The following post was provided by Turner Construction.

Boston exhibit shows low-carbon construction is ready now

A temporary pavilion was constructed as part of the Structural Engineering Institute’s Structures Congress, “Reframing the Future: With Low-Carbon Construction.”  It brought together a nationwide collaborative team to demonstrate that high-performance, low-embodied-carbon building systems are no longer theoretical, they are ready for commercial use today.

The exhibit serves as a physical example of how sustainable construction can be achieved using materials and systems that already exist. It incorporates principles of a circular economy – reuse, biogenic materials, and design for deconstruction, offering a practical roadmap toward a more sustainable built environment.

Organized in partnership with Buro Happold, Cambium Carbon, Forma Systems, Second Structure, Turner Construction Company, and MIT, the project comes five years into the SE 2050 Commitment and stands as both proof-of-concept and a call to action.

The idea and strategy: At its core, the pavilion-like structure highlights three key strategies for reducing carbon in construction: material optimization, circularity, and biomaterials, visually demonstrating how these approaches can work together to deliver meaningful impact.

Reused steel: The structure also showcases reclaimed steel sourced from a nearby deconstruction project. While steel is commonly recycled, reuse eliminates the need for energy-intensive melting and recasting, preserving the material’s embodied carbon and reducing demand for new resources. All steel used in the exhibit traveled just over 60 miles, and every connection was designed to be demountable, allowing the structure to be disassembled and reused in future installations.

Optimized precast: At the center of the exhibit is a shape-optimized, reinforced concrete floor slab developed by MIT spinoff Forma Systems. Designed to deliver the same structural performance as conventional systems while using significantly less material, the slab is lighter, shallower, and can reduce carbon emissions by up to 70 percent. The multi-ribbed slab is just 6¾ inches deep and weighs roughly half as much as a comparable system – reducing foundation demands, transportation costs, and installation time.

Salvaged wood: The project also incorporates salvaged wood supplied by Cambium Carbon, sourced locally and manufactured into glued-laminated timber beams by Tridome Structures. The approach supports local jobs, reduces waste, and stores carbon all while maintaining a strong connection to place.

The final assembly: Together, these strategies form a fully code-compliant, permitted, and insured prototype that demonstrates what is possible today.

Weighing approximately 3.5 tons, the structure is more than 50 percent lighter than a comparable cast-in-place concrete system and is estimated to reduce its carbon footprint by two-thirds.

Perhaps most importantly, the exhibit underscores that achieving low-carbon construction at scale requires coordination across the entire supply chain, from material sourcing to final assembly.

Built Environment Plus successfully leverages significant Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund grants to make a wide variety of Passive House education more accessible. We offer Phius, Passive House Network/Passive House Institute, and Passive House Massachusetts trainings to help architects, engineers, and construction professionals gain in-demand skills in energy-efficient design and construction. In 2025, we supported 45 professionals in earning passive house credentials. With grant funding available for all BE+ trainings, let this be the year that you become that passive house expert at your firm!

Learn about the different passive house learning pathways depending on your profession and experience level.

You can take any of the following trainings for free or for a reduced cost through BE+:

📐 Phius Certified Consultant (CPHC) Training

The CPHC training includes self-paced learning modules and live learning sessions that are delivered either virtually or in-person. The course is designed for architects, engineers and design professionals who already have a basic understanding of building science, an architectural background or hands-on building experience. Topics covered include building science fundamentals, high performance enclosures, cost-optimization, climate-specific design and detailing, high performance MEP systems, ventilation strategies, quality control strategies, Phius Certification requirements, renewable energy systems, and passive building physics. BE+ offers open enrollment every month under the Express Grant.

🛠 Phius Certified Builder (CPHB) Training

The CPHB training includes self-paced learning modules and live learning sessions that are delivered either virtually or in-person. The course is designed for construction professionals who want to understand the application of passive house building techniques. Topics include airtight enclosures, high-performance window installation, passive design strategies, field quality assurance, and site management. BE+ offers open enrollment every month under the Express Grant.

“The Phius courses from Built Environment Plus are both rigorous and practical, helping our team achieve Passive House Builder Certification (CPHB). The strength of their curriculum and instructors inspired us to expand certification across all operational roles—from planners to field superintendents, and even the CEO.

