Successes in 2007

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It’s Been A Great Year!

Congratulations are in order for all of you who have helped us at Architecture 2030 get our message out. We’re looking forward to the challenges and opportunities of the New Year. We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support. Have a wonderful holiday season!

PBS e2: Architecture 2030
The half-hour PBS series e2–design, which features Architecture 2030, begins on December 28, 2007. e2–design (the economies of being environmentally conscious) is a six–part series that explores the vitality of the environment through architecture. Narrated by Brad Pitt, the Architecture 2030 episode introduces Edward Mazria, The 2030 Challenge and the drive to address today’s most pressing issue, climate change.

UCTV Features Mazria Lecture, Global Warming: Nation Under Siege
UCTV will feature Edward Mazria’s keynote talk, Nation Under Siege, delivered at the University of California San Diego, on October 29, 2007. The talk will air from January 21, 2008 through January 27, 2008.

ARCHITECTURE 2030 – Year in Review Highlights
This has been a very productive year for Architecture 2030 and The 2030 Challenge. First cities, then states, and just last week, the feds have taken up the Challenge targets. The following highlights the progress made in 2007:

  • February – The 2010 Imperative: Global Emergency Teach–in
    A quarter million people from 47 countries gathered on February 20, 2007 to participate in The 2010 Imperative: A Global Emergency Teach–in. During this live interactive webcast, Architecture 2030 issued The 2030 Challenge and The 2010 Imperative, specific achievable strategies to transform the built environment.
  • May – The 2030 Challenge Benchmark Set
    The American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air–Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Architecture 2030, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), supported by representatives of the US Department of Energy, finalized an agreement of understanding, establishing a common starting point (benchmark) and a goal of net zero energy buildings.
  • June – The State of Illinois Adopts The 2030 Challenge
    The State of Illinois legislature voted for final passage of Senate Joint Resolution 27, adopting the 2030 Challenge for all state buildings.
  • August – City of Vancouver Adopts The 2030 Challenge
    The City of Vancouver adopted The 2030 Challenge target of carbon–neutral buildings by 2030.
  • September – Nation Under Siege: Sea Level Rise at Our Doorstep
    Architecture 2030’s landmark sea level rise study published. In stunning graphics, the study projects that beginning with just one meter of sea level rise, the US would be physically under siege, with calamitous and destabilizing consequences.
  • September – California Public Utilities Commission Adopts 2030 Targets
    California Public Utilities Commission officials set a goal of building only “zero net energy” homes by 2020 and only commercial buildings that require no outside energy by 2030.
  • September – “Think You’re Making a Difference?”, New Yorker Magazine
    Architecture 2030 places an informative full–page ad in New Yorker magazine, regarding the US Building Sector and coal-fired power plants. New Yorker magazine distributes 1,500 copies of the study “Nation Under Siege” to its Hot List.
  • September – “Want to Stop Global Warming?”, New York Times
    Architecture 2030 places an informative full–page ad in the New York Times, outlining the critical global warming issues and the steps necessary to prevent dangerous climate change.
  • October – Richmond, VA, Adopts 2030 Challenge
    Mayor L. Douglas Wilder announced October 3 that his City of Richmond, Va., had adopted the 2030 Challenge with the intent of making the capital of that commonwealth carbon neutral by the year 2030.
  • October – Santa Barbara Approves Architecture 2030 Energy Ordinance
    A glowing Santa Barbara City Council unanimously approved the Architecture 2030 Energy Ordinance, legislation that, if approved by the California Energy Commission, will give Santa Barbara some of the most stringent environmental building standards in the state.
  • November / December – “America: Nowhere To Hide”, NY Times, Roll Call and BusinessWeek
    Architecture 2030 puts a richly–illustrated full–page ad in the New York Times, Roll Call and BusinessWeek, outlining the vulnerability of US coastal cities and towns to small increments of sea level rise.
  • December – California Energy Commission Adopts The 2030 Challenge Benchmark
    Energy–efficiency goals adopted by the California Energy Commission should make all new homes so energy–efficient by 2020 that they won’t need to draw power from the state’s electrical grid, according to a plan for meeting the state’s future energy needs…. The plan calls for applying the same standard to commercial buildings by 2030.
  • December – President Signs Energy Bill Containing The 2030 Challenge Targets
    After being passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Energy Independence and Security Act became law with the President’s signature. Section 433 of this bill requires that all federal buildings meet the energy performance standards of The 2030 Challenge.

Global Emergency Teach-In

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Over the past several months Architecture 2030 has been busier than ever.  We set some very challenging goals for ourselves, and with enormous support and commitment, we achieved much of what we set out to accomplish.  Our team, accompanied by four very influential speakers, joined forces with some of the most powerful names in the industry to produce a live web-cast that informed more students, professionals and community leaders than we could reach in a lifetime by traveling and lecturing.

