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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.

Enjoy our latest on COTE news (and follow us on X and LinkedIn). 

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

Check out COTE's history and timeline. 

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

  • 1.  The COTE Top 10 Awards

    Posted 04-21-2017 10:45 AM
    Just reviewed this year's awards list.  Don't know that I've reviewed the list in detail for a couple of years, but one thing struck me.  For these exemplary projects, which necessarily require complex integration among all of the disciplines, the only team members listed are the Architect, Associated Architect and Owner.  Many of these projects incorporate innovative water conservation and harvesting systems, likely designed by the civil and mechanical engineers, innovative, high performance HVAC systems, designed by the mechanical engineers, high efficiency lighting systems, designed by the lighting designer, renewable energy systems designed by the electrical engineer, or specialty consultant, storm water management and irrigation systems likely designed with significant input from the landscape architect, etc, etc.  

    It is completely disingenuous, if not hypocritical, to give credits to the project for integrated design, when the team members who created the integration are not credited. This practice is as galling as the practice in the mainstream media of giving all building credit to the owner or developer, with no mention of the architect. If architects believe that the mainstream media should recognize their contribution to the creation of exemplary buildings, then they should give credit to their collaborators in the media that they control.

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    Daniel Nall FAIA, PE, FASHRAE, LEED Fellow, CPHC, BEMP, HBDP
    Vice President
    Syska Hennessy Group
    New York NY
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  • 2.  RE: The COTE Top 10 Awards

    Posted 04-21-2017 03:07 PM
    Hi Daniel,

    Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention. In migrating the COTE Top Ten Awards to the new platform, we neglected to include the full project teams as was done in the past. This was an oversight on our part, and we apologize. The project teams for the 2017 recipients are now available on the project pages


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    Maggie Brown
    Specialist, Knowledge Communities
    The American Institute of Architects
    Washington DC
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  • 3.  RE: The COTE Top 10 Awards

    Posted 04-25-2017 12:21 PM
    I hope that all consultants are listed for all projects, whether COTE Top Ten or not.  I've noticed that the AIA, and probably the architects who submit for awards take a mixed approach to including consultants.  I recommend setting a new standard that makes it clear that all are important to every good building.


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    Helen Kessler FAIA
    President
    HJ Kessler Associates, Inc.
    Chicago IL
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