We’ve gained deep, practical fluency in Passive House that is already making a real impact on our jobsites. For us, PHIUS goes beyond environmental responsibility—it’s a model for high-performance execution that aligns with TOCCI’s mission: Building Harmony, Maximizing Results.”

John Tocci, CEO, Tocci Construct, LLC

🏢 Phius WUFI® Passive Advanced Multifamily

This live, online course is intended for multifamily WUFI Passive users who have basic prior experience with the software and want to fully understand WUFI’s capabilities and ensure they are utilizing this tool to the fullest extent. Attendees will learn how WUFI “can enhance, streamline, and optimize the design and certification of passive building projects if integrated into the design process properly.” BE+ offers this course several times a year.

🏚 Phius WUFI Passive Single Family

This live, online course is intended for architects, engineers, and design professionals without WUFI Passive experience or those who have had some exposure through Phius Certified Consultant (CPHC) training, but have not explored application yet. BE+ offers this course several times a year.

📏 Phius Certified Rater Training

This course includes self-paced learning modules and live learning sessions that are delivered either virtually or in-person. The training is intended for RESNET HERS Raters and other testing and commissioning professionals with experience working on single-family homes, townhomes, and low-rise residential buildings.  While this training does not have prerequisites, the credential exam does, including that participants are fully certified as a RESNET HERS Rater (excluding: CA and AK). View Phius Rater exam prerequisites here, as they vary by location. BE+ offers this course several times a year.

📋 Phius Certified Verifier Training

This course includes self-paced learning modules and live, online learning sessions and is intended for testing and commissioning professionals with multifamily and non-residential building experience. Participants will learn how to guarantee quality assurance, including on-site inspections and performance testing throughout all stages of the construction process. Topics include building science, enclosure systems, high-performance mechanical systems, large building air-tightness testing strategies and protocols for Phius certification compliance. BE+ offers this course several times a year.

🖥 Phius Introduction to THERM Workshop

This course is delivered live, either in-person or virtually and is intended for a broad spectrum of building industry professionals. Basic understanding of thermal bridging and thermal bridging modeling is recommended, however there are no previous training requirements. If you are interested but don’t feel confident in these foundational topics, there are supplemental pre-course materials provided to students free of charge. BE+ offers this course several times a year.

📐 Certified Passive House Designer (PHI) Training

This course is delivered live, either in-person or virtually and is intended for a broad spectrum of building industry professionals. This course is specifically designed to teach the international Passive House Standard (PHI) to design and construction professionals in the U.S. and is required prior to taking the CPHD/C professional certification exam. BE+ offers this course several times a year.

🏚 Passive House 101: An Introduction To Passive Buildings

This course is delivered live, either in-person or virtually and is intended for a broad spectrum of building industry professionals. This training introduces a performance-first design and construction model that optimizes buildings for durability, health, comfort, and low operational costs while minimizing energy demand. We explore the core principles of Passive House delivery—from airtight construction and thermal bridge-free design to balanced ventilation—and demonstrate how an integrated process makes these goals both achievable and financially viable.

📐 PH 120: The Architect’s Role in Passive Building

This course is delivered live, either in-person or virtually and is designed for architects and design professionals looking to expand their expertise into passive building. The focus of this course is the foundational knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of Passive House delivery, including the mindset and technical awareness to effectively support a collaborative Passive House team. Participants will gain a high-level roadmap to help identify and avoid common design pitfalls while gaining a clear understanding of the attention to detail necessary to successfully deliver passive buildings.

👷 Phius Certified Trades Professional

This course includes self-paced learning modules paired with 3 days of in-person instruction and live virtual class sessions. The training is intended for construction professionals with foundational carpentry skills and a desire to learn about advancing their understanding of building science and related construction techniques. Attendees will learn the fundamentals of passive building and how to implement passive house designs into projects. Certified Trades Professionals may go on to earn specializations to become Enclosure, MEP or Master Trades specialists.

“The Workforce Training Grant has supported Payette staff in learning new tools and skills that enables us to continue to push our designs in order to create better buildings.”

