Understanding Green Building Materials

Architects, Designers, And Contractors are increasingly familiar with the policies, procedures, and guidelines for achieving sustainable, or "green" building standards. But what about the green building materials themselves? What are they, what are the options, and how shuld you decide what to specify?

A maze of new products, manufacturers, and standards are routinely introduced, leaving professionals to wonder what's best for their projects. This handy primer---the perfect companion to Traci Rider's Understanding Green Building Guidelines--summarizes the materials available, compares their advantages and disadvantages, explains how to use them and explores the considerations for choosing among them. From eco-friendly sheetrock to sustainable paint finishes, it lays out the basics of green building products, helping architecture and design professionals make sense of the fast-paced building movement.

Traci Rose Rider, PhD, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, has worked with major architectural firms and in sustainability consulting and academia for the past ten years. She has been featured in Dwell and Vanity Fair's "Green" issue for her work integrating green building and sustainability.
Stacy Glass and Jessica McNaughton are the president and director of sales and marketing, respectively, of CaraGreen, a leading distributor of sustainable building products based in North Carolina. Both are experts in green building and products.