miscellaneous covers of university’s climate action plans
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Images of covers of regional universities and colleges that have implemented a climate action plan and have signed the American University and College President’s Climate Commitment.
NASA/JPL
designDC
miscellaneous covers of university’s climate action plans
Moderator: Robert Aydlett AIA LEED AP – Cooper Carry
Panelist: Brent Amos AIA LEED AP – Cooper Carry Leslie Braxton AIA IIAD LEED AP – Cooper Carry Heather Holdridge ASSOC LEED AP BD + C EIT AIA – Lake|Flato Mary-Ann Ibeziako PEM – University of Maryland
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Images of covers of regional universities and colleges that have implemented a climate action plan and have signed the American University and College President’s Climate Commitment.
Rolling Stone – July 3 – 17 , 2014
WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSION BECOMING THE NEW NORM?
Science Daily– October 22, 2014
designDC
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Both pop culture and the scientific community is lit up with articles about climate change. Lately, Al Gore has been expressing optimism. In the United States, where up to 49 percent of the new generating capacity came from renewables in 2012, 166 coal-fired electricity-generating plants have either closed or have announced they are closing in the past four and a half years. Significantly, the cost of battery storage, long considered a barrier to the new electricity system, has also been declining steadily – even before the introduction of disruptive new battery technologies that are now in advanced development. At the turn of the 21st century, some scoffed at projections that the world would be installing one gigawatt of new solar electricity per year by 2010. That goal was exceeded 17 times over; last year it was exceeded 39 times over; and this year the world is on pace to exceed that benchmark as much as 55 times over. The cost of wind energy is also plummeting, having dropped 43 percent in the United States since 2009 – making it now cheaper than coal for new generating capacity. In the United States alone, nearly one-third of all new electricity-generating capacity in the past five years has come from wind, and installed wind capacity in the U.S. has increased more than fivefold since 2006. And all the while, the surprising and relentless ongoing decline in the cost of renewable energy and efficiency improvements are driving the transition to a low-carbon economy. Is there enough time? Yes. Damage has been done, and the period of consequences will continue for some time to come, but there is still time to avoid the catastrophes that most threaten our future. Each of the trends described above represents a break from the past. Taken together, they add up to genuine and realistic hope that we are finally putting ourselves on a path to solve the climate crisis. ���
WHY
REPOSITIONING THE DEFINITION OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
CityLab October 15, 2014
The contemporary dialogue involving climate change invokes two fundamental concepts, mitigation and adaptation, both of which are now recognized as essential.
WHERE Since its inception in 2006, there have been 684 signatories to the College and University President’s Climate Commitment Local Universities and Colleges – American University, DC Gallaudet University, DC George Washington University, DC Bowie State, Maryland Chesapeake College, Maryland Coppin State University, Maryland Frostburg State University, Maryland Goucher College, Maryland Hartford Community College, Maryland Howard Community College, Maryland McDaniel College, Maryland Morgan State University, Maryland Mount St. Mary’s University Salisbury University, Maryland St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Maryland The Community College of Baltimore County, Maryland The Universities at Shady Grove, Maryland Towson University, Maryland University of Baltimore, Maryland University of Maryland Baltimore, Maryland University of Maryland College Park, Maryland
American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Maryland University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Maryland University of Maryland University College, Maryland Washington College, Maryland Eastern Mennonite University, Virginia Emory and Henry College, Virginia Ferrum College, Virginia George Mason University, Virginia Hollins University, Virginia James Madision University, Virginia Lynchburg College, Virginia Mary Baldwin College, Virginia Norfolk State University, Virginia Radford University, Virginia Randolph College, Virginia Shenandoah University, Virginia Sweet Briar College, Virginia University of Richmond, Virginia Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Virginia Wesleyan College, Virginia Washington and Lee University, Virginia
REPOSITIONING THE DEFINITION OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
WHEN The Education Market is seeing the value of thinking about the future and how their buildings help them fulfill their commitments to reducing their impact on the environment, adapting to the environment and in some cases, how their buildings can be a part of the restoration of parts of the environment. Green projects now account for 45% of the total construction activity in the education sector. Despite a decline from $58 billion to $35 billion in construction starts in the educator sector from 2008 and 2012 due to recession, the green market in education has actually grown, not just in share but in dollar value, from $9 billion to $16 billion.
