EwingCole Sustainability Action Plan 2023

SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN 2023

ARCHITECTS

ENGINEERS

INTERIOR DESIGNERS

PLANNERS

Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, Jill and Alan B. Miller Tower

EXECUTIVE STATEMENT

We are introducing EwingCole’s Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) to align our design processes and accountability strategies with our Firm mission. This SAP translates our values and aspirations into actionable targets and processes for positive change in the built environment, while also serving as a platform that communicates these values and goals to clients and peers.

WHAT IT CONTAINS

Our SAP is built upon our four sustainability commitments – AIA 2030 Commitment, AIA Materials Pledge, SE 2050 Commitment, and MEP 2040 Commitment. It includes an action plan, timeline, and targets for each commitment individually, as well as overarching goals that support all four commitments together. Expansion of sustainability leadership and education to guide these efforts is also embedded in the plan. The SAP includes our first steps to understand the connection more deeply between equity and sustainability, while also setting the stage for our next steps and future updates.

HOW WE WILL USE IT

Internally, our SAP provides direction and benchmarks for current and future projects. Establishing these benchmarks allows us to start each project with a common set of holistic goals in mind. We will also use the SAP to track our progress by market and region, recognizing the variety of locations and building typologies.

Externally, this SAP broadcasts our values and commitments to future employees, current and future clients, and anyone interested in mutual collaboration toward a better built environment.

MANAGEMENT AND UPDATES

Progress on this mission-driven document will be monitored by the Thrive@EC Commitments Focus Group, including newly assigned leadership for each of the four commitments, and the Director of Sustainable Design. The SAP will be updated every two years in partnership with Thrive@EC.

With this SAP, we set our sights on building a regenerative future, framing our accountability for deep improvements, and staying focused on the core principles of sustainability – equity, environment, and economy. We look forward to collaborating with you on the good work that needs to be done!

Maria R. Papiez, AIA, NCARB Director of Sustainable Design

Robert A. McConnell, AIA President

“WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY FOR DECADES. IN THE PAST, THE FOCUS WAS ON ENERGY CONSERVATION, LONG-TERM OPERATIONAL AND LIFE-CYCLE COST REDUCTIONS AND SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. NOW WE NEED CONCERTED ACTION TO ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION AND CONSIDER THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY. WE NEED TO ENGAGE IN REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS AND THE IMPACTS OUR BUILDINGS HAVE ON GLOBAL WARMING.”

- Robert McConnell, AIA President,

EwingCole

The Smithsonian Institution | Charles McC. Mathias Laboratory

WHO WE ARE

WHAT WE DO

We explore and design inventive solutions to complex projects that better our clients’ everyday life, our community, and our world.

Our clients are leaders in their respective industries. We partner with them to bring the latest thought leadership to each project, and to deliver buildings, spaces and places that advance their mission. Our diverse group of professionals take that responsibility seriously. As their trusted advisors and stewards of responsible design, we are always looking for opportunities that enable us to make a positive impact.

HOW WE DO IT

We bring together research, creativity, and technology through a rigorous process to create places where people live, learn, heal, work, and play. Design is an iterative and interactive process that works best when ideas are measured, discussed and challenged. Our process is informed by a deep understanding of the program, the site, and the science of buildings, but it starts with the need to discover a project’s full potential. Our expertise, knowledge and resources are most effective when we listen to one another, work with one another, and learn from one another.

Our common vision is to transform every day buildings and landscapes into meaningful experiences.

WHY WE DO IT

Our vision is to design places that elevate the human experience; our goal is to build a design culture that can transform the most common buildings and landscapes into meaningful experiences.

We believe that great design emerges from a visionary response to an everyday need. The places we design are used by people in all walks of life, yet each design must reach beyond the ordinary. Our collective journey requires that we challenge ourselves to ask the right questions and search for the right responses. We nurture a work culture that values and cultivates these ideas.

WHAT WE VALUE

We are committed to creating a studio culture that fosters professionalism, creativity, communication, positive energy, and mutual respect. When our people are equipped to work at their fullest potential, we can live out and realize our philosophy of “innovation through partnership”.

CONNECTION TO VALUES

We believe that human wellness depends on the health of the environment that surrounds us.

This belief grows from our desire to deepen our connection to the communities and ecosystems in which we design, as well as from our professional responsibility to protect health and wellbeing. We are rooted in the core principles of sustainability - equity, environment, and economy - locally, regionally, and globally.

Starting from this value-based foundation, we are motivated to create places where all of nature (planet & people) can thrive. These are places that reach beyond the ordinary, and that are elegant and broad in their positive influence.

Our collective journey requires that we challenge ourselves to ask the right questions and search for the right responses. We nurture a work culture that values and cultivates these ideas, striving toward a built environment that is in alignment with the health of our communities and the planet.

THRIVE

Thrive@EC's mission is to build sustainability resources and education to support projects and operations.

Thrive@EC brings together subject matter experts and sustainability oriented professionals from multiple disciplines to collaborate across office regions.

Formalized in 2017, the group has expanded to include representatives from most of our practices, disciplines, and offices.

Thrive@EC works in interdisciplinary focus groups to explore and develop new content for firm use, lead initiatives that advance our sustainability goals, and organize education sessions and other opportunities to share developments. Primary focus groups include:

– Building Enclosure & Structure

– Energy & Systems

– Materials Health & Carbon

– Sustainability Commitments

The group’s work has been published through internal firm reports since 2019.

MAST Community Charter School

DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 02

DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

EwingCole’s SAP aligns our design processes and accountability strategies with our mission. To achieve that alignment and ensure involvement of employees across the firm, a development timeline of one year was established.

PROCESS AND ENGAGEMENT

In the fall of 2021, a steering committee of four people was formed to guide the development of the SAP, with one executive member serving as liaison to the firm leadership team.

In January 2022, the steering committee surveyed our firm of over 400 individuals to provide a forum for staff across disciplines, office locations, and roles to share their experiences, ideas, and aspirations. The survey results provided insight into our responsibility and impact, design processes and risk perception, and our commitments and consistency. Three aspirations were also elevated as clear priorities across all roles and office locations through the survey:

Net Zero Energy Performance

Net Zero Energy projects play a fundamental role in EwingCole’s sustainability success story. Net Zero Energy goals encourage us to continue prioritizing dramatic reductions in building energy use and incorporating renewable energy solutions.

Deep Connection to Place and Local Resources

With a diverse portfolio of projects spread out across the United States, a deep understanding of local communities and their natural resources drives our design process. It provides the clarity we need to develop projects that are inherent to their place and benefit both people and nature.

