Thinking about taking the LEED exam but discouraged by the compounding cost of all the study materials required to take the test? While studying for the LEED AP for New Construction exam a few months ago, I discovered a bunch of free resources of LEED study materials. Read more…
Unlike the previous generation of sustainability manifestos that pit the economy against equity & ecology, Cradle to Cradle “sees commerce as the engine of change” and allows one to embrace their inner capitalist by proposing a sustainable world of guilt-free growth, prosperity and abundance. Instead of viewing consumer waste through the austere lens of the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle a.k.a. downcycle), McDonough and Braungart, inspired by the abundance of nature, propose the visionary idea of designing consumer products as either biological nutrients or technical nutrients. Read more…
In simpler times there was only one credential that could be earned from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), and once merited you were known as a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP). There are now two possible designations that can be earned, known as “Green Associate” and “LEED AP+”. The new designations, what they are, who they are meant for and how to earn them can get confusing so I tried to clear it up a little here.
I keep hearing that many LEED certified buildings actually burn more energy than those that claim no “green” status. While studying for the LEED AP exam, I came across at least one obvious reason for the energy glut of buildings prizing a LEED certification and thought I would share it here.
For those of you who [...]
The Acme Brick Company has a handy tool that architects and designers can use to see how various brick patterns, designs and colors may look. They call this tool the “Acme Brick Masonry Designer” and it is downloadable for free at http://www.brick.com/md/index.htm . Although not originally meant for this purpose, I have been using this tool for [...]