The Committee on the Environment (COTE) works to advance, disseminate, and advocate—to the profession, the building industry, the academy, and the public—design practices that integrate built and natural systems and enhance both the design quality and environmental performance of the built environment. COTE serves as the community and voice on behalf of AIA architects regarding sustainable design and building science and performance.

2012 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Project Awards Announced!
The American Institute of Architects’ Committee on the Environment (AIA–COTE) has announced its Top Ten projects for 2012. Dominated by limited-budget public and institutional projects, this year’s Top Ten winners include an unusual number of adaptive reuse projects and highlight community ties, social equity, and attentiveness to water issues on par with what we’ve customarily seen for energy performance.

View the 2012 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects!

AIA/COTE Top Ten Project Case Studies
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

AIA/COTE Top Ten Project Boards
2009 | 2008

Webinar | Getting to Zero: A Look at the Costs, Features, and Supporting Policies of Zero Energy Commercial Buildings
This 90-minute webinar will present findings from "Getting To Zero 2012 Status Update: A First Look at the Costs and Features of Zero Energy Commercial Buildings," a recent report from NBI and the Zero Energy Commercial Building Consortium (CBC). 
Date: Thursday April 26
Time: 1:00pm - 2:30pm EST
Register Now - Free! 

AIA National Convention
Washington, DC
May 17-19, 2012
More Info

AIAS/COTE Research Scholarship 
Since 2008, the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) proudly partnered to offer the AIA/COTE Research Scholarship.  This program asks one selected student to conduct research and studies on a particular topic related to sustainable design – both at the building and community scale. Download Reports! 


                            


AIA Release Guide to Building Life Cycle Assessment 
The AIA Guide to Building Life Cycle Assessment in Practice details the tools and tactics of balancing the costs and benefits of material and systems selection based on resource consumption and pollution from fabrication, shipping, construction, operations, and end-of-life deconstruction.

Performance by Design
This study by the 2009 AIA/COTE Research Scholar investigates the energy performance of past Top Ten projects.  

Ecological Literacy in Architecture Education Report
A look at the degree to which ecological literacy and sustainability are playing a role in American  architecture education.

Webinars

AIA 2030 Commitment: Measuring Progress Towards 2030

Designing Energy Efficient Buildings and Building Enclosures: Energy Modeling as a Tool

Energy Auditing in Relation to Building 


Podcasts

The AIA 2030 Commitment
In this podcast, Greg Mella, AIA LEED AP talks about the AIA 2030 Commitment. The AIA 2030 Commitment is a voluntary national program for AIA member firms and other entities working in the built environment. It asks these organizations to make a pledge, develop action plans, and implement steps to achieve the goal of carbon-neutral buildings by the year 2030.
Download Now

Sustainable Design: Ecology, Architecture, and Planning
In this podcast, Daniel Williams, FAIA, a Seattle-based architect and urban planner, describes how he became involved in sustainable design, what it really means, and the current direction of architecture as outlined in his book, Sustainable Design: Ecology, Architecture, & Planning (Wiley, 2007).
MP3 |iTunes

AIA 2030 Commitment
50to50 Wiki
Building Enclosure Council
Integrated Practice Resources
Carbon Neutral Design Project
BuildingGreen