The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

Do green buildings matter to you? This podcast fuels your fire with inspiring interviews from industry and nonprofit leaders across the built environment.Not sure if green building matters? Listen to the personal stories of our guests and let Charlie's passion help convince you why green buildings are essential to our shared future.Each episode illustrates a unique journey through sustainability and towards resilience. Charlie explores the challenges and celebrations of the movers and shakers in the green building industry.Hear behind the scene stories from the inner world of green and healthy building design, construction, and management.

The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti is a arts podcast hosted by Charlie Cichetti, with 448 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Charlie Cichetti hosts The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti, a arts show with 448 episodes published.

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  Episode #446

  Beyond Carbon: Why the Future of Sustainable Materials Requires a Holistic Approach with Annie Bevan

  Aug 18, 202639 min

  The Green Impact Report Quick take: Sustainable buildings aren't just about reducing carbon anymore. In this episode, Annie Bevan explains why the next generation of Green Building Leaders must evaluate materials through multiple lenses — including climate, human health, social equity, biodiversity, and circularity — to make smarter, business-driven decisions that accelerate industry-wide impact. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Annie Bevan is the Founder and CEO of the Sustainability Management and Strategy Collaborative (SMSC), where she helps industries accelerate sustainability through collaboration, strategy, and third-party verification. Having spent more than a decade advancing sustainable building products, certification systems, and industry collaboration, Annie has helped shape initiatives including Mindful Materials while working to simplify how manufacturers, architects, and owners evaluate product sustainability at scale. Breaking Ground on Better Building Key Insight #1: Sustainable products require more than a carbon score. The Challenge: For years, the industry has evaluated products through individual metrics — first human health, then embodied carbon — without considering their broader environmental and social impacts. The Solution: Annie explains why the industry is moving toward evaluating products across multiple impact categories simultaneously, including:Climate health, Human health, Social equity, Circularity, Biodiversity. The Common Materials Framework helps manufacturers and designers compare products holistically instead of making decisions based on one attribute alone. ROI: Better material decisions, Reduced unintended consequences, Smarter specifications, More resilient buildings, Lower long-term environmental risk. Key Insight #2: Sustainability only scales when it makes business sense. The Challenge: Manufacturers invested heavily in EPDs and HPDs because customers requested them — but many struggled to prove those investments actually influenced purchasing decisions. The Solution: Rather than asking manufacturers for endless spreadsheets, Annie helped drive the industry toward shared standards and common language through the Mindful Materials movement. By simplifying sustainability reporting, organizations can spend less time completing questionnaires and more time improving products. ROI: Reduced reporting burden, Increased specification confidence, Better manufacturer engagement, Faster adoption of sustainable products, Stronger return on sustainability investments. Key Insight #3: AI will transform sustainability — but only if the data is ready. The Challenge: The green building industry still relies heavily on spreadsheets and inconsistent data structures. Without standardized information, AI cannot provide meaningful recommendations. The Solution: Annie believes the next evolution isn't simply artificial intelligence — it's building the infrastructure that allows verified sustainability data to move automatically between manufacturers, architects, designers, and decision-making platforms. ROI: Faster product selection, Better project reporting, Reduced administrative work, Improved investment decisions, Scalable sustainability across the built environment. Sustainable Soundbite "There is a role for everyone who wants to make a difference in sustainability." — Annie Bevan ✅ Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next sustainability initiative with these practical steps: This Week: Review one product specification using more than just embodied carbon. Consider human health, circularity, and social impacts as well. This Quarter: Explore frameworks such as Mindful Materials and Declare to better understand holistic product transparency. This Year: Develop a material selection process that aligns sustainability goals with measurable business value, helping your organization reduce risk while improving project outcomes. Connect & Learn More Access full episode resources: https://www.gbes.com/podcast Read the transcript: here Connect with Annie Bevan: linkedin.com/in/annie-bevan-78402b31 Company Website: smscollaborative.com Verico: https://www.verico-audit.com/ Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips delivered twice each week. Subscribe FREE: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Today's Episode Sponsored By: Building Plaques Building Plaques creates custom LEED recognition plaques that tell the story of your project's sustainability achievement, made from architectural-grade anodized aluminum so they last as long as the building itself. Their online plaque designer lets you build a fully customized plaque in under 10 minutes — just enter your LEED project number and you're off. Learn more: https://buildingplaques.com Green Building Matters, Inc © 2026 | Good Green Fun.

