Connect & Learn Recommend Links
- Residential Green Building Resources
- Publications
- Organizations and Agencies
- Product Suppliers and Retailers
- Other Online Tools and Informational Websites
- General Green Building Resources
- Publications
- Organizations and Associations
- Federal, State, and Local Green Building Programs
- Product Suppliers and Retailers
- Other Online Tools and Informational Websites
Residential Green Building Resources
The following resources have a residential focus or a significant residential component. (A few of these resources address commercial building as well.)
Publications
Magazines
Natural Home & Garden
www.naturalhomeandgarden.com
Bi-monthly magazine and website that features sustainable, healthy homes, natural decorating tips, and green products and services.
Environmental Building News
www.buildinggreen.com
One of the first and most trusted periodicals on energy-efficient, resource-efficient, and healthy building practices and products. It covers both commercial and residential projects. EBN does not feature advertisements.
Environmental Design + Construction
www.edcmag.com
Magazine on trends in the green building industry. While many of its articles are focused on commercial building projects and products, each issue also contains a Sustainable Home section.
Eco-Structure
www.eco-structure.com
Magazine that covers new technologies, best practices, and case studies of green buildings. While it primarily addresses commercial building, each issue contains a Greenhouse section, which focuses on residential topics and projects.
Green Builder Magazine
www.greenbuildermagazine.com
Intended to be read by residential builders, remodelers, and contractors, this magazine includes green practice and product recommendations and profiles of green builders.
KQED.org Home Improvement section
www.kqed.org/topics/home/homeimprove/
Information on how to maintain a healthy home, green products and materials, home and gardening resources, project tools, and project tours.
Dwell
www.dwellmag.com
Magazine that covers modern residential design. While it is not focused on green design, it often features articles on such topics, including green modular homes.
DVDs
Building Better Homes
Building Knowledge Products Group
Available at www.buildingknowledgeproducts.com or at:
www.healthyhomeplans.com/products/
An interactive educational program for builders, architects, remodelers and subcontractors, based on the whole-house systems approach to home construction. Package includes three DVDs (for computer/QuickTime viewing).
Books and Guides
Listings and catalogs of many green building books, reports, and videos are posted on the following websites:
- www.healthyhomeplans.com/products/
- www.oikos.com/shop/
- www.greenerbuildings.com/bookstore.cfm
- www.eeba.org/mall/lobby.asp
- www.buildinggreen.com/biblio/biblio.cfm
- www.greenbuildingpages.com/links/paperlinks.html
Organizations and Agencies
American Lung Association’s Health House Project
www.healthhouse.org
Provides an indoor air quality checklist, information on asthma, lead, dust mites, and other home pollutants, as well as construction tips.
Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility
www.adpsr-norcal.org
ADPSR has four chapters, including a Northern California Chapter based in Berkeley, California. The organization educates design professionals and the public about critical social and environmental issues. One of its primary areas of interest is green building.
Build It Green
www.BuildItGreen.org
Build It Green is a professional non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy and resource-efficient buildings in California. Build It Green fosters collaboration with key stakeholder groups to accelerate the adoption of green building practices, policies, and programs. Programs and services include the free Ask An Expert hotline, online materials database, fact sheets, guidelines, professional certification trainings, workshops, green home tours, and more.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
www.cmhc.ca/en/
Canadian government agency that proves information on housing for consumers, housing industry professionals, and financial institutions. Their site includes information on sustainable housing (e.g., see pages: www.cmhc.ca/en/inpr/su/ and www.cmhc.ca/en/corp/faq/faq_005.cfm)
Ecological Building Network
www.ecobuildnetwork.org
An international association of builders, engineers, architects, academics, and developers committed to promoting intelligent building methods and materials for a sustainable future. The group has particular expertise in structural issues and straw bale building.
Environmental Health Watch: Healthy House information
www.ehw.org/Healthy_House/HH_home.htm
A source for information on mold, asthma, and household health hazards; includes a “home moisture audit” tool.
Green Communities Initiative
www.greencommunitiesonline.org
A funding initiative created by Enterprise Community Partners to encourage the development of healthy homes for low-income families. The initiative provides grants, financing, tax credit equity, and technical assistance to developers of green affordable housing.
Institute for Bau-Biologie and Ecology
www.bau-biologieusa.com
IBE educates people about the health hazards that may exist in their homes and workplaces. Bau-Biologie suggests ways to eliminate such problems using knowledge that has been amassed in Europe over the past three decades. IBE offers home study courses, workshops, and educational materials.
*Also see the Organizations & Associations listed in the next section (General Green Building Resources), many of which have a residential component.
Product Suppliers and Retailers
Allergy Buyers Club
www.allergybuyersclub.com
Healthy home and allergy-relief products and information
Building for Health Materials Center
www.buildingforhealth.com
Knowledgeable and helpful resource for information on healthy building options. They ship hundreds of non-toxic building materials direct from all over the U.S.
