Committee on the Environment

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ALBION DISTRICT LIBRARY BY PERKINS + WILL IS A 2018 COTE TOP TEN RECIPIENT. IMAGE: DOUBLESPACE PHOTOGRAPHY

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The Committee on the Environment (COTE®) is an AIA Knowledge Community working for architects, allied professionals, and the public to achieve climate action and climate justice through design. We believe that design excellence is the foundation of a healthy, sustainable, and equitable future. Our work promotes design strategies that empower all AIA members to realize the best social and environmental outcomes with the clients and the communities they serve.

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To learn about the Framework for Design Excellence (formerly the COTE Top Ten Measures), click here.

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Starting a local COTE or sustainability group and need some guidance? Check out the AIA COTE Network Resources here.

A big thank you to our 2024 sponsors: 
Founding sponsors: Building Green
Premier sponsors: Sherwin-Williams
Sustaining sponsors: GAF Roofing, Milliken, Andersen Windows,
BlueScope Buildings
Green sponsors: EPIC Metals
Allied sponsors: TLC Engineering, Sierra Pacific Windows

Climate Action at the Chapter Level: Learning from Leaders

By Kendall Claus posted 10-20-2022 11:06 AM

  

2022 has been another year of adjustments for many of us. Despite the difficulties, the COTE Network has grown across the country. It always has been, but these past couple of years have proven in fact, how exceptionally resilient COTE is. The Network is made up of some of the most passionate, hard-working volunteers under the AIA umbrella. Since its inception we’ve had to prove our value to members and to the industry, but the air is a little different now; a little hotter. Climate change is upon us and people can feel it, therefore it seems more are willing to listen.  

 

AIA COTE groups are the boots on the ground, working to uphold COTE’s mission to promote and achieve climate action and climate justice through design. Despite some challenges related to “returning to normal” this year, these groups have continued to move the dial. The Network has promoted connections between COTE leaders who are pulling inspiration from one another and in term strengthening the overall programming. This year’s topics for conversation and education have included Framework integration, design awards, environmental justice, decarbonization, AIA 2030, and more.  

 

I’d like to highlight one such program inspiration focused on the AIA 2030 Commitment. Here’s what AIA Philadelphia COTE shares:  

 

Ten ideas for your next 2030 Commitment event  

 

AIA’s 2030 Commitment began as a grassroots program to support architects, engineers, and other design professionals prioritize energy performance as they work toward carbon neutral buildings, development, and major renovations by 2030. Since the program launched in 2009, more than 750 companies have joined—most often at the recommendation of a peer.   

 

That’s why we recommend planning your next 2030 Commitment event, today.   

Across the nation, program participants are coming together locally to demystify the program, share best practices, and celebrate accomplishments. This document draws from work in Philadelphia, New Orleans, Oakland, and more to provide resources to host 2030 Commitment events in your community!  

 

LEVEL 1 – Understand the 2030 Commitment  

1. Host an informal Q&A discussion with program veterans 

Consider tapping two or three local participants in the 2030 Commitment to facilitate a 30-60 roundtable event centered on two questions: “Is your company participating?” and “How can I help you?” The event could be in-person or virtual and works for any size group!  

Three of the most common concerns for companies considering the program include time, money, and ability to hit the targets. Sharing personal experiences is an effective way to address those concerns and demystify the program. Our online directory makes it easy to find signatory companies in your state.  

Resources  

  • 2030 Mythbusters resource (available upon request)  

 

 

2. Walk step-by-step through the seven elements of a Sustainability Action Plan 

At its core, a Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) is a statement of a firm’s approach to sustainable design. Although 2030 Commitment participants are expected to develop an SAP within six months of joining the program, developing an SAP is a good practice for any company.  

 

The simplest agenda would walk through our recently revised SAP Guidance Document (pending) section by section to answer the simple question, “What is an SAP?” More complex approaches might jumpstart the SAP process for participants by using worksheets from the SAP Guidance document or parsing through some of our many publicly available SAPs.  

 

Resources  

  • SAP Guidance Document (pending)  

 

3. Practice using the Design Data Exchange 

The Design Data Exchange (DDx) is a secure, cloud-based tool custom built to support the 2030 Commitment. In 2020, AIA updated the site to be easier to use and streamline project tracking—especially for project-level architects.   

Hosting a guided walkthrough of the tool is the fastest way to show how quickly users can add projects and manage their data. Ideally, this session would touch on the history of the DDx, key features, basic navigation, and nuances to reporting.   

Resources  

 

4. Host a workshop to help folks meet the reporting deadline 

Communities with multiple participating companies may be interested in hosting a workshop to help signatories finish their annual reporting in March. AIA East Bay created space for participants to come together during reporting, grab a drink, and troubleshoot last-minute submissions before the March 31 deadline.   

 

Resources  

 

LEVEL 2 – Make your projects better  

5. Organize an AIAU group viewing event 

AIAU offers a multiple sustainability and resilience series on-demand, including AIA+2030.   

6. Spotlight climate leaders and project case studies. 

Hundreds of firms, from sole proprietors to international design firms, are leading the effort to reduce building energy consumption and get to zero across their entire portfolio. Share stories from the 2030 Commitment network to unpack why they joined, how they are performing, and what they do to unlock improvements year-over-year.   

Whether you dig into the firm’s story or go deep on specific projects, case studies are a great way to feature local participants! More than a dozen national firm and project profiles are also available to you.   

Resources  

  • 2030 Commitment Case Study Powerpoint Template (available upon request)  
  • 2030 Commitment Firm Case Study slides (available upon request)  
  • 2030 Commitment Project Case Study slides (available upon request)  

 

7. Host a book club for building performance  

The book club is back! Whether you meet in-person, online, or via a group messages, talking about what you’re reading is a surefire way to bring you closer to the subject.   

 

There are plenty of resources to help orient architects to the world of building performance, energy modeling, and more. Start with a strong primer—like AIA’s Architect’s Guide to Building Performance—and then discuss key takeaways or themes with other local leaders. In busier months, consider talking about short-form resources like AIA’s Leveraging Energy Transparency brief.  

 

Consider working your way through each of the 10 Principles of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence for a truly holistic look at building performance!  

 

Resources  

 

8. Explore pros and cons of energy modeling tools. 

Energy modeling isn’t a 2030 Commitment requirement, but it is the only way to demonstrate performance over code. Take a cue from AIA Philadelphia and host an interactive event to help participants pick the right energy modeling tool(s) for their culture, skillsets, project types, and budget.   

 

For easy implementation, reference their on-demand videos which explore five frequently used tools in 20 minutes each: Sefaira, Cove.Tool, Insight 360, Climate Studio, and Rhino/Grasshopper/LadyBug/Honeybee.  

 

Resources  

 

9. Learn how an integrated design process can drive performance. 

Part of the secret sauce to high-performance firms is an integrated design process. Put simply, this means frontloading the design process with clear goals and a full roster. Spend time exploring the foundations of integrated design and how they could inform your own design process. Consider how firm size could affect the process or outcomes. Work together to identify simple questions you could start asking earlier in discussions.  

 

Resources  

 

10. Create a study group around embodied carbon, electrification, or new technologies 

Resources  

https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14883-continuing-education-building-electrification 

https://www.urbangreencouncil.org/sites/default/files/urban_green_going_electric_4.22.2020.pdf 

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