Here’s the million dollar questions so many building product manufacturers are trying to answer: Where do architects go for green information?
The funny thing about green is that architects have in some ways surrendered expertise. Green building is expanding so quickly that one cannot expect the average architect to keep up with every new product, building method or certification.
Enter the emergence of third-party online resources. These are the people and sites propelling the green movement by providing up-to-date information on every green topic imaginable. But are architects using them?
We know you get Arch Record every month. Maybe you read Architect. But these pubs only focus on green one month out of the year. Maybe you’re now reading eco-structure, GreenSource or Environmental Design & Construction. But as quickly as the green building product industry and certifications continue to evolve, is an update once a month enough?
I still read these pubs each month, but I’m online everyday, looking for the latest news and best products. I suspect architects are doing the same. There is an endless list of online green resources, and sifting through it can be daunting and time consuming. But once you lock in on the best of the best, you have a constant, unrivaled up-to-date stream of all things green.
From product databases to blogs, when you need to spec a recyclable wall cladding or recycled countertops, nothing is more immediate or thorough as the internet. What separated print from online was the journalism behind in-depth case studies and industry profiles. However, blogs such as Jetson Green are quickly closing the gap, providing well-written articles of their own.
We know architect product libraries are becoming dated and unreliable, especially for green building. We know there are just too many benefits to the online world to deny it’s influence: downloadable specs, BIM, online continuing education. We also know that Google is where many architects turn for that first piece of information.
The question is, where are you going next?
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