Regenerative Design, defined as the inter-weaving of justice, climate, biodiversity, and human dignity

This aspiration showcases an awareness of how crucial integrated solutions truly are. Regenerative design is about creating a net positive impact on natural systems, a positive impact that is catalytic and spreads beyond the bounds of any one building. It inspires growth, wellness, and life not just within a building, but within its broader community.

Steering Committee Pre-Work

Firmwide Survey & Priorities

The framework for our SAP is defined in response to these aspirations, along with the desire for clear accountability pathways, and the opportunity to improve process and outcomes in an integrated way. As such, our four firmwide sustainability commitments are key pillars of the SAP. These commitments are: AIA 2030 Commitment, AIA Materials Pledge, SE 2050 Commitment, and MEP 2040 Commitment, and each has been evaluated through the same set of lenses to clarify and streamline our workflow for maximum positive impact.

Lenses

– Design Process & Project Approach: How can we improve our work flow and process to address our sustainability commitments?

– Education: How can we share information across the firm to improve outcomes?

– Tracking & Reporting: How do we track, manage, and access data collected?

– Culture: How do we embed a sustainability mindset across our projects and operations?

– Outreach & Advocacy: How do we work with peers across multiple industries to scale our impact?

With aspirations and a framework of commitments established, we formed Content Working Groups to develop the core content and approach to each commitment. These groups brought together our sustainability team, Thrive@EC participants and key stakeholders to detail out the targets, timelines, and accountability strategies for each of our sustainability commitments and organize them by the lenses noted previously. Suggestions and insights from the sustainability survey data informed this work, as well as knowledge of current processes, market specifics, and organizational structure.

The plans presented in the following chapters gather a first wave of energy and effort towards thoughtful, rapid improvement. Our SAP provides a clear framework with annual goals assigned to each commitment, accountability strategies to attain those goals, and leadership growth to guide our efforts. This mission document will be updated every two years through our newly assigned leadership for each commitment, and in partnership with Thrive@EC.

PLEDGE SE 2050

INTEGRATION

The first step to successfully executing our SAP goals is to ensure we consider them in concert with each of the others, through an integrated approach to each design. Our success is connected to achievements across these commitments, which is why we evaluated each through the five following lenses:

– Design Process

– Education

– Tracking & Reporting

– Culture

– Outreach & Advocacy

Each of these can be seen through the specific targets and timelines identified per commitment in the four subsequent sections.

However, there are also targets and goals that apply to and support every one of our four commitments. Those overarching goals are summarized after the four commitment-specific sections.

EVALUATION LENSES

DESIGN PROCESS

We bring together research, creativity, and technology through a rigorous process to create places where people live, learn, heal, work, and play. Design is an iterative and interactive process that works best when ideas are measured, discussed, and challenged. We are taking those opportunities head-on, to challenge previous design norms, and to use our influence in support of the health and safety of our people and our planet.

EDUCATION

Improving the way we design in support of our sustainability goals begins with education. At EwingCole, we prioritize growth of knowledge and access to education through internally led efforts, support of conference and training attendance, and new-hire on-boarding. Access to, and expansion of, these resources is one lever to quickly evolve our knowledge in step with the acceleration of climate change and inequities around the world.

TRACKING & REPORTING

EwingCole’s multi-disciplinary approach is key to our success in navigating multiple priorities and new opportunities. The integration of required reporting for our sustainability commitments runs parallel with a marked increase in client requests for sustainability performance data, and the requirement for sustainability metrics in design award submissions. The alignment of these drivers requires our ability to excel at tracking, managing, and easily accessing project-specific sustainability metrics and strategies.

CULTURE

We are committed to creating a studio culture that fosters professionalism, creativity, communication, positive energy, and mutual respect. While strong workflow and design process, education, and aspirational client goals help us attain optimal building performance, our office and firm communities are at the heart of long-term success. Building a culture that celebrates, enables, and expects holistically sustainable design is perhaps the most important lever we can pull for great positive impact.

OUTREACH & ADVOCACY

To us, outreach and advocacy lead to a broader and more comprehensive response from our industry to the challenges we are facing. By sharing our knowledge and stories with others, and by getting involved in our communities, our professional organizations, and our policy making, we can build awareness and support implementation of the necessary solutions. Outreach applies just as clearly to project work, such as through direct conversations with our product and material reps about our priorities.

ACCOUNTABILITY 03

As a firm, we have four driving commitments that frame our accountability and keep us focused on the core principles of sustainability:

– AIA 2030 Commitment

– AIA A&D Materials Pledge

– SE 2050 Commitment

– MEP 2040 Commitment

The saying goes, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.’’ These four commitments provide the core areas of content we have committed to measuring, and are the key accountability pillars of our SAP.

Each commitment differs in timeline, in the detail of defined goals and deliverables, and in progress and response pathways to achieving those goals. This chapter summarizes each commitment at a high level, where we are and how our goals are tracking, and our next steps.

United Therapeutics Corporation, Unisphere

The AIA 2030 Commitment sets our sights on zero net energy performance for all our buildings by the year 2030. It requires us to document EwingCole’s energy performance for all projects throughout the year. Tracking this data allows us to be honest with ourselves as a firm and set goals for continuous improvement.

The SE 2050 Commitment directly engages our structural engineers to understand, reduce, and ultimately eliminate embodied carbon in building structures by 2050. The commitment requires embodied carbon tracking for projects, and data sharing to build the SE 2050 project database.

The AIA A&D Materials Pledge defines sustainable materials as those that positively impact health and equity for individuals, communities, the climate, and ecosystems, all within a circular economy. This pledge sets up our approach to selecting materials with a positive impact, and we have developed internal tracking tools to support these efforts.

The MEP 2040 Commitment provides us the opportunity to support the MEP equipment manufacturing industry in its pursuit of Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) development, to implement best practices for refrigerants that balance embodied and operational carbon emissions, and to collaborate on project processes that support of these goals.

AIA 2030 COMMITMENT

Conceived by the non-profit organization Architecture 2030 in 2005, and adopted by the AIA in 2008, the 2030 Commitment encourages architecture, engineering, and planning firms nationwide to reduce the carbon footprint of the buildings they design and construct. Buildings produce about 39% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually, 28% of which are from building operations. By setting incremental targets for energy use reductions in new construction, the 2030 Commitment strives to eliminate all CO2 emissions from building operations by 2030.

