The Thread
Here at Seam, we love design and how sustainable design incorporates so many aspects of nature, beauty, and efficiency. Our blog, The Thread, is a way for us to explore interesting topics, highlight awesome strategies, and offer advice.
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Just Program: Corporate Transparency At its Finest
An Overview of Just The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) has created a transparency and responsibility standard for corporations. It’s called the Just program. Corporations can voluntarily apply to the Just program. Once accepted, they use the Just metrics...
The Best Advice I’ve Ever Received
Intro & Confessions I tend to be a lone wolf, so reaching out to others for advice is often hard. Translation: my ego doesn’t like it when I ask for help. Thankfully, I have received unsolicited and solicited advice that has given good direction to my life and the...
Designing for Movement
Designing for Movement in Interior Environments A major theme of my work and the blog posts on The Thread is that our interior environments play a large role in our overall health as humans. We spend a majority of our time indoors. Researchers are continually looking...
Living Building Challenge: Raising Standards for Sustainable Building
Standards for Sustainable Building I decided to return to a previous series of blog posts that covered sustainable building certifications to explore the Living Building Challenge (LBC). It has and continues to set standards in the building industry. We have...
Giving Back to the Next Generation
Giving Back is the New Black In the last post on The Thread, we looked into B Corps using business as a force for good. Since businesses have more resources and human power than individual people, their potential impact on the world is almost always greater. We hope...
B-Corps: Using Business as a Force for Good
A Force for Good Businesses and organizations have major influences in our lives as well as provide us products and services that keep us fed, sheltered, clothed, and entertained. Of course, businesses and organizations influence economics, politics, and a myriad of...
Is Corporate Transparency the New Norm?
Transparency in the Corporate World Have you ever wondered what goes on in the corporations providing products and services to consumers on a local and global level? Many of us haven’t, but lately, corporations have been called to practice transparency with their...
Product Transparency: A Look into Manufacturer Responsibility in the Building Industry
What is Product Transparency? There are many ways to define product transparency. For the purposes of this post, we are exploring the ways that manufacturers can utilize transparency via product sustainability certifications. Manufacturers of building products have a...
Indoor airPLUS: Improving Residential Indoor Air Quality
Introduction Have you ever wondered if the air inside your home is as healthy as it could be? Many factors influence indoor air quality in our homes including smoking, cleaning habits, and air and moisture leaks. We spend a majority of our lives indoors, and the US’s...
Energy Star Struck
Introduction to Energy Star I wanted to get into Energy Star certification, since it is one of the most well known. You have probably seen the blue Energy Star label on your computer or kitchen appliances maybe without giving it a second thought. This exploration of...
Hero to Zero: An Exploration of Zero Energy Certification
Overview There are many ways to conserve and use energy when it comes to buildings and building systems. A lot of buildings take measures that increase their energy efficiency. Recently, a building certification has taken energy performance to a new level. Let’s...
Overview of Green Globes
Navigating Green Globes Green Globes is a contender in the sustainability certification arena. It is one of the most popular green building rating systems alongside LEED. (Check out my post on LEED for more.) Green Globes offers a holistic approach to new, existing,...
Well, You Don’t Say? An Overview of the WELL Building Standard®
The Beginnings of the WELL Building Standard WELL was started in 2014 by Delos and is administered by the International WELL Building Institute™ (IWBI™). WELL‘s beginning date actually has years of research and development behind it. WELL continues to receive input...
LEEDing the Way: An Overview of the LEED Rating System
About LEED LEED which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is one of the most common sustainable building rating systems used in the United States and around the world. LEED is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which many...
Hosting a Sustainability Charrette
What is a Charrette? A charrette is a term that, in the architecture industry, describes an important meeting or meetings intended to set goals for a building project including scope, schedule, and budget. This meeting is often a good chance for the project team to...
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