Jul 21 2014
To encourage architects and other building professionals to build with wood and support their efforts to earn credit in the US Green Building Council's LEED program, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) developed Mastering FSC-certified Wood in Green Building, which was released today.
Developed as a Continuing Education Unit, the course is approved by both the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) for professional development credit.
Currently, more than 2.8 billion square feet of building space is LEED certified (as of January 2014) and approximately 40 percent of projects earn credit for use of FSC certified products. While that makes FSC one of the most common credit pathways in LEED, it also indicates significant room for growth. Mastering FSC-certified wood in Green Building is one strategy to encourage responsible wood use in construction.
"By driving demand for FSC-certified products, LEED has contributed enormously to forest conservation in the US," said Corey Brinkema, president of the Forest Stewardship Council US. "We know sourcing can sometimes be challenging, so this CEU is one part of our work to help architects and builders," he added.
The CEU focuses on four learning objectives: 1) To explain the benefits of using FSC products in green building; 2) To describe components of credible forest certification; 3) To discuss new rules for use of FSC-certified products in LEED v4; and 4) To identify tools and strategies for finding FSC-certified products.
Columbia Forest Products, North America's largest manufacturer of hardwood plywood and veneer products, sponsored the CEU. Other sponsors include Collins, F.D. Sterritt Lumber Company, Windfall Lumber and Sustainable Northwest Wood.
The CEU is a web-based, self-study course with an online exam that is required to earn continuing education credit.
Source: http://www.fsc.org/