Casa Natura / Healthy Interiors
www.casanaturainc.com
Offers healthy mattresses, bedding products, and home furnishings, with a store located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Eco Design Resources
www.ecodesignresources.com
Located in San Carlos and Santa Cruz, California, Eco Design Resources is a green product showroom and education center featuring a variety of household and building products.
EcoHome Improvement
www.ecohomeimprovement.com
Ecological and healthy home improvement finish products for residential and green building materials for commercial projects. Specializing in paint, flooring, cabinetry, countertops, and tiles. We also assist with 'green' project goals and special ordering.
Environmental Home Center
www.environmentalhomecenter.com
An on-line store with a showroom in Seattle. A source for healthy and resource-efficient building materials.
Green Fusion Design Center
www.greenfusiondesigncenter.com
Located in San Anselmo, California (about 15 miles north of San Francisco), the Green Fusion Design Center is a retail store, gallery, book store, and education center featuring green building materials (for residential and commercial projects) and natural home furnishings.
GreenHome.com
www.greenhome.com
An online “environmental superstore” with a wide range of products for green and healthy lifestyles; the website is also a resource for information on green living.
H3 Environmental
www.h3environmental.com
With stores and showrooms in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, H3 offers healthy beds, bedding products, baby products, air filters, cleaning products, and water purification systems.
HealthyHome.com
www.healthyhome.com
Healthy home products, books, resources, and helpful online advice, with a store located in Saint Petersburg, Florida.
Real Goods
www.realgoods.com
A catalog of green products, including renewable technologies (solar, wind), composting equipment, energy efficiency products, and more. Real Goods’ green headquarters, education center, and retail store is located in Hopland, California.
Other Online Tools and Informational Websites
BuildingGreen.com
www.buildinggreen.com
A website and company that provides print and online resources for comprehensive green building information, including the GreenSpec building products directory and database, the Green Building Advisor software, Environmental Building News, and the High Performance Buildings Database.
GreenHomeGuide.com
www.greenhomeguide.com
A website with advice and information on green remodeling and building products, services, and projects. It includes directories of local green design and building professionals, product listings with expert and consumer comments, and articles from homeowners and green building leaders. The site is currently focused on the Northern California region, but is expanding to other regions.
*Also see the links to "Other Online Tools and Informational Websites" under the General Green Building Resources section.
General Green Building Resources
The following resources cover a broad range of green building issues. Most of these resources address both commercial and residential building topics.
- Publications
- Organizations and Associations
- Federal, State, and Local Green Building Programs
- Product Suppliers and Retailers
- Other Online Tools and Informational Websites
Publications
Magazines
Environmental Building News
www.buildinggreen.com
EBN's articles and reviews are a premier resource on energy-efficient, resource-efficient, and healthy building practices and products. The publication does not feature advertisements.
Environmental Design + Construction
www.edcmag.com Magazine on trends in the green building industry. Many of its articles are focused on commercial building projects and products.
Eco-Structure
www.eco-structure.com Magazine that covers new technologies, best practices, and case studies of green buildings. Many of its articles are focused on commercial building topics.
Books and Guides
Listings and catalogs of many green building books, reports, DVDs, and videos are posted on the following websites
- www.healthyhomeplans.com/products/
- www.oikos.com/shop/
- www.greenerbuildings.com/bookstore.cfm
- www.eeba.org/mall/lobby.asp
- www.buildinggreen.com/biblio/biblio.cfm
- www.greenbuildingpages.com/links/paperlinks.html
Email Newsletters
GreenClips
www.greenclips.com
GreenClips is a sustainable building design news digest, a summary of news on sustainable building design and related government and business issues, published every two weeks by email.
Organizations and Associations
American Institute of Architects (AIA):
Committee on the Environment (COTE)
www.aia.org/cote
As one of the professional Knowledge Communities for AIA members, COTE has national, state, and local chapters that produce and disseminate information on green design practices through events, publications, and the annual Top Ten Green Awards.
Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR)
www.adpsr-norcal.org
ADPSR has four chapters, including a Northern California Chapter based in Berkeley, California. The organization educates design professionals and the public about critical social and environmental issues. One of its primary areas of interest is green building.
Build It Green
www.BuildItGreen.org
Build It Green is a professional non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy and resource-efficient buildings in California. Build It Green fosters collaboration with key stakeholder groups to accelerate the adoption of green building practices, policies, and programs. Programs and services include the free Ask An Expert hotline, online materials database, fact sheets, guidelines, professional certification trainings, workshops, green home tours, and more.
Ecological Building Network
www.ecobuildnetwork.org
An international association of builders, engineers, architects, academics, and developers committed to promoting intelligent building methods and materials for a sustainable future. The group has particular expertise in structural issues and straw bale building.
