flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

AEC professionals should push for net zero projects

Codes and Standards

AEC professionals should push for net zero projects

Educate and lead clients to more sustainable choices, says LEED fellow.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | January 25, 2019

Courtesy Pixabay

Architects, engineers, and construction professionals should move aggressively to encourage more clients to build to net zero, says Gunnar Hubbard, FAIA, LEED Fellow, in a column posted at Real Estate Weekly.

Dire warnings in the latest climate report by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change require bold action in the built environment, Hubbard writes. “Not all clients are environmentally aware or proactive to the same degree,” he writes. “Regardless, we must do everything in our power to educate them, and should not wait for them to ask how their projects can be more sustainable.”

The AEC profession has the knowledge and the tools to achieve net zero, and in many cases the budget allows that standard to be reached, he writes. This can be done by making the investment and ROI clear, “and getting away from unreasonable paybacks of 3-5 years as a cap on improved performance.”

Thermally sound, climate-responsive architecture including taking into account sun path movement and wind direction, and defining levels of comfort for the building type are critical. That approach, combined with smarter system selection for ventilation and comfort that can be tuned for increased controllability and performance will help achieve the net zero goal.

Related Stories

| Jul 31, 2014

Cambridge, Mass., is latest locale to require energy usage disclosure

The City Council of Cambridge, Mass., approved the Building Energy Usage and Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) that requires benchmarking and disclosure of building energy performance for large commercial, institutional, and multifamily buildings.

| Jul 31, 2014

Stalled $1.5 billion Miami mixed-use redevelopment project advances

A long-delayed $1.5 billion mixed-use development in Miami moved ahead after city planners approved the project’s first phase.

| Jul 30, 2014

USGS updates National Seismic Hazard Maps

The U.S. Geological Service recently released an update of U.S. National Seismic Hazard Maps that reflect the latest analysis of where future earthquakes will occur, how frequently they may occur, and their strength.

| Jul 23, 2014

Fairfax County, Virginia toughens green standards

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently strengthened its green building policy, requiring higher standards for residential, retail, office and other construction projects seeking approval for rezoning.

| Jul 23, 2014

Berkeley National Lab’s FLEXLAB is a test bed for energy efficient office design

FLEXLAB, short for the Facility for Low Energy Experiments, opened this summer at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

| Jul 23, 2014

House passes 2015 GSA budget with 17% cut for new construction projects

The General Services Administration’s construction budget for fiscal year 2015 passed by the House this month includes cuts in both new construction and renovation/repairs compared to 2014.

| Jul 16, 2014

Coastal flooding increasing along East Coast, says report

An analysis of tidal levels and flood data by the news organization Reuters concludes that flooding has increased along the Eastern Seaboard over the past four decades.

| Jul 16, 2014

Local hiring requirement a tough challenge for new Detroit arena project

An agreement for a land transfer from the City of Detroit to Ilitch Holdings Inc., that enabled construction of a new arena for the Detroit Red Wings requires that 51% of the project’s construction workers must come from the city.

| Jul 16, 2014

Local hiring requirement a tough challenge for new Detroit arena project

An agreement for a land transfer from the City of Detroit to Ilitch Holdings Inc., that enabled construction of a new arena for the Detroit Red Wings requires that 51% of the project’s construction workers must come from the city.

| Jul 16, 2014

Massive $6.5 billion Silicon Valley development gets key city approval

The Santa Clara (Calif.) City Council approved the next steps for a massive development project next to Levi’s Stadium, the new home of the San Francisco 49ers.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021