Andrea Love, Principal and Director of Building Science, Payette

💲Securing Funding:

If you are interested in taking advantage of available funding opportunities, follow the process below to learn more about available opportunities and the application process.

Funding Opportunities:

Express Grant
Nearly all BE+ training is Express Grant eligible for companies with 100 or less Massachusetts employees. Confirm your eligibility and submit an Express application now to receive up to 100% reimbursement for applicable BE+ courses

Step 1: Submit Express Grant Application
All you need to complete the application are 20 minutes of your time, a few documents, and the course information listed on our website. You’ll have one full year from grant approval to take your course(s).

Step 2: Register for Training
If you’re looking for a different passive house course, check our course catalog and complete the training interest form. Learn more about the registration process from our Phius Roadmap.

MassSave Incentives
Those who are ineligible for the Express Program may be eligible for 50% reimbursement via Mass Save’s Passive House & All-Electric Homes Training incentives.

General Grant
If you’re not eligible for the Express Grant, consider pursuing the General Grant program. Learn more.

Questions about these trainings, the grant application process, or your eligibility to participate? Contact us at education@builtenvironmentplus.org or schedule time with our Education Director here.

View our trainings page to see upcoming BE+ courses. If there are other sustainable design, construction or operations courses that you are interested in, but do not see listed, reach out to our education team.

NESEA’s 2026 BuildingEnergy Boston conference, themed “Don’t Stop Us Now”, is set to hone in on the challenges and barriers building professionals are facing while reinforcing that we are not alone in solving them. That’s especially true for existing buildings where technical, financial, and operational challenges can stall projects or deter it from success.

Existing buildings account for 35% of Massachusetts emissions, making retrofits an essential step towards decarbonization. With new building performance standards in effect in Cambridge, Boston, and Newton, building owners are under pressure to reduce their emissions and energy use while improving health, resiliency, and comfort.

BE+ has launched the Building Performance Exchange to bridge the gap between owners and practitioners with the primary goal of connecting stakeholders with helpful resources, tools, and expertise to make retrofits easier and more successful.

Here are 11 sessions at BuildingEnergy Boston this year that highlight crucial aspects of retrofitting existing buildings, from planning to implementation.

Building Science Best Practices
Two crucial components of retrofitting are holistic system-wide planning and granular component-specific upgrades. Building science practitioners with diverse backgrounds and expertise in these areas gather at BuildingEnergy to present their latest discovery or demonstrate tested and viable strategies.

These two sessions focus on the difficulties found among existing buildings and the best practices for a better solution.

• • Retrocommissioning For Existing Buildings
  • More Good through Less Bad

Misalignment between an energy model and reality can be frustrating when budgets are built around projected savings. This is why investigating potential causes is a valuable first step. Retrocommissioning can reveal why systems are not living up to their expectations, often providing straightforward solutions, such as educating staff on proper use of a building management system or fixing imbalances and leaks in a distribution system. Reducing the building’s operational and embodied carbon impact within the existing building shell may be challenging, but it’s achievable with guidance from the experts.

Making the Budget Work
Financing remains one of the biggest barriers in retrofit projects, especially with sudden program cuts and expensive electric rates. These sessions dedicate their time to navigating the complexities of capital and the art of financing in finer detail.

• • Decarbonizing Non-Profit Buildings via No-Cost Planning and Financing Resources
  • Who Pays and Who Saves? How Electric Rates Shape Equitable Multifamily Electrification
  • Deep Energy Retrofits, Round 3: A Holistic Cost Analysis

Learning the functions both behind and in front of a utility meter empowers owners to make the best financial decisions for their buildings. Moreover, finding the right electricity rate structure and dodging peak demand charges with smarter equipment use can help balance operational expenses. Analyzing the hidden health and societal costs of these financial decisions is vital to thoughtful and equitable improvement of the built environment.

Learning by Example
Case studies demonstrate project experiences, shortcomings and barriers, but also shed light on replicable strategies that are proven to work. These sessions showcase case studies of commercial and large portfolio decarbonization projects—sharing both positive and negative experiences.