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  Episode #445

  Building Communities That Last: Human Flourishing, Waste Audits, & the Future of Sustainability with Brian Bollinger

  Aug 11, 20261h 15m

  The Green Impact Report Quick take: Sustainability isn't just about reducing carbon or earning certifications — it's about creating places where people can thrive. In this episode, Brian Bollinger shares how green building, technology, AI, waste reduction, and thoughtful community design all work together to create healthier buildings, stronger businesses, and more resilient communities. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Brian Bollinger is a sustainability strategist, entrepreneur, and connector passionate about helping organizations build healthier, more efficient, and more resilient communities. His career spans refugee resettlement, nonprofit leadership, energy management, zero waste consulting, AI innovation, and sustainable building strategy. Today, Brian works across multiple ventures advancing green buildings, waste reduction, AI-powered technology, and environmental stewardship while helping organizations turn sustainability into measurable business value. Breaking Ground on Better Building Key Insight #1: Sustainable buildings create healthier communities — not just lower utility bills. The Challenge: Many organizations still see sustainability as an added expense instead of a long-term investment. The Solution: Brian shares how designing a Net Zero community center for Friends of Refugees transformed the conversation. Better ventilation, improved daylight, smarter mechanical systems, stormwater reuse, and healthier materials weren't simply environmental upgrades — they directly improved people's lives. ROI: Lower operating costs, Healthier indoor environments, Fewer sick days, Better long-term stewardship, Buildings designed to serve communities for generations instead of decades. ✍️ Key Insight #2: Waste isn't just trash — it's hidden business intelligence. The Challenge: Most organizations never truly understand what they're throwing away — or how much money they're losing. The Solution: Through Waste to Zero, Brian helps organizations perform detailed waste audits that identify contamination, purchasing habits, recycling opportunities, and operational inefficiencies. He explains that the biggest improvements often come from surprisingly simple changes: Better signage, Smarter purchasing decisions, Employee engagement, Friendly competition between departments. ROI: Lower hauling costs, Higher recycling rates, Reduced contamination, Better purchasing decisions, Significant operational savings ☝️ Key Insight #3: AI will become the new electricity for business. The Challenge: Many organizations are unsure where AI fits into their daily work. The Solution: Brian encourages professionals to stop viewing AI as a futuristic technology and instead treat it like a practical productivity tool. Whether it's analyzing waste streams, modernizing legacy software, organizing meetings, or improving workflows, AI allows people to spend less time on repetitive work and more time solving meaningful problems. ROI: Faster decision-making, Better data analysis, Increased productivity, Improved customer experiences, More time focused on high-value work. Sustainable Soundbite Sustainability isn't just about reducing carbon — it's about creating places where people can thrive, businesses can flourish, and communities can become healthier for generations. — Brian Bollinger ✅ Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these practical steps: This Week: Take a closer look at one area of your building operations — whether it's waste, energy use, or occupant wellness — and identify one simple improvement that can make an immediate impact. This Quarter: Conduct a waste audit or facility assessment to uncover hidden inefficiencies. Review purchasing decisions, improve recycling signage, and engage your team in creating better sustainability habits. This Year: Develop a long-term strategy that integrates sustainability, technology, and human well-being. Build systems that don't just reduce environmental impact — but create healthier, more resilient communities for years to come. Connect & Learn More Access full episode resources: https://www.gbes.com/podcast Read the transcript: here ‍ Connect with Brian Bollinger: linkedin.com/in/brian-w-bollinger Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Today's Episode Sponsored By Building Plaques Building Plaques creates custom LEED recognition plaques that tell the story of your project's sustainability achievement, crafted from architectural-grade anodized aluminum to last as long as the building itself. Their intuitive online plaque designer lets you create a fully customized plaque in under 10 minutes — simply enter your LEED project number and personalize your design. Whether you're recognizing a newly certified project or celebrating your team's accomplishment, Building Plaques helps showcase the story behind your building's sustainability journey. Learn more: https://buildingplaques.com Green Building Matters, Inc © 2026 | Good Green Fun.