EWINGCOLE’S COMMITMENT

EwingCole saw the opportunity to actively engage and participate in the challenges that affect our industry. We became a signatory firm in 2009. The commitment requires us to document EwingCole’s energy performance for all projects throughout the year and submit the firm’s annual portfolio to the AIA.

According to the AIA in 2020, firms participating in the 2030 Commitment avoided the release of 34.6 million metric tons of CO2.

The path to carbon-neutral: Graphic by AIA

Fossil fuel consumption reduction

Off-site renewable energy

Fossil fuel consumption

To date, EwingCole has reported 236 projects over six years, and our highest energy use reduction by year was 45%. We have designed six Net Zero Energy buildings, two of which are constructed and LEED ZNE Certified.

AIA 2030 now tracks GHG emissions attributed to embodied carbon as well. These emissions make up 11% of global GHG emissions annually and, based on the time value of carbon, are often more important to reduce in the near term. The type of data reported is based on the Whole Building Lifecycle Assessment (WBLCA).

OUR PROGRESS

2021 Portfolio Highlights

– A 15% jump in the number of energy modeled projects from the previous year for a total of 32%. The rollout of early-stage energy modeling tools and increased outreach to our engineering teams for modeling data supported our continuous improvement.

– A 20-point improvement in Lighting Power Density (LPD) for our interiors only projects. Expanded outreach to interior renovation teams and the utilization of early-stage energy modeling tools supported our continuous improvement.

– Expanded Education Opportunities: We held a series of five education sessions highlighting the new reporting dashboard and laying out the timeline and requirements for 2021 reporting. Each presentation was targeted to a specific office or region to allow for focused discussion and review of dashboard data.

Portfolio Performance Trends

Our whole building project performance increased each year for the first four years of reporting but has decreased over the past two years to 35% in 2021.

According to the AIA’s 2030 By the Numbers report for 2021, this puts us behind the national average of 50.3% overall pEUI reduction across reporting firms.

We see several factors influencing this drop, including the number of projects reported, new, large-area projects in high-energy use markets, and potential changes due to the pandemic. This year, we have updated our process to actively address those factors through a detailed review of our progress, updated timelines and targets, and the resource and staff development and education described below.

Identifying these targets is the first step toward attaining the goals of the AIA 2030 Commitment. Our plan to achieve them is multi-faceted and holistic, and key next steps are listed below.

TIMELINES AND TARGETS

Our updated targets and timelines build from the AIA 2030’s established targets and imply a continued trajectory of improvement from those milestones. They are as follows:

2023 2024 2026

100% of eligible projects report 2030 data

Improve portfolio performance to 50% reduction from baseline.

Perform early energy modeling on 70% of eligible projects

Improve performance to 60% reduction from baseline.

Perform early energy modeling on 100% of eligible projects.

Achieve a 45% reduction in embodied carbon.

Perform WBLCA on 70% of eligible projects

ACCOUNTABILITY METHODS

We are breaking down our performance reporting process by region and office location, as well as by market sector to have closer access to project teams and a deeper understanding of our performance trends.

Growing leadership: In the fall of 2022, we launched a Commitments Facilitator role to improve awareness, accountability, and performance in each of our office locations. This year-round position with billable time assigned will support and guide project teams in each of our local offices.

Access to data

We have two full annual reports now published through an interactive digital dashboard for firmwide review and internal data analysis. We are currently building a full

sustainability database to provide clear access, sorting, and retrieving of data for all our commitments by all members of the firm – from our business development teams to our project designers. As we update the data each year, it allows us to analyze statistics, identify trends and set targets, and provide sustainability data for future efforts.

Integration

Workflow Guides: It is critical to embed high performance in the earliest stages of design development. To this end, our 2023-2024 focus is on updating and drafting new workflow guidance and documentation templates, including:

– Early goals worksheets

– Uniform standards for pre-design analysis

– Updated contract language and agreements

– Integration in documentation checks by QA/QC

2028 2030 2040

Improve performance to 80% reduction from baseline.

Perform POE on 25% of eligible projects.

Perform WBLCA on 100% of eligible projects

Improve performance to 100% reduction from baseline including renewable energy sources.

Perform POE on 50% of eligible projects.

Achieve a 65% reduction in embodied carbon

Achieve 100% reduction in embodied carbon with acceptable offset strategies

These templates will support high performance focused on both operational energy use reduction and on embodied carbon reduction. Embodied carbon reduction strategies for structural design are also being tracked as part of our SE 2050 Commitment.

Early modeling puts data in our hands and helps our teams make good decisions.

– Early Energy Modeling: The AIA’s By the Numbers report for 2021 indicates that energy modeled projects perform 6% better on average than nonmodeled projects.

– Whole Building Lifecycle Assessment (WBLCA) Modeling: WBLCA maps embodied carbon and several other impacts to the materials we use in design.

We will grow our team of modeling experts and project leads in 2023-2024 in support of having 1) at least 70% of our projects energy modeled by the end of 2024, and 2)

at least 70% of our projects WBLCA modeled by the end of 2026.

Market and Region Variations

As a national firm, we recognize that the best solutions will not be the same across every project, market, region. While fundamentals remain the same, climate zones, codes, and policies differ.

While climate zone and code evaluation are common to our design process, the pace of policy impact on our industry is increasing. To deepen our understanding of policy impacts on building performance, we are planning to expand our involvement with local AIA Policy Groups. We are also actively tracking impactful legislation in two of our market areas: Local Law 97 in New York City as well as net zero and electrification policy updates in California.

EWINGCOLE HIGH PERFORMANCE PROJECTS

Promega

Mass Timber Structure

MSK Westchester Adaptive Reuse, LEED Gold

Illumina, Building 6 Manufacturing & Lab Building LEED Gold

United Therapeutics Corporation, Headquarters LEED Gold

MSK Nassau LEED Silver

United Therapeutics Corporation, Unisphere LEED Platinum, Net Zero Verified

Confidential Client Office WELL Silver, LEED Platinum

Abington Jefferson Health, Asplund Cancer Pavilion Biophilic Design

Lincoln Public Schools Adaptive Reuse & Net Zero Ready

The Smithsonian Institution, Charles McC. Mathias Laboratory LEED Platinum

City of Hope, Amini Transfusion Medicine Center LEED Silver

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Technology & Engineering Development Facility LEED Gold

University of Pennsylvania, Penn Squash Center LEED Silver

NAVFAC Washington Adaptive Reuse

WakeMed Health & Hospitals, North Family Health & Women’s Hospital LEED Healthcare Gold

Biolabs NC Adaptive Reuse

Wake Forest University, Wake Downtown Science Building Adaptive Reuse

The Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History LEED Gold

AIA A&D MATERIALS PLEDGE

The materials we are surrounded by in the built environment can have positive or negative impacts on our own health, the health of our communities, and the wellbeing of our ecosystems and climate. They can decrease our stress hormones or impair our cognitive function; they can create thriving local economies or pollute neighborhoods; they can restore wetlands areas and sequester carbon or contaminate our waterways and air.