• • Onward to 2050! Two Existing Commercial Building Decarbonization Case Studies
  • From Building Decarbonization to Campus Decarbonization: Lessons, Pitfalls, Results

Show us the Data!
In an industry of performance-based policy, data is essential. These presenters dig deep into energy, emissions, and cost data, finding trends, and paving the way for others to learn from both success and failure.

• • Proof over Promises: Cold Climate Multifamily Retrofit Results
  • From Model to Meter: What Can We Learn from the Massachusetts LBER Data?
  • Building Better with What We Have: Balancing Carbon, Cost, and Housing

Tracking past and modeling future data is the best strategy to monitor building performance. There are more efforts than ever to prove that energy conservation measures and building upgrades are on the right path. Building Performance Standards illuminate the fruits of our labor, as a policy-driven approach to measuring building performance.To identify opportunities for improvement, data-driven decisions support wider and more effective technology use.

BuildingEnergy Boston marks its 51st year with a robust selection of sessions, highlighting the innovation in existing buildings. Out of the 45+ sessions, these 11 sessions offer insight into the important pieces of the puzzle of retrofitting existing buildings. Join us at MassCEC’s sponsored session, “Scope vs. Carbon: Stories of Decarbonizing Multi-Family Buildings,” to hear from project teams as they share insight on scope, timeline, and key decisions. Explore our other sessions and find us tabling just outside the trade show floor!

Welcome 2026 Spring Intern Xander Orth! We’re excited to have him on board supporting Built Environment Connects and advancing our mission forward to bring a more sustainable and regenerative design, construction, and operations across the built environment. With his passions for the environment and sustainability, we’re excited to see the impact he’ll make with the Connects team this spring.

Xander Orth

My name is Xander, and I am delighted to intern at BE+ this spring! I am a senior at Tufts University where I study Political Science and Environmental Studies. In my spare time, I’m an avid hiker and photographer, and I’m passionate about creating urban spaces which are both functional and sustainable. I’m grateful for this opportunity to work with BE+, and I’m particularly excited to assist in strengthening Built Environment Connects through researching Massachusetts green building projects, setting up company profiles, and contacting green building professionals and companies.

Connect with Xander Orth on LinkedIn

In the past year, the BE+ Education program has supported workforce development in Massachusetts by securing more than $250,000 worth of funding for organizations to use towards free and deeply discounted BE+ courses. With 1,100 total professionals trained across 292 organizations, BE+ provided over 400 AIA continuing education credits to support our community with their career development and upskilling. 

As a result, one company reported a 30% increase of in-house energy and daylight modeling and sustainable material assessments and another reported 50% more energy modelers on staff. Strong repeat engagement remained a hallmark of the program, with over 20% of participants returning for multiple courses and companies averaging three trainings each. 

With our roster of 40+ expert instructors and 12 new partnerships added this year alone, we are well-positioned to help practitioners meet the industry’s evolving standards.

BE+ as a Workforce Funding Pathway for Upskilling

Through the Workforce Training Fund Program, we supported low-cost advanced credentialing, with 21 new LEED accredited trainees and 45 professionals earning Passive House accreditation. Together, these outcomes reflect BE+’s continued commitment to workforce development as a critical lever for climate action and industry transformation.

Learn about Workforce Funding Grants here for BE+ and partner courses.
Explore funding opportunities to become a Phius Certified Professional, explore WUFI and THERM. Check out our Phius Registration Roadmap to determine how & when to apply for funding grants!

Quality and relevance remained central to our approach. Courses earned an average satisfaction rating of 90%, reinforcing the program’s reputation for excellence. Top-performing offerings—including LEED v5: An Early Look, Massachusetts energy code trainings, Phius Certified Passive House Consultant trainings and our new Tech to Transformation: Building Better webinar series—reflect growing demand for technical rigor to meet evolving building standards.

BE+ plays a crucial role in expanding access and building foundational capacity across the AEC industry. In partnership with the DOER and the sponsors of Mass Save, BE+ subsidized over 250 seats in 2025 for the MA Stretch Energy Code Training Series – building on a strong 2024 cohort totaling over 379 unique participants trained across the two series covering the base, stretch, and specialized energy code.