Lake|Flato - 2014 AIA /COTE top ten winner Rocky Mountain Institute - 2009
HOW
REPOSITIONING THE DEFINITION OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Needs are great to address climate change and there are a lot of options here in planning, designing, building and operating higher education buildings and campuses. Christoph Reinhart, associate professor of architecture at MIT states, “There’s an interesting question of climate-responsive design. Everybody likes to use this buzzword right now,” but the term “climate-responsive” is too vague, he contends, and designers should really be asking themselves, “What am I optimizing for? Cost? Greenhouse gas emissions? How long a time period am I considering? When you change these numbers, your building morphs.” He advocates that instead we design ‘climate-resistant buildings” In other words, we are in the process of transitioning from a world, from a climate change perspective, that moved fairly slowly and predictably, to a world that changes will happen much quicker and unpredictable . As a result, our approach to design is in the process of changing to integrate this emerging knowledge that considers adaptability and mitigation strategies to minimize the impact on the environment and also acknowledge the changes that are expected .
HOW
1. Transformation America’s four thousand-plus colleges and universities are hotbeds, so to speak, of climate change research, innovation and action. As microcosms of society, the nation's college campuses have incredible potential for making positive impacts on the environment and the economy.
Cornell University Course Offerings - 2012
REPOSITIONING THE DEFINITION OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Transformation Questions: 1. There is a sincere and growing interest among students in identifying and applying to colleges where there is a demonstrated commitment to sustainability. How has this affected your sustainability planning efforts on campus? 2. Paraphrasing John Wood (Emeritus Professor, University of London)- “A paradigm (in this instance, an ecological paradigm) change embraces everything – including the whole infrastructure of assumptions, inflections and habits of ‘design’ itself. Our world needs a radical re-fit, all the way down to the last nut and bolt – and beyond. Dreaming, and daring to share those dreams, is the only way to achieve a rapid paradigm change within our ‘democratic’ system.” What changes have you seen emerging from the transformation sustainable design tactics to climate change strategies in campus design and building design? 3. Often sustainability is strongly associated with mitigation through reduction tactics (making things more efficient…) and we see climate change action plans that address mitigation. The goal of climate mitigation is to limit the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, either by cutting emissions or by enhancing sinks. But, many don’t have resiliency strategies that deal with vulnerability. How is the discussion of resiliency being incorporated into planning and designing of buildings in university settings? (an example is decentralized water treatment, using natural systems to treat water and create natural wetlands that create more resilient ecosystems. Wetlands are also a carbon sink, which make it both a mitigation and an adaptive strategy). 4. College buildings and campus infrastructure can be transformed into living labs utilized to learn about the impact of good design on climate change. Is this being incorporated into both new building design and existing building retrofits? How is this being incorporated into the college curriculum, climate change action plans and campus operations?
HOW
2. Localization Climate change can be seen to have 3 localized spheres of impacts: primary - weather related impacts, secondary - ecological impacts (changes to flora and fauna) and tertiary - behavioral (and societal) impacts. The physical characteristics of the natural and built environment will elevate or increase the force of those conditions. For example, high winds will be exasperated by high buildings in some locations; heavy rainfall will be exasperated by large amounts of impervious surfaces, higher temperatures will overwhelm ‘right-sized’ mechanical ventilation systems and so on. These are just some of the examples that link together the local built environment to the local conditions of climate change. Design teams will need to anticipate how climate changes are likely to manifest in the local environment.