Selecting materials is a multi-faceted process, and vetting products for positive impacts is complex. Understanding this challenge, the Materials Pledge began as a declaration to demand products that make the world a better place.

Since its early stages, the pledge evolved to chart a course beyond “less bad” and widen our outlook to provide a visionary definition of sustainable material sourcing.

Materials Framework (CMF), an industry collaboration led by Mindful Materials, in 2022. The establishment of specific goals and requirements for reporting and sharing data are anticipated by 2024.

EWINGCOLE’S COMMITMENT

As stewards of health and wellbeing, EwingCole saw the foundational importance of this pledge, and became a signatory in 2019, the year it was introduced. To achieve its vision, we aim to select products with material ingredients and supply chains that are transparent, disclosed, and optimized.

OUR PROGRESS

To date, we have developed education and are updating processes in the following ways to support the pledge:

– Education: A “Why and How To” guide for each health category,

– Education: An “AIA Materials Pledge” internal webinar,

– Design Process: A tracking tool for projects to study and record material selection by certification types that align with each health category,

– Design Process: We have begun refreshing our firm’s materials library(s) and policies, and

– Design Process: We have begun updating our specifications to eliminate harmful products and improve selection across all projects.

It declares a shared vision between manufacturers and designers to support “holistically responsible materials that enhance Human Health, Climate Health, Ecosystem Health, and Social Health and Equity, in a Circular Economy.”

With the vision of holistic, responsible sourcing established, the AIA has begun to build a framework for tracking and accountability for Materials Pledge signatories through the adoption of the Common

Support Human Health by preferring products which support and foster life throughout their lifecycles and seek to eliminate the use of substances that are hazardous.

Support Climate Health by preferring products which reduce carbon emissions and ultimately sequester more carbon than emitted.

Support Ecosystem Health by preferring products which support and regenerate the natural air, water, and biological cycles of life through thoughtful supply chain management and restorative company practices.

Support Social Health & Equity by preferring products from manufacturers who secure human rights in their own operations and in their supply chains, and which provide positive impacts for their workers and the communities where they operate.

Support a Circular Economy by reusing buildings and materials; and by designing for material efficiency, long life, and reuse.

TIMELINES AND TARGETS

While the Pledge does not have mandatory timelines for specific deliverables, we have built the following roadmap toward the overarching goal of holistically responsible material sourcing. Our approach is methodical and phased for developing standards, embedding processes, and building foundational knowledge to attain far-reaching goals. We then shift to collective improvements, and lastly to positive, restorative selection across categories and material divisions. Highlights of this approach are noted below.

2023 – 2025 2025 – 2030

Development of Standards, Process, and Education

By 2025, 100% of projects are using our Materials Tracker and submitting data internally.

By 2024, 100% of Division 01 and technical specifications have been updated for holistic, responsible material sourcing.

By 2024, Requirements for sustainable materials education have been established by role for each design discipline and as part of new hire on-boarding.

By 2025, All entries in the internal Design Resources Library are vetted according to sustainable material criteria.

Shift to Holistic Improvements

By 2025 50% of projects attaining success in 2 or more health buckets as defined below.

By 2030, 100% of projects attaining success in 3 or more health buckets as defined below.

Human: 10 Redlist chemicals have been removed from all specifications.

Climate: All project teams are using Global Warming Potential (GWP) thresholds to inform material selections

Ecosystem: Specify all wood products to be FSC Certified or equivalent. Prioritize products with low impact via EPD documentation. Prioritize products w/ low embodied water.

Social Equity: Prioritize materials with low-risk of forced labor and environmental racism. Prioritize community benefit through regional sourcing and incorporation of local cultures and traditions.

Circular Economy: Establish methods for discussing reuse of buildings and components with clients and delineate design pathways to do so. Prioritize zerowaste manufacturers for new products, specify salvaged construction materials

2030 – 2040 Regenerative

By 2035, 100% of projects attaining success in all 5 buckets as defined below.

Human: All materials selected are Redlist Free unless viable alternatives are not available

Climate: Prioritize materials that are biobased and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. All specifications (for which data is available) include GWP thresholds that are significant improvements from typical practice.

Ecosystem: Select products that have biodiversity and conservation certifications or approved research. Select products with minimal water footprint for manufacturing.

Social Equity: Materials with high risk for forced labor and environmental racism are completely avoided, and specified materials have documentation via approved certification or research review.

Circular Economy: 2030: Establish a reuse target as an overall percentage of our portfolio, and be achieving that target by 2040. Specifications updated to include instructions for disassembly of building components.

Abington Jefferson Health, Asplundh Cancer Pavilion

Identifying these targets is the first step toward attaining our goals aligned with the AIA A&D Materials Pledge. Many of them are stated in general terms based on how rapidly resources and knowledge are growing in the field. They will be regularly updated to include higher levels of specificity. The plan required to update and achieve them is multi-faceted and holistic, and the ciritcal next steps are listed below.

ACCOUNTABILITY METHODS

Market & Resource Tracking

To provide increasing levels of specificity over time, we will monitor external resources including, but not limited

to the following, and focus our goals accordingly.

– AIA A&D Materials Pledge

– Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework

– Building Transparency’s EC3 Tool

– Grace Farms Design for Freedom

Materials Selection

Hundreds of materials and products can be used in a building project, and digging deeper into the material selections we make, as influenced by client standards, library options, and specification requirements, is our starting point.

Confidential Client, Office Renovation

– Tracking Selection: Increasing the usage of our Material Tracker through all design stages and reporting that data at the conclusion of project will provide the information necessary to identify successes and gaps, and ways of improving.

– Materials Library Criteria: We will finalize the Material Library Guidelines currently under development and broaden their use across of office regions.

Education

The Materials Pledge significantly broadens the definition of sustainable materials. To support the elevation of firmwide understanding, we are prioritizing education and resource development over the next two years.

– We will provide an outline of material selection best practices as a quick reference for teams. We will collaborate with our current material experts to learn where holistically responsible sourcing criteria can be inserted into our process with the most impact.