Global Green USA: Green Building Cities and Schools program
www.globalgreen.org/greenbuilding/ Global Green USA is the U.S. affiliate of Green Cross International. The organization addresses many global environmental issues, including climate change and energy, drinking water, and weapons of mass destruction. One of its programs is the Green Building Cities and Schools program, which includes initiatives on Greening Affordable Housing, Local Government Green Building, Green Schools, and Sustainable Energy.
Healthy Building Network
www.healthybuilding.net A national network of green building professionals, environmental and health activists, and others who promote the use of healthier building materials. Much of their work is focused on materials used in health care facilities, as well as the issues of PVC plastic and pressure-treated wood.
PG&E Pacific Energy Center
www.pge.com/pec
An education center in San Francisco that provides many free classes and lectures, design advice, a lending library of performance measurement and analysis tools, information on incentive programs, and other useful resources related to energy efficiency and indoor comfort (e.g., daylighting, lighting, HVAC, commissioning). Most of the PEC’s programs are focused on commercial building, but some residential information is offered, as well.
Rocky Mountain Institute
www.rmi.org
A research, education, policy, and consulting institution focused on market-based (“Natural Capitalism”) solutions to a variety of resource issues, including energy and building issues. Based in Colorado, and founded by Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins.
Solar Living Institute
www.solarliving.org
Home of the 12-acre demonstration Solar Living Center in Hopland, California (where the Real Goods store is located), SLI also hosts the annual SolFest and offers many sustainable living workshops on green building, natural building, biodiesel, solar photovoltaics, and other topics.
SPUR (San Francisco Planning and Urban Research): Sustainable Development Committee
www.spur.org/sustainable.asp
The SPUR Sustainable Development Committee is committed to exploring ways to influence local policy and to implement the San Francisco Sustainability Plan. The Sustainable Development Committee has continued to meet monthly, with a wide variety of speakers to inform the membership on state-of-the-art topics and discuss possible policy proposals.
U.S. Green Building Council
www.usgbc.org
A non-profit membership organization and the leading coalition of groups and companies across the building industry who are working to promote green building, the Council developed and administers the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System®, a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.
- California Chapters:
- Los Angeles Chapter: www.usgbc-la.org/
- Northern California Chapter: www.usgbc.org/Chapters/northerncalifornia/
- Orange County Chapter: www.usgbc-oc.org/
- Redwood Empire Chapter: www.usgbc-rec.org
- San Diego Chapter: www.usgbc.org/Chapters/sandiego/
- Western Region Chapters:
- Alaska Chapter: www.usgbc.org/Chapters/alaska/
- Arizona Chapter: www.usgbc.org/Chapters/arizona/
- Cascadia Regional Chapter: www.usgbc.org/Chapters/cascadia/
- Colorado Chapter: www.usgbc.org/Chapters/colorado/
- Idaho Chapter: www.usgbcidaho.org/
- Las Vegas Regional Chapter: www.usgbc.org/Chapters/lasvegas/
- New Mexico Chapter: www.usgbc.org/Chapters/newmexico/
- Utah Chapter: www.usgbc.org/Chapters/Utah/
Federal, State, and Local Green Building Programs
Federal Programs
U.S. EPA Green Buildings website
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/
Provides basic information on green building and the greening of EPA buildings, and provides links to other EPA programs, websites, and resources on energy efficiency, renewable energy, water, building materials, waste reduction, indoor air quality, smart growth, and sustainable development. (For example, it links to the EPA’s Indoor Air Pollution website: (www.epa.gov/iaq/) which features indoor air quality research, policies, and information for homes, as well as schools and commercial/institutional buildings.
U.S. DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Building Technologies and High-Performance Buildings programs
www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/highperformance/
Other federal agencies with green building initiatives include: the General Services Administration, the Armed Services, the Department of State, Department of Interior, and the Forest Service.
State Programs
California Integrated Waste Management Board: Green Bldg Design and Construction
www.ciwmb.ca.gov/greenbuilding
A state agency that provides a lot of information on green building, including a database of recycled-content building materials, the CA 01350 specifications for low-emitting products, case studies and other publications related to green projects of all types: schools, government, and residential buildings.
California Department of General Services: Green California program
Other western states with state government-level green building programs, initiatives, or Executive Orders include: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
Municipal Programs
Within California
San Francisco Green Building Program
City and County of San Francisco Department of the Environment
www.sfenvironment.com
SF Environment provides public education, technical assistance, and outreach to the community on environmental issues, provides environmental policy direction for the Mayor and Board of Supervisors, coordinates the work of city environmental services, and works to increae visibility of local environmental initiatives. Its Green Building Program led the City to adopt high environmental standards for municipal buildings; the City will now achieve a minimum standard of LEED Silver. SF Environment is collaborating with the Departments of Building Inspection and Planning to develop a priority permitting process for commercial LEED Gold buildings. SF Environment also has programs on Energy, Clean Air, Waste Diversion, Toxics Reduction, Urban Forests, Environmental Justice, and Education. The department’s EcoCenter houses an array of environmental displays and resources for the public.
