Building | Resources
Oikos Green Building Source
A complete resource for green building, including product listings, bookstore, classified ads, and an extensive library of informative articles. Product searches are organized for professionals, but easy to use for homeowners. Product catagories include doors, and windows, sitework, concrete, masonry, metals, thermal-moisture, specialties, equipment, mechanical, electrical, and special construction.
LEED – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Green Building Rating System
"A voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Members of the U.S. Green Building Council representing all segments of the building industry developed LEED and continue to contribute to its evolution." The LEED program is more for professionals than consumers, but I've included it here because they are developing standards for certifying individual homes, and you may hear about "LEED standards." Here you can find out more about what they are.
GreenHomeGuide
This site is dedicated to making it easier for consumers to choose green building and remodeling products. Click on "product dirctory" and you'll find essays on choosing green products and lists of links to the most popular green products of that type. The site is targeted for Northern California resources, but is worth visiting regardless of where you live.
Greenpeace International PVC Alternatives Database
Database of pvc-free construction products.
Green Building Pages
A sustainable building materials database and design tool for the environmentally and socially responsible designer, builder and client. Has useful databases of products and green building resources, plus information on sustainable design and case studies. Has a sustainability review section for each product.
Earthcraft House
A project of the Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta, Earthcraft House is "a green building program that serves as a blueprint for healthy, comfortable homes that reduce utility bills and protect the environment." While not available online, they do have extensive planning documents that can serve to give you ideas for your own green building project.
City of Seattle Green Home Remodeling Guides
Free, easy-to-use downloadable guides to various aspects of green remodeling, including Remodel Overview, Bath & Laundry, Kitchen, Painting, Landscape Materials, Roofing, Hiring a Pro, and Salvage & Reuse. These books are simple, user-friendly, and full of photos. Designed for homeowners.
Built It Green
Though this website is oriented to the needs of the San Francisco Bay Area, it contians much general information on green building that is useful anywhere. Their free downloadable Green Building Guidelines are an excellent place to start if you are designing new construction or a remodel, and the AccessGreen Directory is full of green building products.
Building Green
A huge amount of information on green building and green building products, compiled and commented on by people who know this field. Their free-access GreenSpec directory contains entries to "more that 1,800 environmentally-preferable building products with descriptions, manufacturer information and links to additional resources." All listings are screened and written by their experienced staff. Also take a look at their article "What Makes A Product Green?" . They also publish a the well-regarded Environmental Building News and have much more information on their site. This site is pretty nuts-and-bolts, geared more to professional architects and builders, and gives more information that you may need or want to know as a homeowner, but it is a great resource for anyone interested in green building.