– We will draft and share outreach correspondence for our designers to share with manufacturers when they connect regarding products.

– We will schedule early coordination notices for sustainable materials that might have longer lead times, or require specific documentation to ensure priorities are met.

– We will celebrate and share material selection success stories through local gatherings and firmwide communication.

UNITED THERAPEUTICS USPHERA

SILVER SPRING, MD

Following the success of United Therapeutics’ Unisphere, the largest, site-powered, LEED Zero commercial building in the United States, the team now looks to a new challenge of reducing both operational and embodied carbon on the next construction project. This 80,000 square foot building is designed to be Zero Net Energy and have an 80% reduction in embodied carbon from Unisphere. The Architectural industry has adopted LCA methods to bring substantial reductions in lifecycle environmental impacts of their designs. These established carbon accounting approaches, which focus primarily on embodied carbon, were insufficient for balancing of whole life carbon. Therefore, the team formulated a new accounting approach that considers a balance between embodied and operational carbon. Key strategies in reducing the embodied carbon footprint include a mass timber structure, reuse of existing concrete foundations, façade-integrated photovoltaics, minimization of interior construction and use of reclaimed furniture and other materials.

Social Equity Highlights

United Therapeutics is the first public biotechnology company to convert to a Public Benefit Corporation, aligning the company’s vision and mission with a specific cause to further benefit the public instead of focusing solely on the benefit of the shareholders. United Therapeutics is a mission-driven organization that focuses on saving lives and they believe that their buildings must support this mission by emitting zero net carbon and minimizing embodied carbon in their

construction, which benefits the public by reducing pollution and providing an example in the marketplace for the feasibility of large-scale, low carbon buildings. United Therapeutics buildings are designed to support an equitable work environment featuring democratized office layouts to remove hierarchical seating, gender inclusive restrooms, dedicated wellness areas and lactation spaces. The new Usphera kitchen will continue to purchase baked goods and raw food products from small and minority-owned businesses to support equity in the local economy.

SE 2050 COMMITMENT

The design and construction industry has made significant strides in reducing operational energy use and GHG emissions from buildings. It is now positioned to significantly reduce total GHG emissions by committing equal focus to reducing embodied carbon of building materials.

Structural materials account for at least half of the carbon emitted in production, delivery, and installation of materials for new construction, defined as the embodied carbon of the structure. In 2016, the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) created a working group to develop a data-driven commitment for structural engineering firms to reduce and ultimately reach net zero embodied carbon in their building designs.

In the fall of 2019, the CLF issued the SE 2050 Challenge to the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), challenging all structural engineers to “understand, reduce and ultimately eliminate embodied carbon in their projects by 2050.” SEI developed the SE 2050 Commitment in response to the challenge and launched the commitment to structural engineering firms across the United States in the fall of 2020.

The goals of the SE 2050 Commitment are to:

– Educate the structural engineering profession on best practices that will lead to net zero embodied carbon by 2050;

– Engage in an embodied carbon tracking program to establish targets for embodied carbon reduction;

– Report on the current embodied carbon trends of various structural systems for different regions throughout the country; and

– Advocate and communicate with clients, the design community, and the public to build an understanding about the sustainability impacts of the built environment.

OUR PROGRESS

As signatories of the SE 2050 Commitment, we authored and issued our first Embodied Carbon Action Plan (ECAP) to the SE 2050 Committee in March 2022. The ECAP serves as our action plan to define our firm’s approach to achieving the four goals set by the SE 2050 Commitment, and will be updated annually with our progress.

The topic of embodied carbon reduction in structural materials is in its infancy when compared to the topic of building operational carbon reduction. Our internal SE 2050 Committee, along with Thrive@EC, is actively developing and providing educational resources for the firm, including an internal sustainability continuing education series of presentations. These resources will support our structural engineers in their continuing education and embodied carbon reduction strategies in our designs.

EwingCole reported 2 projects to the national SE 2050 Database in the first year as a signatory to the commitment. These projects represent different approaches to embodied carbon in structures; One which incorporates significant sustainable and biophilic structural materials, demonstrating the embodied carbon reductions that can be achieved in a sustainable design; and one which uses more conventional structural materials with a larger embodied carbon impact, demonstrating where conventional materials fall on the scale of embodied carbon impact.

TARGET ALIGNMENT

The SE 2050 Commitment is intended to work in unison with the AIA 2030 Commitment to achieve specific milestones in sustainable design. The graphic below produced by the SEI Sustainability Committee illustrates this point.

Embodied

EwingCole signed onto the SE 2050 Commitment in fall of 2021, joining our peers in taking the next step toward building a regenerative future.

TIMELINES AND TARGETS

Our targets and timelines are derived from SE 2050’s established targets and imply a continued trajectory of improvement from the milestone. They are as follows:

2023 2030 2024 2025

Establish a baseline GWP to measure against for reductions

Perform a structural WBLCA on 10% or minimum of 2 projects from each project type

Report a minimum of 2 projects to the SE 2050 Database

10% reduction in GWP

30% reduction in GWP

45% reduction in GWP

Perform a structural WBLCA on 25% or minimum of 5 projects from each project type

Report a minimum of 5 projects to the SE 2050 Database

Perform a comparative WBLCA, including substructure and superstructure, on 60% of major projects

Include biogenic materials on multiple projects

Perform a comparative WBLCA on all major projects

Include biogenic materials on all major projects

ACCOUNTABILITY METHODS

We have established an internal SE 2050 Committee, consisting of a group of structural engineers representing diverse experience levels, who work with Thrive@EC to drive our firm’s commitment. This Committee is currently responsible for:

1. Maintaining, updating, and submitting our annual ECAP to the national SE 2050 Committee,

2. Leading efforts to educate our staff on project selection and data collection for submission to the national SE 2050 Database.

The national database serves as a tool to measure and compare the embodied carbon impacts of various building types in different regions of the country from all participating firms. The database will be used by the national SE 2050 Committee to develop and refine specific targets for reduction by year.