REPOSITIONING THE DEFINITION OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Localization Questions: 5. According to recent National Climate Assessment scenarios, in the next 50 years, we may see increases in temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees in the Mid-Atlantic region. With many university buildings design to last over 50 years, and with high-performance buildings tuned to their environmental conditions, will these buildings have the capability to perform in a new climate, in particular to summer overheating risks? How are these concerned being planned for? 6. US Global Change Research Program observes that we have seen significant increases in heavy downpours in the last decade in this region. Projections suggest this trend will continue. This will have an impact on water infrastructure throughout the region. What opportunities are being investigated, what adaptation measures? 7. It takes a lot of energy to transport and treat water in this country, and it takes a lot of water to produce the energy we use. To put this a different way: when we save water we save energy, and when we save energy we save water. With the projected temperatures rising in the region and thus the demand for more energy for cooling buildings and water being a big component of large scale energy production systems, what are some of the strategies that being developed to mitigate this increased demand on energy production and thus impacting water treatment impact? How can buildings be looked at in terms of contributing to a campus-wide water-energy nexus? 8. UMD campuses are a part of the Chesapeake watershed and on-campus activities have an impact on areas beyond its own boundaries.. What strategies are being implemented to minimize water usage on campus, to reduce energy usage in the processing of waste water and reducing the amount of treated water into the Chesapeake area estuaries? 9. What are some of the other localized climate issues that are being addressed on campus? How are they being addressed? How are you changing your expectations of campus buildings to address these issues?
HOW
3. Simulation Experts are developing new ways of modeling future weather and more flexible methods of predicting building performance. Huge unknowns remain, which is why this emerging field of research is focused on helping project teams design strategies that are more robust, - or, design that is adaptable to different situations and scenarios. These new modeling tools give us a chance to make informed decisions that affect our buildings, campuses and communities; to make them more resilient to the changes that at this point we are certain are going to come.
WeatherShift TM _ARUP and Argos Analytics
REPOSITIONING THE DEFINITION OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Simulation Questions: 10. Currently, university students studying architecture are learning building simulation modeling at most of the universities and tools are getting easier to use…What impact is that knowledge having on the design processes in practices? How has that knowledge had an impact on what is being designed and being acknowledged as innovative design? 11. Recently Kjell Anderson wrote a book “Design Energy Simulation for Architects (Routledge 2014) to present case studies about how design firms are using in-house simulation to assist with design process and decisions. How is the discussion and understanding of climate change transforming the way that architects are strategically thinking about high-performance design and design excellence? 12. Simulation packages for predicting building performance in terms of energy and comfort are becoming increasingly important in planning and designing buildings and their environments. Recently ARUP has announced that it has developed a tool that generates future climate data based on the climate simulations run for the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment. Other engineers have used current climate data and changed climate zones to roughly approximate climate change in their modeling. Have you experienced a desire from clients to see what changes may occur and how it might impact design? How has climate research/modeling changed how you approach design? 13. How is design excellence measured in relation to climate change science? What is being measured? How good is the information being gathered? Is it having an impact on design?
HOW
4. Design Innovation Good design influences our lives in many ways, including fostering a sense of identity, improving our physical and mental health, improving access to services, fostering community and creating real resilient value. The values of design excellence and high-performance design are transforming what is being designed and built on campuses throughout the US. These two values are no longer independently pursued, they are held together by what is called good design.
Cooper Carry – Lake | Flato Georgia Tech EBB
REPOSITIONING THE DEFINITION OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Design Innovation Questions: 14. As Bill Leddy stated in his opinion piece for the AIA website, “Sustainable design isn’t just about engineering and building codes. It isn’t just about a menu of strategies and building performance metrics. It’s definitely much more than simply “checking the boxes.” It’s fundamentally about design innovation.” How has the climate change knowledge transformed values of innovative design for campus architecture? 15. Ali Malkawi, director of the Center for Green Buildings and Cities at the GSD states - “We have to move attention from an engineering way of looking at buildings to a design-centric approach. …he summarized the routine practice of calculating the heat gain or loss through the glass; installing a heating and cooling unit of the right size underneath; and distributing air to combat condensation. A design approach, he explained, would instead consider a building’s skin as layers. How can the light and heat admitted through window glass, for example, be captured in another layer and efficiently stored for use, perhaps days later? … “It’s looking at temperature and time,” Malkawi said—conceiving of building design, construction, and operation as processes, not one-off decisions on insulating values and the specifications for the mechanical systems to be installed.” How is long term operations being incorporated into the design process?, what innovations are you seeing emerging? 16. Transformation from conventional ‘object-oriented’ design toward ‘climate-aware’ design has changed what parameters are included in the design process; could one say the transformation taking place is changing from focusing on individual buildings to campus infrastructure? Could you describe some examples of this? How far reaching is this infrastructural design? What does it encompass? 17. How is adaptability and resiliency information and knowledge changing the way that you approach the design of a project? What questions are being asked? When are those questions being asked? As noted recently in Environmental Building News - “of the 108 project chosen for jury review in 2014 for the national AIA honors awards, 81% submitted a sustainability narrative and metrics.” We are seeing this transformation through the AIA Repositioning Initiative, the requirements of the AIA honors awards, and the AIA 2030 commitment, 2050 imperative among other things …these are just a small sample.
