Green Builder Magazine Archive of Issues

September/October 2019, Building Science Update As the cost of solar energy hits parity with fossil fuels our annual behind-the-walls issue looks at fine-tuned homes, pushing the envelope to net zero and better.
July/August 2019, Which Way Forward? As climate instability mounts, this year's corporate Eco-Leaders explore the "actual reality" of real change.
May/June 2019, Assisted Living Technology At last, a moral imperative for smart tech—helping older Americans live at home longer, spend less on energy and find new meaning in life.
March/April 2019, The Hot 50
January/February 2019, Green Home of the Year Awards From urban infill to modernistic marvels, we salute the year's best projects.
November/December 2018, Tiny House Tactical Guide This month, we take a deep dive into the rapidly growing right-sized living market. Here's how to make the most of this passionate niche.
September/October 2018, Efficiency Matters Despite uncertainties about the future, our annual Building Science issue finds the industry forging ahead with higher-performance homes and products.
July/August 2018, Hard Choices In our annual Eco-Leaders issue, we honor a short list of building manufacturers who are facing Climate Change head on.
May/June 2018, Strength in Numbers Our first ever look at the industry's best associations and organizations—what they do and how they can help you.
Spring Special Awards Issue 2018, Hot 50 Our annual editors' choice product favorites show how mechanical systems, advanced building science and smart technologies have converged. Also in this issue, readers pick the most sustainable brands for 2018.
March/April 2018, Green Home of the Year Awards Art and science converge as this year's winning projects raise the sustainability bar to new heights.
January/February 2018, A New Reality Monster storms. Flooding. Wildfires. It's time to take fortified homes and resilient cities seriously.
November/December 2017, Choosing Abundance This month, leading futurists offer a roadmap from dystopia to prosperity. Meet the Champions of Change.
Fall 2017 Special Issue, The Homeowner's Handbook The 8th Edition of our free guide for eco-minded homeowners goes "back to basics" offering hundreds of good ideas for building and outfitting a super-sustainable home.
September/October 2017, A Perfect Balance No matter how modest the green home, precision is the key to sustainability—from load-balanced HVAC to a "perfect wall" for moisture management.
July/August 2017, Last Stand? As America's political elites turn their backs on climate change, a few companies have made the connection between prosperity and sustainability. This year's annual selection of Eco-Leaders demonstrate the power of innovation to reduce our heavy footprint.
May/July 2017, Housing the Many Population shifts and other forces have triggered a surge in energy-efficient housing. Can multi-family projects fill the void? Also—introducing The Flex House.
Spring Special Awards Issue 2017, The Hot 50 Our annual special awards issue narrows the field of sustainable products to the best and brightest, and we also unveil the results of our latest Readers' Choice Brand Survey. Here's a salute to the best products and companies in the business of building..
March/April 2017, Home of the Year Awards Politics won't stand in the way of the coming energy revolution. As Wi-Fi-enabled products link renewable energy to home performance, net zero looks to become an ever-more-achievable benchmark.
January/February 2017, Smart Plus Solar Politics won't stand in the way of the coming energy revolution. As Wi-Fi-enabled products link renewable energy to home performance, net zero looks to become an ever-more-achievable benchmark.
November/December 2016, The Code Roadmap The public comment phase of the 2018 IECC hearings has passed, and final decisions will be made as this issue went to print. Here's what you need to know about key building code changes that will affect the industry.
Homeowner's Handbook 2016 Our 7th Edition of the go-to green guide for homeowners celebrates solar innovation and new products, and brings you the in-depth information your clients need to know about sustainable construction.
September/October 2016, Testing Tradition This year's building science issue takes a closer look at envelopes, insulation and multi-zone heating and cooling. Learn which products and assembly details most impact overall energy performance.
July/August 2016, Cooling the Climate Can greener business practices and smarter living slow our global nose dive toward climate disaster? Our annual Eco-Leaders issue looks at companies and ideas addressing what may be the toughest challenge in human history.
May/June 2016, Cleaner Machines From biodiesel work trucks to hybrid excavators to electric cars, the way we live and work is changing with the times.
March/April 2016, The Return of the Garden Our annual Eco-Landscaping issue looks at growing interest in lawn removal, natural stormwater retention and local food production. Join the garden resurgence, and grow new relationships with your clients.
February 2016, Visualizing Change Our annual awards issue features our 2016 Hot 50 Editors' Choice and 2016 Readers' Choice Brand Survey.
January 2016, Energy Solutions Imagine a future of renewable power and intelligently designed living. In this, our annual awards issue, we honor the nation's very best green homes and explore the innovative edge of housing.
November 2015, The 2015 Homeowner's Handbook The Interconnected Home. Learn how the Internet of Things is changing the way your home works—saving energy, improving comfort and protecting your investment.
October 2015, Beyond Sticks and Bricks It's a brave, new alternative construction universe out there. Here's our annual look at materials old and new.
September 2015, Tools For Change Are you ready for the jobsite of the future? This issue, we look at new ideas and technologies that are changing the way buildings happen. From solar mapping tools to tough, energy-efficient trucks, here's what you need to know to work smarter and more sustainably.
August 2015, Room for Improvement Advances in building science promise a second chance for drafty, poorly insulated older homes. But as our annual "behind the walls" issue demonstrates, new homes also benefit from deeper understanding of how systems work in the real world.
July 2015, Numbers Don't Lie Making sense of complicated data gets a lot easier, with the help of clever infographics. They're the visual centerpiece of this month's issue, which also takes a look at several game-changing net-zero-energy homes.
June 2015, 2015 Eco-Leaders Here is our annual look at companies that are making serious efforts to address climate change—plus an update on solar products and innovations.
May 2015, Kitchens and Baths Evolve New Products, new design concepts and changing expectations are transforming these pivotal living spaces. Throw in 3-D printing, and almost anything goes. Are you ready to rethink the most improtant rooms in the modern house?
April 2015, Clearing the Air As childhood asthma reaches epidemic levels, poor indoor air quality has become a national concern. This month, we'll show you how to address the problem in every project, from basements to chimney.
March 2015, Sustainable Landscaping Guide From ecology-based landscape design to graywater reuse, this year's guide takes resource conservation to the next level.
February 2015, The Hot 50 From geothermal systems to water-saving faucets, complete wall assemblies to advanced solar panels, this year's short list of leading products shows just how far and fast the industry is moving toward sustainability.
January 2015, Living Together In the final chapter of our year-long Celestia Project, we look at the push and pull of human interactions. As the Internet of Things connects us ever more closely with technology, how do we maintain the bonds of community and family?
December 2014, Prepare for the Future Our Green Home of the Year Award winners combine the best of tradition and technology - homes of great beauty that are also resilient and flexible.
November 2014, The Homeowner's Handbook Our fifth annual guide to green building and renovation features updated tips, technology, products and professional advice for both current and would-be homeowners.
October 2014, Material World As man-made carbon emisissions pass dangerous new levels, the production of high-intensity materials such as concrete and steel threatens to make matters much worse. What can the building industry do to lighten the Earth's load?
September 2014, One Water New thinking about water conservation could head off many of the worst scenarios of deprivation and desertification. The right combination of "fit to purpose" water supplies, along with changes in our diet, clothing and sanitary practices could restore the balance.
August 2014, Energy Independence Our annual building science issue includes a special focus on renewable energy. Recent innovations, especially in solar cells, could turn our current energy portfolio upside down. Get ready for a new age of geothermal heating, Passive House construction and smart conservation.
July 2014, Playing God Special Eco-Leaders Report: See who made the list! Plus, emerging building technology has the potential to solve many of our biggest challenges: labor shortages, volatile material costs - even poor durability. It's time to let machines do the dirty work, and create the green buildings and cities of our imaginations.
June 2014, Irresistible Cities As population rises and climate change looms, the best hope for future generations is rapid and thoughtful urbanization: living closer and living smaller, but also living better. here's how we can make it happen.
May 2014, Finding Balance New ideas about how to save species from extinction and restore biodiversity offer a plan for action: Throw out old zoning, embrace urban habitats, and let nature take its course.
April 2014, The Path to Abundance The way forward begins with food security. This month, as part of the first chapter of The Celestia Project, we imagine the kitchen of the future: an exploration of the trends and technology likely to shape our lives over the next century.
March 2014, Slowing the Flow Our annual Landscaping Guide looks at new techniques and innovations that are making fresh water management easier and more affordable. Can we achieve the same gains with water conservation that we have with zero-net-energy construction?
February 2014, Rise of the Machines This year's "Editor's Choice" products show how technology is converging to save energy, water and resources. The age of the Internet of Things has begun.
January 2014, World-Changing Ideas The seeds of a sustainability revolution have taken root, and they're growing into something much bigger - from solar electric vehicles to gravity-powered lighting to crowdsourced community planning, the future looks bright.