We are also engaging with groups outside EwingCole. Our structural engineers in Philadelphia and Berwyn, PA are members of the Delaware Valley NCSEA chapter’s Sustainable Design Committee, whose goal is to

2035 2040 2045 2050

60% reduction in GWP

75% reduction in GWP

85% reduction in GWP

Perform a comparative WBLCA, including an operational carbon assessment over the building’s lifespan for all major projects

Include biogenic materials to offset at least 50% of embodied carbon on all major projects

Design at least one major project for sustainable disassembly

Perform a Dynamic LCA, including operational and embodied carbon, for all major projects, considering various time frames

Include biogenic materials to offset at least 50% of embodied and operational carbon on all major projects

Design 50% of major projects for sustainable disassembly

Perform a Dynamic LCA that achieves a net-zero temperature change effect over 100 years

Net zero embodied carbon in building structures

educate the Delaware Valley construction industry about embodied carbon reduction. Members of this committee are encouraged to share educational resources, and best practices employed by their firms to work towards the common goal of net zero embodied carbon by 2050.

The pace and impact of local, regional, and national policy on our industry is increasing. This is the case for embodied carbon policy as well as energy use in operations. As a result, we recognize that the best

available solutions may be different based on project, market, and/or region.

To deepen our understanding of policy impacts on embodied carbon in buildings, we are planning to expand our involvement with local professional subgroups, such as AIA Policy Groups. We are also tracking the expansion of Buy Clean legislation at the federal level and across several states and cities, including California, Minnesota, New York, and several others.

LEWIS C. CASSIDY ELEMENTARY

PHILADELPHIA, PA

Located in West Philadelphia, the replacement Lewis C. Cassidy Academics Plus Elementary School is fully accessible, with amenities available equally for all occupants regardless of age, mobility, or other condition or disposition. The arrangement of age cohorts provides the opportunity for students to physically move upwards in the building as they grow with the school, culminating with middle school at the upper floor of the core educational classroom wing that is still visually connected to the school through “The Canyon” and tied to other programs.

The School District of Philadelphia’s mission for the Lewis C. Cassidy Academics Plus Elementary School includes holistic approaches to sustainable design and occupant wellness in support of the local community. Core values include energy efficiency, resource

conservation, optimal site orientation for daylight and ventilation, and promoting mental and physical health. Access to nature is also of high priority, and the project provides formal and informal spaces for students to play and learn outdoors. Signage will be placed throughout the building and grounds to share these values with students and neighbors.

This school is an anchor of its community, and community members were engaged in early conversations regarding the design of the new school and its amenities. The program reflects this relationship by incorporating spaces that are accessible for use by the public outside of school hours, including indoor and outdoor athletic spaces, new kitchen and cafeteria, and visual arts and technology space.

KEY STATS

Size: 88,000 SF

Sustainability Certification Target: LEED for Schools Gold

Predicted:

EUI: 29.7 kBtu/sf/yr

Energy Use Reduction: 18-20%

Embodied Carbon Reduction [A1-A3]: 13-15% reduction

Water Use Reduction: 30%

MEP 2040 COMMITMENT

Following the advent of the SE 2050 Commitment, a group of engineers and designers convened in January of 2021 to discuss embodied carbon emissions within the MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) industry. Searching for a way to galvanize the industry to radically reduce embodied carbon in their projects, the working group developed a data-driven commitment to guide firms toward total life cycle decarbonization. The MEP 2040 Challenge was formally launched by the Carbon Leadership Forum in October of 2021 with the goals of zero operational carbon by 2030 and zero embodied carbon by 2040. EwingCole joined the MEP 2040 Commitment in 2022.

Buildings are the largest global contributor of carbon emissions. Operational (MEP) use makes up roughly 30% of the carbon emissions and embodied carbon makes up approximately 10%. The construction and design industry made significant strides in producing highperforming buildings by reducing operational carbon, but embodied carbon for MEP systems went largely neglected. The embodied carbon of a material is is defined through a product lifecycle assessment (LCA)- a process that defines the environmental impact of making and using said product. Lifecycle assessments that include cradle-to-gate scope are rare for MEP equipment, and most manufacturers do not have the data needed to provide Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), a

Bayhealth, Kent Campus Expansion

summary of LCA data. Through advocacy and outreach we aim to influence the MEP equipment manufacturing industry to start providing EPDs for all products. While we wait for manufacturers to produce EPDs, designers can start with incorporating low global warming potential refrigerants and understanding how they can contribute to a healthier planet.

EWINGCOLE’S COMMITMENT

The MEP 2040 Commitment consists of 4 criteria that the firm pledges to uphold:

Establish a company plan

– Set clear targets and evolve targets as needed yearly

– Define action items to reduce operational and embodied carbon emissions

– Measure and report progress annually

Request low GWP refrigerants

– New advanced refrigerants are on the horizon. All engineers should be prepared for the phase out of the previous generation of refrigerants by actively embracing, and requesting, low GWP refrigerants from equipment manufacturers.

Request EPDs

– EPDs detail carbon emissions during the stages of the product life cycle

– Designers and engineers should request an EPD for every piece of equipment with the goal of eventually having one available for all products. Project Specifications will be updated to include this request.

United Therapeutics Corporation, Unisphere

TIMELINES AND TARGETS

Our targets and timeline are derived from the MEP 2040’s established targets and imply a continued trajectory of improvement from each milestone. They are as follows:

Establish a Baseline

Develop a system to gather and track data as it relates to embodied carbon within MEP Systems.

Use data driven methods to establish a baseline for operational and embodied carbon emissions across all projects.

30% Reduction in Embodied Carbon Emissions

Implement carbon reduction strategies and track data across all projects.

Re-evaluate carbon reduction strategies annually based on performance against baseline to achieve 30% reduction by 2030

60% Reduction in Embodied Carbon Emissions

Continue to evolve carbon reduction efforts to achieve a 60% reduction from baseline.

Participate in quarterly forums

– The Carbon Leadership Forum hosts a quarterly forum to report findings, share information and lessons learned, and network with other leaders in the field.

– Each firm signed onto the commitment must have representation at the meeting.

ACCOUNTABILITY METHODS

– EwingCole’s MEP 2040 working group will complete the first version of the commitment-specific action plan. This will be the foundation and roadmap to completing the goals of the MEP 2040 Challenge. The action plan will build on the timeline above and the content listed herein to provide more detailed strategies and action items. The action plan will be a living document that will be reviewed and updated regularly.

– The EwingCole MEP 2040 working group will hold monthly meetings from the outset to ensure that core action items are being tracked and implemented by the intended date. Each action item will have an assigned leader responsible

for completing the task by a defined date. When it is deemed appropriate, meetings will move to a quarterly basis to share new information and updates following the CLF quarterly meeting.

– EwingCole will have a presence in each of the national MEP 2040 working groups dedicated to a specific commitment. The elected people participating in the groups will share information gained with the rest of the EwingCole MEP 2040 working group, in the monthly meetings.

