This year marks the fifth anniversary of the American Institute of Architects’ effort to have architecture firms voluntarily pledge net-zero energy design for all their buildings by 2030. The AIA 2030 Commitment encourages design professionals to strategically reduce the measured energy consumption in new and existing buildings they design.
The 2030 Commitment is “an effort to get a firm’s complete body of work channeled toward carbon-neutral design,” says William D. Sturm, AIA, LEED AP, Principal at Serena Sturm Architects, Chicago, and Chair of the AIA National Committee on the Environment.
The pledge follows the 2030 Challenge issued in 2007 by Edward Mazria, FAIA, Founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization Architecture 2030, who called for the global building community to:
• Design all new buildings and major renovations to meet an energy consumption performance standard of 60% below the regional (or national) median for that building type.
• Renovate an equal amount of existing building area annually to meet an energy consumption performance standard of 60% below the regional (or national) median for that building type.
• Increase the fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings and major renovations in five-year increments, to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.
Last year, in its third annual 2030 Commitment progress report, the AIA called the program a roadmap for firms to transition to the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality on every project in their portfolio—not selectively targeting high performance for certain clients, or designing net-zero projects solely for clients who want it and can afford it, but achieving targeted performance goals on every project.
While there has been an increase in professional activity among medium and large firms, says Sturm, the 2030 goal may be out of reach for many smaller firms, which cite concerns over the amount of time and effort required to report on 2030 goals, as well as the lack of or access to data.
The AIA says that by the end of 2012, 241 firms had signed on to join the 2030 Commitment, with 110 of them submitting an annual progress report. These included such marquee names as CannonDesign, HOK, NBBJ, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, as well as midsize practices like Sturm’s own firm and Kaplan Thompson Architects, Portland, Maine.
A more recent summary on preliminary data from 2013 reporting presented at the AIA National Convention this past June showed 275 firms participating in the pledge; 79 of these had submitted data for 2013 on a total of more than 1.6 billion sf of work, reported Nootan Bharani, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CEM, Lead Design Manager at the University of Chicago’s Place Lab, and Steve Kismohr, AIA, Senior Technical Manager at the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.
The average predicted energy use intensity (EUI) reduction for 2013 from the 79 reporting firms was 34%, a slight increase from the average prediction for 2012. Around 7% of the gross square footage that was reported had reached the 2030 goal of 60% EUI reduction.
Sturm says that it is important for architecture firms to be prepared as more and more legislative bodies and standards organizations call for net-zero and carbon-neutral projects. Earlier this year California began implementing its revised building codes known collectively as Title 24, which call for all new residential and commercial construction in the state to achieve net-zero status by 2030.
Individual cities and institutions of higher learning have also embarked on 2030-type initiatives. The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada has issued a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in building construction and operation 70% by 2015, 80% by 2020, and 90% by 2025, to arrive at carbon neutrality by 2030.
William Leddy, FAIA, LEED AP, Founding Partner of Leddy Matum Stacy Architects in San Francisco and an Advisory Member of the AIA National Committee on the Environment, says “it just makes good business sense” for the architecture community to prepare for what he calls the “coming new realities” of the profession in the 21st century.
Related Stories
| Nov 14, 2014
JetBlue opens Gensler-designed International Concourse at JFK
The 175,000-sf extension includes the conversion of three existing gates to international swing gates, and the addition of three new international swing gates.
Sponsored | | Nov 12, 2014
Eye-popping façade highlights renovation, addition at Chaffin Junior High School
The new distinctive main entrance accentuates the public face of the school with an aluminum tube “baguette” system.
| Oct 26, 2014
New York initiates design competition for upgrading LaGuardia, Kennedy airports
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the state would open design competitions to fix and upgrade New York City’s aging airports. But financing construction is still unsettled.
| Oct 16, 2014
Perkins+Will white paper examines alternatives to flame retardant building materials
The white paper includes a list of 193 flame retardants, including 29 discovered in building and household products, 50 found in the indoor environment, and 33 in human blood, milk, and tissues.
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
Sound selections: 12 great choices for ceilings and acoustical walls
From metal mesh panels to concealed-suspension ceilings, here's our roundup of the latest acoustical ceiling and wall products.
| Sep 15, 2014
Ranked: Top international AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Gensler, and Jacobs top BD+C's rankings of U.S.-based design and construction firms with the most revenue from international projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 9, 2014
Using Facebook to transform workplace design
As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.
| Sep 8, 2014
First Look: Foster + Partners, Fernando Romero win competition for Mexico City's newest international airport
Designed to be the world’s most sustainable airport, the plan uses a single, compact terminal scheme in lieu of a cluster of buildings, offering shorter walking distances and fewer level changes, and eliminating the need for trains and tunnels.