FRONT LOADING The Really Big Mistakes
happen on the very first day
REPOSITIONING THE DEFINITION OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
INTEGRATION
INTEGRATED DESIGN • full team full-day workshop
• set performance targets and goals
• share preliminary research findings
REPOSITIONING THE DEFINITION OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Presenter
Presentation Notes
An early milestone of the integrated design process is an integrated design charrette. This is typically a full-day workshop where we bring together all project stakeholders, including the owner, building users, and even invested community members, to set performance targets and goals for the project. During this event, the design team would share our preliminary research findings on climate and similar buildings with you, but more importantly, it serves as a forum for us to have important discussions about building scheduling and programming, and how performance and occupant engagement can inform these decisions.
CLIMATE INFORMED DESIGN
GOALS • reduce energy consumption and use bench
marking to improve performance of buildings
• to harvest onsite water and repurpose site conditions to create dynamic, purposeful landscapes
• to create a building that is healthy, efficient, adaptable, and engages the user
• to create a building that teaches learning by demonstration
REPOSITIONING THE DEFINITION OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE
UMCP Commitments
Championed by Doug Duncan
The LEED Silver Standards for new
construction
Results = Better Quality of Life for
students, Faculty/Staff
Adopted the U.S. Green Building Council
1. The University adopted the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver building standard for all new construction and major renovations.
2. The initiative was championed by Doug Duncan, former Vice President for Administrative Affairs.
3. The LEED Silver standard has helped the campus reduce energy and water consumption, reduce waste, better ensure indoor air quality, and build in a way that is more respectful to the environment.
Adopted the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership
CASE STUDY University of Maryland
Presenter
Presentation Notes
UMCP Commitment The University complies with the High Performance Buildings Act requirement that buildings constructed with state funds must meet high environmental and occupant comfort standards. The University’s Design Criteria/Facilities Standards (DCFS) include LEED and other environmental criteria. Sustainable Design Guidelines ( Draft- 10/2014)
Carbon Neutral Initiative The University’s Climate Action Plan was submitted to the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment in 2009. • Carbon neutral new Construction from 2015
• All purchased electricity must be from renewable sources by 2020
• 50% of Existing Building Stock is over 50 years old
• Increase water capture, treatment, and re-use to decrease storm water runoff and use of purchased water
• Develop Partnership to facilitate regional storm water planning on campus projects
• Capture the first one-inch of rainfall from 50% of all impervious surface area
CASE STUDY University of Maryland
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Maximize gray/rain water use for landscape irrigation and other purposes as campus standards and local regulations allow Purple pipe system expansion part of May 2014 Sustainable Water Use and Watershed Report recommendations
Carbon Neutral Challenges • Finding alternatives to energy sources
• Biomethane • Nuclear • Large hydroelectric • On-site solar
• High GHG savings goals for retrofitting existing building stock over 50 years old
• Campus growth - more people, buildings, and energy consumed
• Behavioral changes to conserve more, drive less, recycle more, waste less
• Carbon offsets financial challenges
CASE STUDY University of Maryland
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Maximize gray/rain water use for landscape irrigation and other purposes as campus standards and local regulations allow Purple pipe system expansion part of May 2014 Sustainable Water Use and Watershed Report recommendations