– EwingCole’s MEP 2040 working group will annually issue a report to the firm showing the collected data and how the implemented strategies have influenced carbon emissions across all projects. This report will help to steer the group’s effort and strategies for the following year.

Project Process Integration Project Management

– Project engineers will plan to document and report requests for low GWP refrigerants and EPDs in equipment selections.

2040

100% Reduction in Carbon Emissions

Attain as close to 100% reduction in total building lifecycle carbon emissions across all projects.

2045

Continued Tracking and Improvement

Continue to stay vigilant with carbon reduction strategies and produce high performing buildings with little to no environmental impact.

– Project engineers will plan to do life cycle cost analyses for large equipment.

Project Initiation

– Project proposals will highlight EwingCole’s commitment to achieving the goals of MEP 2040. This will give full transparency for design decisions made to achieve these goals.

EC Standards

– Standards will be updated to define how system refrigerants are documented and selected. It is to be determined whether the standard will be to include refrigerant type on mechanical schedules or in specifications.

– As EPDs become available for certain pieces of equipment, master specifications will be altered to require EPDs to be provided as a part of the submittal process.

Market and Region Variations

Electrification

– Certain states such as New York and California are starting to restrict natural gas burning equipment. The intent is to take advantage of cleaner, more efficient electric grids in the future. As a national firm, we will stay informed of all legislation in this area and learn important implementation lessons to apply in other regions.

Europe vs US Low GWP Refrigerants

– Next generation refrigerants are currently available in European markets. In the US, they will be available for large chiller systems within the next year, packaged systems in 2 years, and smaller split systems within 3 years.

EPD Availability

– There is a rough timeline for EPD availability for different equipment. Packaged equipment, VRF systems, PTACs, and condensers will be the first of such have EPDs available around 2024.

ALL COMMITMENTS

A series of overarching goals and action items apply to and support every one of our four commitments. These were developed alongside the commitment-specific targets and timelines listed on the preceding pages, and were evaluated using the same set of lenses:

– Design Process

– Education

– Tracking & Reporting

– Culture

– Outreach & Advocacy

WHERE WE ARE WHERE WE ARE HEADING ACTION ITEMS FOR 2023-2025

DESIGN PROCESS

Our process is informed by a deep understanding of the program, the site, and the science of buildings, and it starts with the need to discover a project’s full potential.

EDUCATION

EwingCole Continuing Education (ECCE), our Associates Group, Thrive@ EC, and our membership to USGBC Education provide an extensive set of resources and content for escalating our learning on key sustainability topics.

TRACKING & REPORTING

We pride ourselves on the rigor of our multi-disciplinary, quality assurance evaluation for projects, taking a meticulous and methodical approach to ensure not only health, safety, and wellbeing of future occupants, but compliance with any number of regulations, codes, and market-specific requirements.

CULTURE

With more people back in our offices than any other time in the past two years, we are reigniting and reinventing community activities that bring people together; from studio pin-ups, to project presentations, to events around Earth Day and International Women’s Day.

OUTREACH & ADVOCACY

We have shared some of our most high performing, successful projects at conferences around the country, and more than 10% of our staff already participate in community and professional organization leadership and activism.

A forecasting and broadening of perspective. We are striving to look beyond the bounds of an individual building 1) in time, to how it will perform and what it’s impact will be in 20, 40, and 60 years from now, and 2) in geography, to learn how material selection and carbon emissions impact not just our site, but the region and world.

– Elevate sustainability as a key priority in our project selection process.

– Update our Fundamental Design Report template to include dedicated performance targets for EUI, embodied carbon, and holistic material selection.

To utilize these resources effectively, we are developing a framework of priority, specific assignments of content, and further dedication of time and funding. We are also shifting our mindset to include not just urgency, but celebration of the benefits new knowledge brings to our team.

– Collaborate with Human Resources to regularly update onboarding materials in support of our 4 sustainability commitments.

– Develop a matrix for training on design processes and tools that includes training needs by discipline, role, and years of experience. Incorporate this training requirement as part of annual reviews.

To more deeply integrate sustainability reporting, we will add specific layers to our QA process: evaluation of performance, confirmation that criteria are met, and verification that data has been reported.

– Finalize the new Sustainable Design Database

– Expand the voices involved in sustainability beyond core design disciplines to include marketing, communications, and IT

Our next cultural steps involve adding breadth and regularity to create more frequent connections among projects and our aspirations and sustainability commitments – from supporting a sustainability champion on each team, to initiating Friday Roundtable discussions, to visual celebrations such as an EUI Wall or Regenerative Material Palettes.

– Develop an internal research project process to award funding to 2 projects per year based on submissions tied to current priorities.

To add our collective voice to the call for design for people and planet, we will strive to establish regional and national leadership through participation in industry, government, and/or professional organizations outside the firm.

– At the firm scale, a renewed focus and incentive toward participating in advocacy will come together through firmwide discussion.

– At the product scale, we will develop resources to support outreach to our material and product suppliers.

Illumina, Building 6

LEADERSHIP TEAM

We are committed to supporting the targets and aspirations of this Sustainability Action Plan through growth in our leadership team. That growth is occurring in two ways: 1) an expansion to our Sustainability Leadership Team, and 2) growth of sustainability knowledge and accountability among our broader EwingCole leadership team.

Commitments Chairs have responsibility at a firmwide level and will work in co-chair pairs for the AIA 2030 Commitment and AIA Materials Pledge, and as a Chair and Working Group for the SE 2050 and MEP 2040 Commitments. Each pair or team will include multiple disciplines and/or office locations.

Commitments Facilitators (CFs):

SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP TEAM

To advance and guide our SAP, we are expanding our sustainability leadership team to include each office and multiple disciplines in 2023. This growth comes through the creation of two new positions to support our SAP commitments.

Commitments Chairs:

– Goals for this role include increasing firmwide familiarity with our stated commitments, integrating the goals of each commitment into our projects and activities, collaborating across commitments in support of success and common process, and supporting Commitments Facilitators.

– Goals for this role include increasing reporting and accountability to our stated commitments, integrating reporting into regular project process, and increasing familiarity and support from local office leadership and team members. Commitments Facilitators have responsibility at the office level to coordinate with office and market leaders and provide a direct connection to local project teams for reporting and requirements guidance.

CFs and Chairs participate in the Thrive@EC Commitments Focus Group to share updates, receive feedback, and understand next steps forward.

Additional growth is being planned over the next two years to include dedicated modeling specialists, certifications leaders, and project champions.