On February 20, 2007, Architecture 2030 hosted the 2010 Imperative Global Emergency Teach-in, which was sponsored by the Home Depot Foundation, American Institute of Architects, US Green Building Council, New York Academy of Sciences and many other generous supporters.  The event, web-cast live from New York City for three and a half hours, reached over a quarter of a million participants from 47 countries worldwide.  Over 1200 AIA members participated for continuing education credit and hundreds of universities across the globe hosted exciting events with remarkable turnouts.

Now the word is out: Global warming is happening and the educational and design communities have an obligation to join others worldwide in the battle against catastrophic climate change.  The 2010 Imperative offers students, faculty and administrators a historic opportunity to lead our nation in this time of crisis, and The 2030 Challenge offers professionals and policymakers a simple, achievable strategy to reduce fossil fuel consumption and the carbon emissions that are currently a by-product of the built environment.

Teaching Climate, Architecture Week -14 March 2007

If you do your homework, have your facts right and the merits on your side, and then build a constituency for your ideals through the Internet, you, too, can be at the table of the biggest deal in history.
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, NY Times, March 16, 2007 OP-Ed:  Marching with a Mouse

Campus Sustainability Examples

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Sonoma State University

Telenor Headquarters Plan

Sonoma State University
Student Recreation Center
Rohnert Park, CA
Architect: LPA

Sustainability was a driving force in the design of the Sonoma State University Student Recreation Center. Approximately 70% of the building is naturally ventilated and cooled; the building is “night flushed” of all hot air and utilizes interior thermal mass to moderate daytime interior temperatures. Vents located in the lobby skylight and under built-in exterior window seats assure adequate air movement and natural ventilation throughout the lobby area. An indirect evaporative cooling system is used in the offices, multipurpose and fitness room and a de-stratification/ventilation system is employed in the small gym. Along with proper orientation and a well insulated exterior skin, the building is 43% more efficient than that California code (Title 24), with an energy savings of approximately 339,000 kWh/Yr. As Title 24 is one of the most stringent building codes in the US, the building is well below the 50% operating energy consumption reduction target called for by The 2030 Challenge. The project was designed to meet a LEED Silver certification rating from the USGBC.

 

University of California, Berkeley

The Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) at UC Berkeley is an example of using an integrated design process to achieve sustainable building design goals. Comprehensive collaboration between the user group, the design team, and the project delivery team produced a highly-sustainable building that satisfies programmatic requirements while adhering to construction schedule and budget. The building is largely illuminated with natural daylight introduced via skylights and south clerestory windows to create a comfortable, healthful environment while reducing electricity use. In addition to providing the building’s young occupants with a healthy indoor environment, the ECEC also promotes stewardship of the natural environment. Examples of sustainable resource use at the ECEC include:

University of California, Santa Barbara
Bren Hall, School of Environmental Science and Management
Architect: Zimmer Gunsul Frasca

• Diversion of over 75% of construction waste from landfill into recycling and reuse venues
• Low flow fixtures reduce indoor water use by 25%
• Landscaping water is use reduced by 61%
• Energy-efficient design reduces energy use to 26% below Title 24 energy conservation standards
• Passive solar controls reduce energy consumption

The building is expected to receive a LEED-NC Silver rating from the USGBC, and was honored with a Best Practice Award for Integrated Design Process at the 2006 UC/CSU/IOU Sustainability Conference.

 

Los Angeles Community College

Capping a year of local leadership in promoting sustainable building practices, the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) was honored in December 2006 with the United States Green Building Council – Los Angeles Chapter’s (USGBC-LA) Sustainable Future Award.

The LACCD is currently undertaking the largest public sector green building program in the United States, funded by the $2.2 billion Proposition A/AA Bond Program. In April 2006, the LACCD opened its first green building, the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) building at Los Angeles Valley College. The M&O building earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) certification from the US Green Building Council because it incorporates a number of features designed to reduce energy and water consumption.

In October 2006, the LACCD further illustrated its commitment to sustainability with the announcement of its plan to be the first community college district in the nation to “go off the grid” by generating its own power for all energy needs. The LACCD is currently planning to install photovoltaic (solar energy) panels that will produce enough electricity to meet daytime power needs at each of its nine colleges.