2013 ISSUES

December 2013, Green Home of the Year Awards Real Homes. Real Lives. This year's award winners cleverly integrate high-tech and low-tech approaches to sustainability.
November 2013, The Homeowner's Handbook Your annual, essential guide to building or remodeling a sustainable home.
October 2013, Radical Simplicity We often talk about durability as a key aspect of sustainability. But what about materials and structures that can be easily dismantled, moved - or simply allowed to biodegrade? In this year's Alternative Construction Update, we look at the idea of "temporary" and earth-based housing as legitimate answers to some of the world's ongoing environmental woes.
September 2013, Solar Sunrise American college students once more have shown what the sun-powered housing of the future could look like. This year's Solar Decathlon demonstrates that the U.S. could lead the way in sustainable living. All it takes is thinking differently about how housing should look and function.
August 2013, Thinking Deeper When is solar hot water a viable, practical upgrade? What's the best way to retrofit an apartment building? Do range hoods perform as advertised? This month, we tackle some tough, important questions about performance, to help you make the most of your construction and renovation budgets.
July 2013, Leading by Example In this, our annual Eco-Leadership issue, we take a closer look at companies that are manufacturing green building products here in the United States. It's a trend that's being driven by both market and cultural forces.
June 2013, The Power of Sustainable Design Good design has been proven to not only make people want to buy things. It also influences their behavior. Can today's product and building designers re-imagine forms in such a way that they become desirable, sought after features?
May 2013, Living Small As the great downsizing continues, compact housing has come of age - thanks to truly innovative small house floorplans, packed with multi-purpose products and amenities. The future is small, smart and super efficient.
April 2013, Envisioning Change In this special issue, seven leading innovators and thinkers talk about sustainability, from car sharing to wildlife conservation, from green cities to radical ways we might repair our nation's dysfunctional politics.
March 2013, Landscaping and Outdoor Living This year's annual guide offers outdoor makeover design ideas, plus tips on weighing the "green" aspects of various composite decking brands, along with a case study of high-rise rooftop gardening - and more.
February 2013, The Hot 50 Our annual collection of editors' choice products includeds both low-tech and high-tech solutions, from tougher drywall to smarter thermostats.
January 2013, Doing the Math When does upgrading a furnace make more sense than adding insulation? Which wall system delivers the best performance for the buck? New research and powerful software can offer precise comparisons before the first contractor's truck arrives on the job site.

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