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  Episode #444

  Carbon Neutral Concrete Starts with Collaboration: Education, Innovation & Building a More Resilient Future with Kerry Sutton

  Aug 4, 202635 min

  ✅ The Green Impact Report Quick Take: Concrete is responsible for building nearly every community on earth—and it's also one of the biggest opportunities to reduce embodied carbon. In this episode, Kerry Sutton explains why the future isn't about finding one miracle material. It's about educating the entire industry, embracing innovation responsibly, and collaborating across every stakeholder to create resilient, lower-carbon infrastructure that lasts for generations. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Kerry Sutton, PE, LEED AP is the Executive Director of NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete. In this role, Ms. Sutton leads NEU's mission to foster global collaboration, accelerating the adoption and use of reduced-carbon concrete technologies. Ms. Sutton brings over 30 years of extensive experience in the concrete sector, with a strong background in pavement design, construction, and materials. Her appointment signals a reinforced commitment by NEU to advance sustainable practices through technical expertise and industry-wide collaboration. She also serves as the Director, Industry Relations for the American Concrete Institute (ACI). Throughout her career, Ms. Sutton has been instrumental in advancing the acceptance and adoption of ACI codes and standards. She has been an active participant in the model code and standards development processes with leading organizations, including the International Code Council (ICC), ASTM, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the AASHTO Committee on Materials and Pavements (COMP). Ms. Sutton also currently serves as a Technical Consultant for the Slag Cement Association (SCA), advising on standards development. Her recent work includes participation in the Consensus Body for the Green Building Initiative (GBI), reflecting her dedication to sustainability. Prior to her work with ACI, Ms. Sutton served as the Director of Engineering for the Michigan Concrete Association and held roles as a Technical Service Engineer and Corporate Environmental Engineer with Holcim, Inc. She is a registered professional engineer in the State of Michigan. She holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from Michigan Technological University and an MS in Civil Engineering from Wayne State University. Her technical proficiency and leadership are expected to accelerate NEU's impact on the industry's path to carbon neutrality. About NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete was established in 2022 by the American Concrete Institute. The Center, based at ACI World Headquarters in Farmington Hills, Breaking Ground on Better Building Key Insight #1: Carbon-neutral concrete isn't one product — it's an ecosystem of smarter materials, better education, and informed decisions. The Challenge: The construction industry often searches for a single "silver bullet" material, while many project teams still lack a clear understanding of embodied carbon or how emerging concrete technologies should be evaluated. The Solution: Kerry explains that success comes from educating everyone involved — from architects and engineers to code officials, professors, students, contractors and owners — so innovative materials can be adopted confidently and responsibly. ROI: Better education leads to better specifications, faster market adoption, lower embodied carbon, and more informed investment decisions while reducing project risk. Key Insight #2: Collaboration — not competition — is accelerating concrete's path toward carbon neutrality. The Challenge: For years, organizations pursued sustainability goals independently, often duplicating efforts or working toward competing priorities that slowed industry-wide progress. The Solution: NEU creates a platform where manufacturers, researchers, engineers, policymakers and sustainability leaders openly share knowledge, performance data, and practical lessons that move the entire industry forward. ROI: Faster innovation, stronger standards, greater trust in new technologies, and broader adoption of lower-carbon construction solutions across the built environment. Key Insight #3: The future of sustainable concrete depends on balancing lower embodied carbon with long-term resilience. The Challenge: Reducing carbon alone isn't enough if buildings, bridges, and infrastructure don't last. Sustainability without durability simply shifts environmental impacts into the future through repairs and replacement. The Solution: Kerry emphasizes designing structures that simultaneously reduce embodied carbon while maximizing durability, resilience, and lifecycle performance. She also highlights exciting innovations like recycled concrete technologies that recover and reuse valuable cementitious materials. ROI: Longer-lasting infrastructure reduces lifecycle costs, minimizes future emissions, conserves natural resources, and creates a truly sustainable built environment. Sustainable Soundbites "Don't put yourself in a box. Be open and ready for different opportunities." — Kerry Sutton ✍️ Your Green Building Action Plan This Week: Learn the difference between operational carbon and embodied carbon—and review the Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for one material specified on your current project. This Quarter: Bring architects, engineers, contractors, suppliers, and owners together to discuss lower-carbon material options before design decisions become locked in. This Year: Develop an organization-wide strategy that balances carbon reduction with resilience by incorporating lifecycle thinking into material selection and project planning. Connect & Learn More Access full episode resources: https://www.gbes.com/podcast Read the transcript here ‍ Connect with Kerry Sutton: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-sutton-pe-leed-ap-b3485519/overlay/contact-info/ Website: https://www.miconcrete.org/home-michigan-concrete-association http://www.pavements4life.com/ Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe ☘️ Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips delivered twice each week. Subscribe FREE: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Today's Episode Sponsored By: Building Plaques Building Plaques creates custom LEED recognition plaques that tell the story of your project's sustainability achievement, made from architectural-grade anodized aluminum so they last as long as the building itself. Their online plaque designer lets you build a fully customized plaque in under 10 minutes — just enter your LEED project number and you're off. Learn more: https://buildingplaques.com Green Building Matters, Inc © 2026 | Good Green Fun.