EWINGCOLE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Dedicated sustainability professionals are critical to our success in visioning and executing our sustainability commitments. However, leaders in distinct roles across the firm hold the key to cultural adoption and full project integration. With this in mind, we are entering the first stages of developing specific actions for leaders across the firm to incorporate and adopt sustainability:

– Executive Team and Shareholders

– Market and Regional Leaders

– Project Managers

– Quality Assurance Leaders

These actions will be defined through collaboration with each leadership group and build on the foundation developed in this first SAP to combine education and accountability. They could involve the projects we choose to pursue, fee proposals and scope, contracts, project start and visioning, deliverables by milestone, and raising client awareness.

Director of Sustainable Design Project Champions Certifications Leads

Modeling Specialists

Director of Energy Management

COMMITMENTS

SE 2050 Working Group

AIA Materials Chairs

Commitments Facilitators

MEP 2040 Working Group

AIA 2030 Chairs

MATERIALS HEALTH & CARBON

Executive, Regional, & Market Leadership

MAST Community Charter School

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI)

Social equity and climate change are deeply intertwined. Environmental injustice and climate change, directly and indirectly, impact frontline communities the hardest. By broadening our understanding and vision at this nexus, Thrive@EC looks forward to partnering with allied groups at EwingCole. Both DEI@EC and Women@EC were established to create and promote equity within firm operations and programs, and the Thrive@EC team builds upon that work.

Thrive@EC’s mission is to build sustainability resources and education to support projects and operations.

DEI@EC strives to promote diverse perspectives and viewpoints, and ensure fair treatment and equal opportunity both within EwingCole’s employment structure, as well as externally with the firm’s partners and clients.

Women@EC’s mission is to create a collaborative network of women at EwingCole who influence peers, inspire growth, and realize potential for lasting cultural change.

Over the past year Thrive@EC has laid the groundwork for our Social Equity in Design (SEID) Initiative. SEID examines the intersection of the built environment, the effects of environmental degradation, and human rights to ensure the fair treatment and involvement of all people, including building occupants, those working in construction, community neighbors, and those involved in the material supply chain. While social equity has always been a part of the larger umbrella of sustainability, it is often less of a focus than its counterparts, partly because of its difficulty to measure. Our SEID initiative seeks to take a holistic look at equity within the building arts industry and identify areas for positive impact.

Social equity in design strives to distinguish impact far beyond the typical bounds of project design. The material supply chain is one of the far-reaching tendrils that connects the health of people and ecosystems around the globe to projects in our backyards. As a first approach to this breadth, we will identify ways to increase equity within product specifications. This research will explore international standards and product certifications that support frontline communities and fragile ecosystems, those most impacted by climate change and environmental degradation. Environmental racism and forced labor are shockingly prevalent in material supply chains, and this SEID effort will help us ensure that we are specifying products that avoid these harmful practices.

Product specification is just one approach to SEID, and as this initiative grows, we look forward to collaborating with DEI@EC to identify a project’s potential impact on community equity.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & FUTURE VERSIONS

The Sustainability Action Plan’s primary intention is to build accountability into our design process. We are doubling down on our commitments and creating a plan to fulfill those essential mandates. We are aligning our design process, projects, and intended outcomes with the highest aspirations of our industry to accelerate toward a healthier future.

Moving forward, we look to also focus on topics that are not fully covered by these commitments. Our explorations have already begun, and topics are summarized below. We will provide progress updates in the next version of our SAP.

OPERATIONAL IMPACTS & OPPORTUNITIES

From carbon emissions to power our offices to business travel, purchasing, and waste generation, our office operations have an environmental footprint. EwingCole’s SAP more closely scrutinizes our project portfolio because its potential environmental impact is significantly higher than our operational footprint. With these initiatives underway, our team is looking inward, evaluating our impact, and providing an example to ourselves, our clients, and our peers throughout the industry. In 2023, we will build a team from our 450 employees across nine office locations to develop a Sustainable Operations Plan. The core content of this plan will fall into three categories:

– Carbon footprint – Scopes 1, Scope 2, and a minimum of business travel from Scope 3

– Purchasing and Policies

– Water footprint calculation for each location

Carbon footprint – Scopes 1, Scope 2, and a minimum of business travel from Scope 3

Purchasing and Policies

Water footprint calculation for each location

LAYERS THAT CROSS ALL COMMITMENTS

Resiliency and wellness are cross-cutting, interdisciplinary topics that connect with each of our four sustainability commitments in different ways. As well as our growing awareness of social inequity in design, resiliency and wellness tether us to two of our three firmwide goals: a deep connection to place and regenerative design.

Resiliency

The Resilient Design Institute defines resilience as, “the capacity to adapt to changing conditions and to maintain or regain functionality and vitality in the face of stress or disturbance. It is the capacity to bounce back after a disturbance or interruption.”

From a climate change standpoint, resilient design differs from sustainability in that resilient strategies aim to protect resources from changes that are already occurring. Sustainable design strategies aim to reduce future changes. As Jason Mark, Editor in Chief of Sierra Magazine puts it, addressing both resiliency and sustainability is “managing the unavoidable while working to avoid the unmanageable…”

Where we are heading: Our structural engineers, MEP engineers, interior designers, and architects are working together to further define best practices for resilient design throughout varying climate regions and geographic locations.

Wellness and Health

Many variables and conditions influence both physical and mental human health. The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

describe these variables across five primary domains: healthcare access and quality, education access and quality, social and community context, economic stability, and neighborhood and built environment. As highlighted within several SDOH domains, human health depends upon the health of the natural and built environment.

While wellness is one of several topics within the overall umbrella of sustainability, it is also its own constellation of sub-topics:

Where we are heading: While our work has been based on human health and the human experience for decades, our next steps are to 1) more clearly defining baseline, best practice, and aspirational requirements for human health and wellbeing across our market sectors, and

2) expand our focus on health beyond the building occupants to all people impacted by and working within the design and construction industry.

Abington Jefferson Health, Asplundh Cancer Pavilion

EVERY ENDING IS A NEW BEGINNING

We seek to better ourselves, our work, and our influence in all that we do. Striving for continuous improvement is in our DNA, and holding ourselves accountable to the AIA 2030 Commitment, AIA Materials Pledge, SE 2050 Commitment, and MEP 2040 Commitment gives us the foundation to track that improvement. We will experience periods of linear progress, forge through slow-downs, and celebrate positive change. Each stage points us toward our overall goal and the ability to scale our impact.

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