Pre-training surveys showed most attendees were not confident designing or building to code. After completing the training, more than half reported they could do so confidently.

Looking forward to 2026, BE+ is currently in the process of scheduling our education offerings for 2026. We want to hear from learners and educators. Please complete the 2026 BE+ Education Offerings Survey to let us know what topics you are interested in learning about or propose educational content to teach.

Get in touch with the Education team here. 

As we enter 2026, the BE+ community came together at a pivotal time to celebrate the people transforming the built environment. Together, we reflected on a year of meaningful impact, collaboration, and progress. During the Annual Meeting & Volunteer Celebration, we celebrated the achievements of 2025, honored outstanding members and organizations, and officially welcomed new and returning leaders to the BE+ Board of Directors.

We would like to congratulate and give a warm welcome to Elsa Mullin (Skanska) and Elijah Ercolino (Boston University). We would also like to congratulate the re-elected board members Chad Laurent, Neetu Siddarth, N Jonathan Unaka, and Rebecca Rahmlow.

We also extend our sincere thanks to our departing Board Member Brad Mahoney for his commitment, leadership, and valuable contributions to the BE+ community. In recognition of his contributions, a tree will be planted in honor of him, alongside additional trees in honor of the award recipients.

We’re thrilled to recognize the following individuals and companies for their leadership and commitment:

Company of the Year: Thornton Tomasetti
Net Zero Hero: John Dalzell
Living Future Champion: Jacob Bloom
BE+ Member of the Year: Tammy Ngo
Health & Wellness Champion: Carrie Havey
BE+ Community Leader: Kena David
Emerging Professional of the Year: Cameron Burkacki
Women in Green Warrior: Joytika Bhargo
Education Company of the Year: BH+A

We want to shout out the incredible volunteers that also dedicated their time in making the past year a success! These volunteers showed up with passion and generosity—supporting our events and iniatives that impact the built environment. Check out our volunteers shout outs and see how amazing this community is!

Congratulations to the award recipients, new and returning board members, and everyone continuing their hard work to create a more sustainable and regenerative built environment. Here’s to a year of even more collective impact and progress within the BE+ community and the built environment.

The high-rise Josiah Quincy Upper School sets new standards for urban public school design rooted in educational excellence, community, sustainability, and occupant wellness. Despite the challenges of designing a full program middle high school on less than an acre of land, inventive design solutions transformed a zero lot line site to an award-winning educational facility that showcases the City of Boston’s commitment to its students, the Chinatown community, and the environment.

“This project does the most with the least. It supports the whole learner, addresses a broad set of sustainability issues, and fully leverages a challenging site and limited budget for maximum impact in an underserved community.”

Jury Comments | Built Environment Plus (BE+)

As one of the first projects to open under the Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools initiative and one of only eight public schools in the nation to achieve LEED v4.1 Platinum certification, JQUS’s holistic approach to sustainability balances strategies for energy efficiency, indoor air quality, educational and health equity, and climate resilience with the financial realities of a publicly funded project.

The Green Building of the Year award recognizes projects that exemplify an integrated approach such as JQUS, which stood out to the jury for its creative and thoughtful design solutions that contributed to notable social and environmental impacts. From leveraging the high-rise school’s verticality to draw fresh air for classrooms from well above the adjacent highways, to maximizing limited open space on this urban site with an accessible green roof, every design element supports the overarching goal of providing BPS students with the best possible educational opportunities in a healthy, welcoming, and resilient facility.

JQUS is HMFH’s third project to earn the BE+ Green Building of the Year award, a testament to our deep commitment to sustainable design. Previous HMFH projects to win Green Building of the Year include the net-positive energy Fales Elementary School in 2023 and Bristol County Agricultural High School in 2022.

Read more about sustainable design features at JQUS here: builtenvironmentplus.org/josiah-quincy-upper-school

The celebration didn’t end at Green Building of the Year for JQUS: the middle high school also took home the 2025 People’s Choice Award, a project recognition selected by the BE+ community each year during the showcase! Attendees were given bright green stickers and asked to vote for their favorite project based on the 68 award submissions on display. Designed to support and uplift not only Boston students but members of the surrounding Chinatown community with venues for community programs, custom graphics inspired by Chinatown, and public pocket parks, we were thrilled that JQUS also resonated with the BE+ community.

