Sustainable Design and Green Interiors for Designers and Architects

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute provides the design resources to aid in the development of healthier, sustainable interior environments with good indoor air quality.

- People 90 percent of their time indoors, where air pollution levels are 2 to 5 times higher than those found outdoors. The largest source of this pollution is volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from building materials and furnishings.
- Architects and designers can have a significant impact on occupant health by taking steps during design and construction to ensure healthy indoor air in the spaces they create.
- Specifying GREENGUARD Certified products is among the most effective and easiest ways for architects, designers and specifiers to ensure they create healthier educational, healthcare, office and home environments.
- View thousands of GREENGUARD Certified products in the GREENGUARD Product Guide. All products have been screened for more than 10,000 chemicals.
- Each certified product listing contains a certificate of compliance, which streamlines the verification and paperwork required for LEED^® and other sustainable building programs.
- The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute also offers an IAQ Management Plan template, which provides instruction for selecting products, site management, sequencing, HVAC operation during construction, product installation, building flush-out and IAQ testing.
- The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute's parent company, UL Environment offers five continuing education units (CEUs) to increase understanding of IAQ issues specific to built environments.
- All courses are Health, Safety and Welfare (HSW) and Sustainable Design (SD) accredited through the American Association of Architects (AIA). Other course accreditations include the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), and the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC). Visit the Continuing Education page on the UL Environment website to learn more.