GBIG Insight: Learning From the Global Landscape of Green Building

The Green Building Information Gateway is global platform that strives to help accelerate market transformation and create buildings that benefit people and the natural environment.

GBIG Insight is the next step forward. It represents the top of a pyramid:

GBIG starts with hundreds of thousands of observations about green building practice and performance. These Activities include certifications, disclosures, case studies, and all manner of instances of achievements by people and organizations. Each of these individual observations is important, but has relatively little interpretive value in isolation. While each individual award or certification is an accomplishment, it represents only a single data point in the lifecycle of an asset or the evolution of a market.
GBIG Insight represents the top of a pyramid founded on observations about green building activities and performance.

Next, GBIG compiles and aggregates these disparate observations to create information about assets (e.g., buildings) or locations (e.g., cities). This allows users to place individual observations into context and, to a limited degree, draw inferences directly from patterns of practice and performance.

Now, GBIG Insight provides the opportunity for individuals to interpret this pyramid of information and create value through greater understanding. This process creates value from individual and aggregated information through individual wisdom, experience, and expertise. GBIG Insight provides a forum to share observations rooted in on-the-ground research and experience. Over time, we hope that many contributors will use GBIG Insight to communicate their ideas based on real world project outcomes.

Our intent is to offer an inclusive forum to share research, analysis, and commentary based directly on project experience. In the coming months, USGBC’s Senior Research Fellows will lead the way with blog posts and white papers. Dan Winters will discuss business strategy and finance. Dr. Ashley White will review issues related to material transparency, material science, and building supply chains. Dr. Matt Trowbridge will consider opportunities for green buildings to contribute to public health. We expect to have even more to share soon!

Authors who share our goals are encouraged to reach out to us and talk with us about how they can contribute (email: insight@gbig.org).