Read more about JQUS and other innovative and impactful projects recognized at the BE+ Green Building Showcase: builtenvironmentplus.org/gbs25-winners

“This project demonstrates how a student-first approach makes the most of every opportunity to enhance the learning experience and to enrich shared school culture.”

Jury Comments | American School & University (AS&U)

The annual American School & University Magazine Architectural Portfolio Awards celebrate educational design excellence among public and private schools of all levels, nationwide. The highest award for a K-12 facility, the William W. Caudill citation recognizes school projects that exemplify the same commitment to furthering educational design as the award’s namesake.

For JQUS, creating exceptional and diverse educational opportunities for Boston Public Schools students guided both the process and project. The new middle high school provides a healthy, welcoming, and secure learning environment where students can flourish. A variety of academic spaces range from classrooms and labs to facilities for specialty programs including robotics and food technology. Notable public-facing spaces include a 437-seat auditorium with overhead lighting designed as a starry night sky, a 10,000 sf gymnasium that projects out over the sidewalk to maximize space usage, and a soaring, light-filled dining and gathering area, which features a multi-story mural inspired by the school’s mascot and surrounding neighborhood.

See JQUS and other award-winning schools featured in the magazine’s November 2025 issue: issuu.com

Massachusetts solidified its position as a national leader in climate-aligned building at last month’s Green Building Showcase, where an all-electric Boston Public School, affordable multi-family housing projects, and dozens of additional new construction and renovation projects showed how the local built environment is being leveraged as a climate solution.

Judges from across the country selected standout projects for their innovation, impact, and how easily they can be repeated across the spectrum of relevant building types. The annual awards program has long been an important measure of progress in building evolution, and according to Built Environment Plus Executive Director Meredith Elbaum, “the projects at this year’s showcase signal a revolution in the building sector as things we only dreamed about at the start of my career are not only being built, but these project teams are doing it with little to no cost premium.”

2025 BE+ Green Building Showcase at One Boston Wharf Road

“These projects are real. They are happening. They are energy efficient, healthy, and cost effective. They reduce greenhouse gas emissions while saving untold millions of dollars over their lifetime. They are utilizing Mass Save incentives to generate $3 in energy cost savings for every $1 invested and they have created the new standard for building,” she added.

According to the judges, the entries marked “a notable evolution in the caliber and focus of projects in just one year. This year’s field included a multitude of examples of well-done geothermal and mass timber solutions, renovations, and building reuse.”

Schools Leading the Way
An exemplary Boston Public Schools project emerged as both the fan favorite and judges’ pick for Green Building of the Year. The Josiah Quincy Upper School (JQUS), located in Boston’s historic Chinatown, was designed by HMFH Architects to meet Boston’s Green New Deal and climate action plans, support minority students in a dense urban environment, and provide all of the educational facilities of a modern high school. The all-electric facility is one of only eight schools nation-wide to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED v4.1 Platinum certification, and demonstrates how sustainable performance and educational excellence can be achieved in dense, urban conditions, on small sites, and economically.

HMFH’s submission stated that “the school is designed for long-term financial resilience. High-efficiency easy to maintain systems and durable, low maintenance materials reduce operational costs. Participation in the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s high-performance incentives further supported cost effective green investments. This project proves that public schools can lead the way in climate action, health equity, and community empowerment, without added cost.”

The judges felt “this project does the most with the least. It supports the whole learner, addresses a broad set of sustainability issues, and fully leverages a challenging site and limited budget for maximum impact in an underserved community.”

2025 Green Building of the Year Award Winner: Josiah Quincy Upper School by HMFH Architects

Decarbonizing Existing Buildings
In addition to new construction, this year’s program put increasing emphasis on the work being done to transform the out-of-date existing building stock of Massachusetts into healthier and more efficient buildings. As part of its work to develop the MA Building Performance Exchange in collaboration with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, BE+ added a new Building Decarb Intervention Award to highlight impactful and replicable projects that are leading the way towards the state’s climate goals.

