Below, you will find a series of links to other websites that provide a wealth of information on sustainability in the building design and construction field. All of the organizations and websites are committed to protecting the environment, reversing climate change, and ensuring that the built environment is a healthy place to be.
For sustainability articles that apply to building design and construction on Archtoolbox, visit our Sustainability & Health page.
Architecture 2030
Architecture 2030 is an organization that is responsible for the 2030 challenge, which targets carbon neutrality by the year 2030 for all new buildings and major renovations. Their website is full of great articles, publications, videos, case studies - all of which relate to reducing (and eliminating) our use of fossil fuels.
Health Product Declaration Collaborative
The HPD Collaborative is the organization that maintains the HPD Open Standard. The HPD Open Standard provides a framework for manufacturers to be transparent about what ingredients are included in their products. You can read more about HPDs in our article: Health Product Declarations (HPDs): A Guide for Architects.
Living Building Challenge
The Living Building Challenge is a building rating system developed by the International Living Future Institute. One of their most-referenced documents is their Material Red List, which is a list of materials that should be phased out of production due to environmental and health concerns. The ILFI has also developed their Declare Label, which helps people understand where a product is made, what it is made of, and what happens to the product at the end of life.
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The US EPA website hosts a ton of valuable information on protecting the environment and reversing climate change. The information on the site is universal rather than dedicated solely to the built environment.
Two of their most popular programs are Energy Star and WaterSense. Energy Star is a voluntary program that helps businesses and consumers save money on energy use while helping to protect the environment. The Energy Star Portfolio Manager is a tool that allows facility managers to track and compare their energy usage. WaterSense is an EPA program that promotes water efficiency to help protect our precious water sources.
US Green Building Council
The Us Green Building Council is dedicated to a future where buildings and communities are healthy, environmentally friendly, and fully sustainable. The USGBC promotes building and neighborhood sustainability through the administration of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rating systems.
Whole Building Design Guide
The Whole Building Design Guide is managed by the US National Institute of Building Sciences. Their goal is to make it easy to design and develop a high performance building through an integrated design and delivery approach. The WBDG offers case studies, project management resources, and continuing education.
