AIA: Architecture firms reporting progress on achieving carbon reduction targets as part of the 2030 Commitment

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has produced a report assessing the work of firms that are part of the AIA 2030 Commitment, a voluntary initiative to commit their practice to advancing the AIA’s goal of carbon-neutral buildings by the year 2030.

The key findings from the AIA 2030 2014 Progress Report include:

140 firms submitted reports – a 41% increase from 2013
2.4 billion gross square feet (GSF) represented in this data – a 50% increase YoY
4,354 projects have been accounted for in this report – a 78% increase
413 design projects are meeting the 60% carbon reduction target – a 3% increase
197 net-zero energy projects – a 270% increase
22% average firm reduction in Lighting Power Density for interior projects – a increase of 3%
34% average Predicted Energy Use Intensity reduction reported by firms – a decrease of 3%
11% of total GSF meeting the current 60% carbon reduction target – an increase of 4%
53% of total GSF using energy modeling to predict operational energy consumption – a 13% decrease

In order to make data reporting easier the AIA partnered with the Department of Energy to create the AIA 2030 Design Data Exchange (DDx), an online monitoring, reporting and research tool for architecture firms. See user feedback and access the tool here.

The AIA has also partnered with Architecture 2030 and AIA Seattle to launch an educational program aimed at providing AIA members and other design professionals with the high-performance building knowledge necessary to meet the 2030 Challenge targets.

Boyd R. Zoccola is Chair and Chief Elected Officer of BOMA International. A BOMA member since 1994, he has served on the Executive, Finance, Investment, and Medical/Healthcare Facilities Committees. An Indiana Real Estate Principal Broker and a board member of the Real Estate Round Table, he is Executive Vice President of Hokanson Companies, Inc., of Indianapolis, and has been involved in the development of $600 million worth of real estate. On a volunteer basis, Zoccola was president of Horizon House and a board member of Girls, Inc. He holds a BA in biology from Indiana University.