The Building Decarb Intervention Award winner was an innovative waste-heat recovery plan submitted by GreenerU for a 27-story affordable housing apartment tower in Mission Hill’s Levinson Tower. This cost-effective intervention for one of Boston’s largest affordable housing communities demonstrates the incredible win-win approaches to decarbonizing buildings for health, resilience, and long-term affordability, with energy cost savings of over $130,000 every year. According to the judges, “The renovation at Levinson is designed to improve the health of low-income residents, reduce heating costs, and capture wasted heat while providing significant decarbonization and compatibility with a future ground source heat pump. The jury was also impressed at the number of stakeholders engaged in the process. We need this kind of creativity and work at scale!”

Mass Save Incentives Driving Efficiency and Affordability
The Sustainable Building Operations award winner was another great win-win example. Aspen Air Duct Cleaning led a central ventilation system upgrade for Jaycee Place Apartments in Lowell, MA, a 138-unit affordable housing community. A combination of Aeroseal duct sealing and replacing 38 rooftop fans with appropriate tuning and commissioning for long-term efficiency reduced operating costs by over $66,000 per year. With Mass Save incentives this intervention will pay for itself in less than four years. As the judges put it, “This highly replicable project is a superb example of how high impact, low-hanging fruit projects can yield real, tangible ROIs for environmental performance, human health, and operational cost savings while maintaining continuity in building operations.”

The Guild
Graphic credit: The Guild in Somerville

Another great example which also leveraged Mass Save incentives for long-term affordability was The Guild in Somerville, submitted by Utile, which won the Carbon & Energy Award. The judges beamed that “The Guild masterfully reduces operational carbon through its highly efficient, all-electric design that minimizes energy use while prioritizing occupant comfort by leveraging PHIUS design principles. This is balanced by an aggressive focus on embodied carbon reduction by embracing mass timber construction and thoughtful use of materials. The project’s execution, replicable mid-rise model, and pragmatic design make it a standout example of context-sensitive, sustainable development.”

Buildings Fostering Inclusion and Belonging
Another all-electric project was an adaptive reuse of a vacant middle school in Hyde Park, turning it into inclusive affordable housing for LGBTQ+ seniors. The Pryde, submitted by DiMella Shaffer, won the Equity & Inclusion Award and blends historic preservation with energy performance. Its operation which will result in annual utility cost savings of over $100,000 per year, while retaining over 80% of the existing structure contributed to a more than 40% reduction in embodied carbon. According to the judges, “Its design goes beyond accessibility to foster belonging, dignity, and resilience, essentially turning history into hope plus national precedent and architecture into advocacy.”

DiMella Shaffer’s submission noted that “the project’s success lies in providing abundance while living within its means, demonstrating thoughtful design for economy. The team brought the Construction Manager on from the outset, fostering a collaborative approach to cost management. This ensured that design decisions balanced initial costs with long-term value, while also meeting state requirements for low-cost, high-quality construction and aligning with the owner’s standards.”

Brutalist Makeover

40 Thorndike
Photo credit: 40 Thorndike

The Sustainable Whole-Building Renovation Award went to Elkus Manfredi Architects’ 40 Thorndike project transforming the 22-story brutalist courthouse tower in East Cambridge into a mixed-use, community-oriented, high-performance building. The judges celebrated the project as “a massive transformation from a brutalist courthouse to affordable apartments and office space. The team’s out-of-the-box thinking created an unexpected community asset that values occupant wellbeing as well as positive climate impact. While the specific situation may not be common, the creativity of the reinvention and the holistic benefits achieved would benefit any renovation.”

Pushing the Industry Forward
Judges also selected Marty Josten, Principal Director of Building Decarbonization at New Ecology, as Change Agent of the Year. The award recognizes her significant positive impact on the environment, social equity, and the economy by creating a blueprint for how communities can build a resilient sustainable future through collaboration. “Marty combines rigorous technical insight with deep belief in people. She’s deeply committed to helping environmental justice communities thrive by building one family at a time,” said Joyce Losick-Yang, who nominated her for the award. “Marty’s professional accomplishments are grounded in a simple and profoundly powerful kindness and compassion for others (along with a wicked sense of humor) that engenders lifelong friendships and encourages the professional development of her peers.