The Los Angeles Community College District is one of the largest community college districts in the country, educating more than 110,000 students at its nine colleges each year. The District’s strong leadership in its adoption of sustainability practices has been recognized by numerous organizations, including the California Climate Registry, Global Green USA, and Flex Your Power.
University of California, Santa Barbara

University of California, Santa Barbara
Bren Hall, School of Environmental Science and Management
Architect: Zimmer Gunsul Frasca

The University of California, Santa Barbara boasts the only LEED Platinum laboratory building in the US. In constructing Bren Hall, home to the interdisciplinary graduate school of environmental science and management, 100% of the demolition waste and 92% of the construction waste were recycled. The building, which gets 10% of its power from a photovoltaic system, was designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca, an environmentally conscious firm that also designed the adjacent Marine Science Building. The Marine Science Building is UCSB’s second LEED for New Construction certified building and is 25% more energy efficient than California building codes require. Both projects have purchased wind energy to power the buildings for two years. The university has also signed an agreement with the USGBC to use LEED for Existing Buildings ratings to LEED certify 25 of its existing buildings over the next five years. One building, Girvetz Hall, has already been certified.
California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo

In June 2005, California Polytechnic’s Sustainable Environments minor received the AIA COTE’s top award for “ecological literacy.” Cal Poly also offers Sustainable Architecture as a graduate study program within their Masters of Science in Architecture degree. The university’s dedication to sustainable efforts is further exemplified in the numerous courses offered in its sustainability catalog.

The Renewable Energy Institute at Cal Poly has also partnered with the California Integrated Waste Management Board to promote sustainable environmental design principles in higher education and industry continuing education programs. Their project, Sustainable Environmental Design Education (SEDE), provides a curriculum model for teaching sustainable design practices and lists green programs and campuses.

2010 Imperative Global Emergency Teach-In

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A quarter million people from 47 different countries gathered here on February 20, 2007 to participate in The 2010 Imperative: A Global Emergency Teach-in conducted by Architecture 2030. During this interactive webcast, 2030 issued the 2030 Challenge and the 2010 Imperative, specific achievable strategies to transform the built environment. These strategies are designed to immediately stabilize energy consumption and GHG emissions in the Building Sector, and then reverse them to acceptable levels over the next twenty years.

Architecture 2030 thanks all those who participated in the webcast!

Program Schedule

WELCOMING REMARKS

Susan Szenasy, Editor, Metropolis magazine

Susan Szenasy is editor-in-chief of Metropolis, and has led the award-winning New York City-based magazine of architecture, culture and design through twenty years of landmark design journalism.

In a recent university lecture, Szenasy summed up her role at Metropolis, “As an editor, my job is to ask questions. So the question I ask of you now is this: how will you prepare yourself to make hard choices? And as a follow-up, what can you contribute to making a new pattern, one that reflects the 21st century ethos of environmental sustainability and social equity? Are you willing to take part in redefining the edge?”

 

 

A THREAT TO THE PLANET

Dr. James Hansen, Director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Dr. James Hansen is arguably the world’s leading scientist on global warming. He is the head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City.

Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences said of Dr. Hansen’s climate science work, “I can’t think of anybody who I would say is better than Hansen. You might argue that there’s two or three others as good, but nobody better.”

 

 

RESUSCITATING A DYING WORLD

Edward Mazria, AIA, Founder, Architecture 2030

Edward Mazria, founder of Architecture 2030, is an internationally recognized architect, author and educator. His architecture and planning projects span a thirty-year period, each employing a cutting-edge environmental approach to its design.

After the AIA, USGBC and ASHRAE recently adopted the 2030 Challenge to address the Building Sector’s role in the global warming crisis, Mazria wrote “The task we face is daunting. Working separately, we could accomplish something significant in each of our respective spheres. But by working together, we actually have a chance to influence the course of history.”

 

 

DOING IS BELIEVING

Chris Luebkeman, Director, Global Foresight and Innovation Initiative, ARUP

Chris Luebkeman is a Director and leader of Arup’s global Foresight and Innovation initiative. He is tasked with exploring and synthesizing the trends affecting society’s development.

Luebkeman is a senior fellow of the Design Futures Council and in a recent article wrote, “There is no doubt that, as our built environment has transformed from a local phenomenon to a global one, we are now confronted with more pressing social, technological, economic, environmental and political change forcing us to a local mindset – on a global scale.”

 

 

DISCUSSION AND Q&A

 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Sponsored by:
The American Institute of Architects, The Home Depot Foundation, U.S. Green Building Council, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, New York Academy of Sciences, AIA Large Firm Roundtable.

Supported by:
AIA NYC, AIA COTE, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Metropolis Magazine, AIAS, SBSE, ACSA, UIA, RAIC, ASES, Jonathan Rose Companies LLC, Turner Construction, National Wildlife Federation, BuildingGreen, Inc., D+Arquitectos