The 3 R’s of Sustainable Site Design: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The 3 R’s of Sustainable Site Design: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle… In this post Bob goes into some detail what this means in practice for building green; listing various practices that builders can use in order to achieve their these sustainability goals. The post covers such subjects as runoff, site disturbance, materials etc. as well as the importance of sustainable design practices that reduce the impact of the built space on the surrounding environment both during construction and during the buildings life.

Biomimicry is Not New

Biomimicry is Not New

Biomimicry has probably been practiced by humans for as long as we have been walking the earth. In our current cultural context, Janine Benyus, has popularized this design philosophy and coined the term biomimicry, helping to generate a new wave of interest in this design approach. Biomimicry seeks to mimic the evolved design solutions arrived at by nature and adapt them to and incorporate them into the design of structures and products. It uses nature as a model to inspire design solutions; it uses nature as a measure of elegance and rightness of a design; and it seeks to promote the notion of nature as mentor that we may learn from, rather than as an inert object to exploit.

Can’t Just Build Green. You Have to Sell Green Too

Can’t Just Build Green. You Have to Sell Green Too

With LEED certified projects growing in popularity, green can be a major selling point to investors and tenants alike. These initiatives not only offer significant and measurable savings in terms of energy usage, but contribute to the health and well being of the people who live and work in your project, so green messaging is very important.

The REAL Reason that Engineers Resist Going Green

The REAL Reason that Engineers Resist Going Green

Many engineers are afraid to implement green strategies because of lack of familiarity and fear of the risks involved with doing so.

Honoring 10 Women in Green Building and Design – Let Us Know Who We Missed

Honoring 10 Women in Green Building and Design – Let Us Know Who We Missed

Green design and construction is a career arena in which there are not an abundance of women being represented, yet we found a number of women working in these sectors and leaving their distinctive mark. Below are profiles of 10 women who we believe are pioneers in the green building and design field.

An Introduction To Green Building Construction Contracts

An Introduction To Green Building Construction Contracts

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.

Incorporating Sustainability into Innovation Processes

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.

Choosing the Right Green MBA Program For Career Success: 10 Key Factors to Consider

Choosing the Right Green MBA Program For Career Success: 10 Key Factors to Consider

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.

The Green Economy’s Living Skin

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.