2025 Change Agent of the Year Award Winner: Marty Josten

Promising Payback
“The treasure trove of submissions this year can really point the way forward not just for Massachusetts, but for the whole country,” said Elbaum. “One project that offers a lot of hope for cost-effectively tackling building emissions at scale is a retro-commissioning strategy by BXP and JB&B that saw payback periods of under two years. These low-hanging fruit interventions resulted in over $600,000/year in energy savings across 8 buildings. Since BXP has been a sustainability leader in the industry, their buildings are already relatively efficient. Extending this portfolio-scale intervention to the less efficient building stock across the state would yield even higher savings and is foundational to any retrofit and decarbonization planning. It would do wonders to address the affordability crisis while putting us on the right track for climate sanity.”

“What I love most about the diversity and caliber of projects at this year’s showcase, however, is that while the financial benefits of building sustainably make it an absolute no-brainer, there are qualitative and quality-of-life benefits that are just as compelling,” added Elbaum. “I wish we could do more to highlight these impactful projects. I feel like screaming this message from the rooftop.”

If the Showcase proves anything, it is that lasting affordability grows from buildings that waste less energy, and the solutions already exist. The projects honored by fifteen independent judges from outside New England demonstrate replicable strategies that deliver deep and enduring utility savings for residents and communities. Explore the full project gallery online and the winning project details.

2025 BE+ Green Building Showcase Award Ceremony

2025 Green Building Showcase Winners
Green Building of the Year: Josiah Quincy Upper School, submitted by HMFH Architects
People’s Choice Award: Josiah Quincy Upper School, submitted by HMFH Architects
Building Decarb Intervention Award: Roxbury Tenants of Harvard Levinson Heat Recovery, submitted by GreenerU, Inc.
Carbon and Energy Award: The Guild, submitted by Utile
Equity and Inclusion Award: The Pryde, submitted by DiMella Shaffer
Health and Wellness Award: Penn State Behrend Erie Hall Recreation and Wellness Center, submitted by Sasaki
Site and Landscape Award: J.J. Carroll Redevelopment’s Intergenerational Gardens, submitted by Stantec
Student Project of the Year: Terra Cura Center, submitted by Elijah Feliz, Júlia De Lima, Hunter Osborne, and Berlens Badin (Boston Architectural College)
Sustainable Building Operations Award: Jaycee Place, submitted by Aspen Air Duct
Sustainable Whole-Building Renovation Award: 40 Thorndike, submitted by Elkus Manfredi Architects
Sustainable Construction Innovation Award: Stellata, submitted by Stantec
Sustainable Interior Fit-out Award: Office Deconstruction & Reuse, submitted by Turner
Change Agent of the Year Award: Marty Josten, Principal Director of Building Decarbonization, New Ecology.

Join us in welcoming our newest members of the BE+ Team—Kassem Slimani and Molly Neu! Kassem stepped into the Marketing & Communications Manager position during the week of the Green Building Showcase. With his fresh ideas and creative energy, he’s already making an impact that will strengthen our communications and marketing efforts. After interning in the fall with us, Molly has officially joined the BE+ Education as the Education Program Associate. Her interdisciplinary strengths have already been a huge help across the BE+ team. We’re looking forward to how their skills will deepen community engagement and advance our mission of promoting sustainable and regenerative design, construction, and operation of the built environment.

Kassem Slimani, Marketing & Communications Manager

For the past several years, I’ve developed and led data-driven communication and marketing strategies that help organizations connect with people in ways that matter. My experience spans public health, digital, and brand marketing, where I’ve managed multi-channel campaigns that amplify voices, inspire participation, and make information more accessible to all.

I’m especially passionate about work that has a visible impact on real lives, strengthening communities and helping create a better future. At the Boston Public Health Commission, I helped design campaigns that elevated youth and wellness programs across the city, and I continue to build on that purpose by leveraging storytelling, design, and strategy to make our shared spaces more inclusive and sustainable.

Connect with Kassem Slimani on LinkedIn