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  Episode #442

  Sustainability Is Woven In, Not Handed Out: Making Green Building the Default with Dave Hubka

  Jul 22, 202631 min

  ✅ The Green Impact Report Quick take: Dave Hubka has spent 20+ years turning "up to code" into "why would we settle for that?" — and his approach of building sustainability directly into the spec (instead of waiting for a client to ask) is a playbook every green building professional can steal. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Dave Hubka is the Sustainability Practice Leader at EUA, where he lights the way for the firm's team to create healthier buildings for clients and the environment. His work starts with listening — collaborating closely with clients to uncover their specific sustainability goals and finding the best strategies to get there. Dave spent the first decade of his career as a mechanical engineer while earning accreditations in sustainable building methods, and he's been teaching ever since — lecturing around the country on designing, constructing, and operating better buildings. He's a LEED Fellow and WELL AP, and he still loves helping teams strategize the big-picture sustainability initiatives that move the industry forward. Dave sees a bright future ahead: one where most of the buildings EUA designs create more energy than they consume and actively remove carbon from the atmosphere. Outside of work, Dave keeps his mind and body in motion — spin classes, Bikram yoga, family game nights, and walks with his two dachshunds. Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Dave Hubka revolutionizes traditional construction approaches: Key Insight #1: Sustainability shouldn't be a task you hand out — it should already be baked into the spec. The Challenge: Sustainability is often treated as an add-on that gets bolted onto a project only when a client specifically asks for it — and when it's handed to a team as an extra task, people who don't know how to execute it quietly step away from it. The Solution: Dave works directly with his firm's spec team so glass, envelope, and MEP efficiencies are set up for success by default — clients get good design and sustainability without ever having to ask for it. ROI: Every project starts from a higher baseline, LEED and WELL work becomes an easier lift on top of already-sustainable design, and teams don't disengage from work they were simply told to do. Key Insight #2: Codes are catching up — and MEP commissioning is becoming the new normal. The Challenge: Commissioning has long been "just a LEED prerequisite," treated as optional unless a project is specifically pursuing certification. The Solution: Wisconsin's new energy code now requires MEP commissioning, so Dave's firm is building out an in-house commissioning team to verify designs perform correctly across every mode of operation. ROI: Commissioned systems actually work as designed, energy models hold up in reality, and firms that build this capability now are ahead of where regulation is clearly heading. ✍️ Key Insight #3: The next sustainability frontier is the carbon footprint of water — and turning EPD/HPD transparency into real optimization. The Challenge: The industry has spent the last decade getting comfortable with EPDs and HPDs, but transparency alone doesn't reduce impact — and almost no one is tracking the carbon cost of getting water into (and dirty water out of) a building. The Solution: Dave expects the next 5–15 years to bring real accounting for water-related carbon emissions, plus a shift from manufacturers simply disclosing product data (EPDs/HPDs) to actively optimizing based on it. ROI: Teams that start tracking these metrics now will be ahead of the curve as grids decarbonize (a projected 95% by scenario in 25 years) and as owners start demanding optimization, not just disclosure. Sustainable Soundbite "It's not that we inherit the planet from our parents — we're actually borrowing it from our children." — Dave Hubka ‍♂️ Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Sit down with your spec team and identify one system (glass, envelope, MEP) where sustainability can be the default, not a client request. This Quarter: Start tracking EPD/HPD data for your key material categories — the goal is optimization, not just disclosure. This Year: Build or partner for in-house MEP commissioning capability before your state's energy code requires it. ✍️ Connect & Learn More Access full episode resources: https://www.gbes.com/podcast Read the transcript here Connect with Dave Hubka: Website: https://eua.com/ Book mentioned in this episode — The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Today's Episode Sponsored By: Building Plaques Building Plaques creates custom LEED recognition plaques that tell the story of your project's sustainability achievement, made from architectural-grade anodized aluminum so they last as long as the building itself. Their online plaque designer lets you build a fully customized plaque in under 10 minutes — just enter your LEED project number and you're off. Learn more: https://buildingplaques.com Green Building Matters, Inc © 2026 | Good Green Fun.

