially responsible design approach to new construction in the mid to long term. Building that are only slightly green may end up costing more in ten years than a building that is designed and built as high performance as is currently possible. Living Buildings offer significantly larger savings in water and energy costs, and cost less to construct than previously believed. Study participants include leading design, engineering, building research, construction and development firms.

GreenBiz.com has partnered with Net Impact and Steelcase to create the Steelcase Sustainable Design Scholarships — four full scholarships to the 2009 Greener by Design conference. The four lucky winners will receive full conference registration, as well as travel and lodging at the event, scheduled to take place May 19-20, in San Francisco, Calif.