The Washington, D.C., practice of global design firm Perkins&Will has pledged to eliminate embodied carbon in every commercial interiors space it designs by 2030.
“We’re setting this ambitious benchmark as a necessary response to the global climate crisis,” says Perkins&Will architect and sustainability expert Jon Penndorf. “We believe the District of Columbia and surrounding communities can lead the way for the rest of the country.”
Embodied carbon is an aggregate of all emissions released during ingredient extraction, product manufacturing, transportation, and end-of-life reuse or non-use. Statistics suggest embodied carbon is responsible for 11% of all global greenhouse gas emissions annually, the firm says. In the building sector, it accounts for more than a quarter of emissions.
“It’s been ingrained in architects and designers to think of heating and cooling as the biggest culprit, some of the worst climate change offenders—our building materials—are hidden in plain sight,” says Perkins&Will architect Rod Letonja. The problem is compounded by interior renovations and new tenant fit-outs. Old interior building materials frequently get discarded rather than reused, and with large leases turning over every 10 years on average, the emissions impact increases over time.
Related Stories
| Apr 5, 2013
New items to ASHRAE/IES energy standard open for public comment
The 2013 version of the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is scheduled for publication later this year, and 26 proposed addenda are open for public comment.
| Apr 5, 2013
No evidence that mandatory building energy labeling improves efficiency, study says
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB) released a report, “An Economic Perspective on Building Labeling Policies,” that questions the efficacy of mandatory building energy labeling.
| Mar 27, 2013
Practical application of Legionella prevention standards the focus of ASHRAE project
An American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers committee drafting tough new standards to prevent the waterborne bacteria Legionella is focused on how to apply the standards in the real world.
| Mar 27, 2013
Open discussion of regulations on tap at AGC’s 2013 Federal Contractors Conference
The AGC Federal Contractors Conference provides a venue for contractors and federal agency personnel to meet in a collaborative forum to review federal construction contracting issues from around the United States.
| Mar 27, 2013
New BACnet standard offers significant improvements to alarm handling
Changes to the newly published BACnet standard from ASHRAE will encourage smart building automation controls systems including alarms.
| Mar 27, 2013
CEIR releases tool that measures energy, environmental benefits of roof systems
The Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing (CEIR) released its new RoofPoint Energy and Carbon Calculator that is designed to help roofing professionals measure the energy and environmental benefits of modern roof system technologies.
| Mar 27, 2013
Sustainable wood controversy leads to LEED ‘backlash bill’ in Florida House
A Florida House bill that says state agencies should decide on a project-by-project basis which green certification standards are used on state construction passed a subcommittee vote 12-1.
| Mar 19, 2013
Colorado Zero Energy District project shows how businesses can reach zero-energy standard
An ambitious experiment in Fort Collins, Colo., is supporting development of the nation’s first major urban zero-energy district.
| Mar 19, 2013
New LEED for Neighborhood Development and Historic Preservation guide released
A new guidance manual, LEED for Neighborhood Development and Historic Preservation, outlines strategies geared towards helping building teams incorporate historic resources into their developments.
| Mar 19, 2013
Senate bill would reform EPA’s lead renovation, repair, and painting rules
A bill to reform the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule (LRRP) was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate.