Alameda County Waste Management Authority: StopWaste green building program
www.stopwaste.org/fsbuild.html
This agency produces a wide variety of useful green building publications and tools, including the Green Building Guidelines for Home Remodeling and for New Home Construction (downloadable in PDF format), a Green Materials Database, and a guide on Bay Friendly Landscaping and Gardening.
Marin County Green Building program
County of Marin Community Development department
www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/CD/main/comdev/advance/BEST/
A county program that provides information on residential and commercial green building topics, including incentives, ordinances, building materials, technical assistance, solar energy options, and other resources.
San Mateo County RecycleWorks green building program
www.recycleworks.org/greenbuilding/
San Mateo County’s program provides information on residential and commercial green building topics, including a Countywide Sustainable Buildings Guide. RecycleWorks also hosts green building awards programs.
Berkeley Green Building Initiative
www.cityofberkeley.info/sustainable/buildings/default.html
Oakland green building program
www.oaklandpw.com/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=273
Pleasanton green building ordinance
http://www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/business/planning
San Jose green building program
www.sanjoseca.gov/esd/natural-energy-resources/greenbuilding.htm
Santa Monica Green Building Program
www.greenbuildings.santa-monica.org
Other California cities that have green building programs or initiatives underway include: Sacramento, Novato, Petaluma, Sebastopol, Santa Cruz, Calabasas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.
In other western states
Austin, TX: Green Building Program
www.ci.austin.tx.us/greenbuilder/
Portland, OR: Green Building Resource
Scottsdale, AZ: Green Building Program
www.scottsdaleaz.gov/greenbuilding/
Seattle, WA: Sustainable Building Program
www.cityofseattle.net/sustainablebuilding
Other municipalities with green building initiatives include:
Albuquerque, NM
Boulder, CO
Calgary, ALB, Canada
Dallas, TX
Denver, CO
Eugene, OR
Honolulu, HI
Houston, TX
Issaquah, WA
Kansas City, MO
King County, WA
Phoenix, AZ
Salt Lake City, UT
Tucson, AZ
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Product Suppliers and Retailers
Eco Design Resources
www.ecodesignresources.com
Located in San Carlos and Santa Cruz, California, Eco Design Resources is a green product showroom and education center featuring a variety of household and building products.
Green Fusion Design Center
www.greenfusiondesigncenter.com
Located in San Anselmo, California (about 15 miles north of San Francisco), the Green Fusion Design Center is a retail store, gallery, book store, and education center featuring green building materials (for residential and commercial projects) and natural home furnishings.
Real Goods
www.realgoods.com
A catalog of green products, including renewable technologies (solar, wind), composting equipment, energy efficiency products, and more. Real Goods’ green headquarters, education center, and retail store is located in Hopland, California.
*Also see the longer list of residential-only product suppliers, above.
Other Online Tools and Informational Websites
Building Concerns’ Regional Resource Directories on Sustainable Design, Building, and Development
www.buildingconcerns.com
Free online directories for Northern California, Southern California, Mountain States, and soon also for the Pacific Northwest. The directories contain listings of green building professionals, service providers, initiatives, case studies, education programs, etc.
ChemFinder
www.chemfinder.com
A searchable database of chemicals, including information on their health impacts.
EcoIQ Green Design & Building Directory
www.ecoiq.com/greendesign/directories/
A compendium of links to news, research, publications, and training resources on green design and building.
Green Building Pages
www.greenbuildingpages.com
A compendium of information and resources on sustainable design, including a product database with evaluation criteria, a sustainable design checklist, case studies, and links to websites in many green building categories, including green real estate.
GreenerBuildings.com
www.greenerbuildings.com
A comprehensive online resource center for information on green building, produced by GreenBiz.com. It features news articles and “backgrounder” summaries on a variety of topics, case studies, an events listing, a bookstore, and links to organizations and tools.
iGreenbuild.com
www.igreenbuild.com
A website and e-newsletter that provide green building and construction industry professionals and concerned citizens with information about sustainability. Website includes articles, news, links to product vendors and services, events calendar, searchable newsletter archives, product reviews, and books for sale.
Oikos: Green Building Source
www.oikos.com
Features an online bookstore, a compilation of news articles, a green building products directory, and other useful links and resources on green building.
Sustainable Sources
www.greenbuilder.com
Features an online bookstore, green real estate listings, publications, a calendar of conferences and events, online discussion groups, and a green building professionals directory.