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  Episode #441

  Ken Rhee on Turning BIM Data Into a Living, Breathing Digital Twin

  Jul 15, 202637 min

  🎯 The Green Impact Report Quick take: Only 3% of people on a building project can actually open a BIM file — Ken Rhee is fixing that, and using AI and sensors to turn "as-built" data into real-time building intelligence that pays off in energy, insurance, and asset value. 🤩 Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Ken Rhee Joined VIM Build in Atlanta, GA as President at the beginning of January, 2026. Co-founded Integral VIM, a BIM consulting company based in Shanghai in 2021, together with Arol Wolford ; currently developing VXBOS, a VIM-based 3D building operating software. Based in Shanghai, worked at Morgan Stanley as VP and later Executive Director in its real estate banking and investment departments (2006-2012). Conducted M&A advisory work at JP Morgan in Hong Kong and Singapore (1998-2003) Between 2012 and 2024, served as Founding Executive Director for Urban Land. Institute (ULI) China Mainland and has authored or edited a number of ULI publications, and has led a series of ULI Advisory Services Panels in China and South Korea. Holds an MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business (1998) and a BA in Econ/Business at UCLA. Born and raised in Korea until the age of 14 and immigrated to the US and settled in southern California 🌱 Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Ken Rhee revolutionizes how project teams actually use their building data: 💚 Key Insight #1: Democratizing BIM Access The Challenge: BIM models are so large and fragmented — sometimes 100+ Revit files for one complex building — that even developers rarely get to see them. Historically, only a small fraction of people on a project can actually open a BIM file. The Solution: VIM Build federates Revit, IFC, and Navisworks files into a lightweight format anyone can open on a laptop, no Revit or VIM subscription required, with clickable materials that surface real bill-of-materials data. ROI: Entire project teams — architects, contractors, developers, even facility managers down the road — can finally see and use the same building data instead of relying on static exports. 💚 Key Insight #2: AI-Powered Predictive Maintenance The Challenge: Building teams typically know what is installed (like 20 different light bulb SKUs across a tower) but not how to plan around it — replacement schedules are guesswork, and maintenance crews waste time locating parts. The Solution: Layering AI on top of federated BIM data lets teams isolate any component by SKU, locate it instantly, and use AI to estimate useful life and auto-build replacement schedules. ROI: Lower operating expenses, less reactive maintenance, and faster turnaround for maintenance staff who now know exactly where to go. 💚 Key Insight #3: Real-Time Digital Twins That Talk to the Building The Challenge: There's a disconnect between the operational data buildings generate and how that data actually informs asset management, financing, and insurance decisions. The Solution: Integral BIM's sensor networks (temperature, humidity, CO2, PM2.5, TVOC, occupancy) tie directly into AC and lighting controls — even letting tenants pre-heat or cool their space from a smartphone before arriving — all layered onto the BIM-based digital twin. ROI: Reduced energy use, better facility management, and — because insurers and lenders can assess risk more accurately — improved financing terms and lower insurance premiums. 💬 Sustainable Soundbite "Only 3% of people working on development projects where BIM is used can actually access the BIM models." — Ken Rhee ✅ Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Audit who on your project team can actually open your BIM files. If it's limited to a couple of specialists, you have a data-access problem worth solving. This Quarter: Pilot a federated, lightweight BIM viewer so developers, facility managers, and other stakeholders can explore building data without a Revit license. This Year: Build the business case for a real-time digital twin — start with a handful of sensor types tied to your building controls, and track the impact on financing conversations and insurance premiums. 🔗 Connect & Learn More 🌿 Access full episode resources: https://www.gbes.com/podcast 🗒️ Read the transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Connect with Ken Rhee: Website: https://vimaec.com/, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-rhee-295a4018**/** 💚 Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe 🤝 Today's Episode Sponsored By: **BuildingPlaques.com** helps project teams showcase the story behind their LEED and green building certifications with fully customized architectural plaques. Highlight your scorecard, sustainability strategy, project team, and certifications in one sleek display designed to educate and inspire building occupants. 🔍 Learn more: https://buildingplaques.com Green Building Matters, Inc © 2026 | Good Green Fun.

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