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AIA Report Examines Resiliency, Sustainability in the Built Environment
Washington – A study published by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), in partnership with Owens Corning, is shedding light on resiliency and sustainability in the built environment.
The study, entitled Resiliency in the Built Environment, assesses the current state and best practices for increasing resiliency and sustainability in design and construction. The report also provides actionable insights into how to best improve resiliency and sustainability from design through construction by surveying three key audiences: architects, general contractors, and clients, including owners and developers.
“Successfully addressing the threat posed by climate change requires a comprehensive and coordinated effort that is informed by the best data available,” said AIA EVP/CEO, Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE. “This report is part of AIA’s ongoing commitment to supporting our members by providing economic and market research that helps them navigate challenging times as well as help them lead efforts to address the climate crisis.”
Areas of focus include:
• The role of building codes, clients’ expectations, and specifcation requirements that drive resiliency in design. • How is resiliency reinforced through practices like material replacement strategy and resilient design strategies? • Where are the biggest gaps in expertise about resiliency in construction, and how can they be flled • How do long-term and short-term incentives determine the level of resiliency for a given project? • How is resiliency considered when selecting building products and materials? • Which hazards and risks are most commonly taken into account in design
Key findings of the report include:
• Few projects and properties are reported as being built beyond code: Only a little over a quarter of architects and contractors report their projects are going beyond code. Even fewer clients are reporting the same. In fact, most projects and properties are being built to the codes that were adopted at the time of the project. • Contractors and clients believe that building to code is suffcient to ensure resilience, but architects disagree: In one of the starkest areas of disagreement in the study, contractors and clients
frmly believe that building to the current code will ensure resilient properties. This may explain why few of them have built beyond code despite concerns around hazards reported in this study. Architects, however, see how insuffcient codes are in ensuring that a building will be able to withstand all the hazards that it may be exposed to. This gap provides notable room for architects to infuence their clients, if they can convince them that code is not suffcient to ensure the resilience of their buildings and properties. • Up-front costs are deemed important considerations to project design decisions and product selection, particularly for architects and developers. However, building owners diverge in perspective: The drive to a more resilient built environment will start with building owners who have long-term investments in mind. • Stronger building codes and standards will drive resiliency, but so will making the business case to clients: For nearly all study respondents across industry audiences, codes and standards are infuencing resiliency in projects and properties. However, clients are as infuential in architect and contractor decisions on whether to design or build with increased resiliency. And for clients, other than codes, a strong majority of them also consider reduced liability, increased market value, and end-of-life concerns when thinking about levels of resiliency in their projects. Architects and contractors can use these infuence points to help make the case to their clients to move beyond code, while at the same time working to strengthen those codes and standards.
University Completes Sustainability Project
Hingham, MA – Mantis Innovation, provider of smart, sustainable solutions to improve facility performance, announced the completion of a comprehensive energy effciency project designed and engineered for the University of Hartford. This project helps the university meet its sustainability goals while decreasing costs by nearly $1 million annually.
The University of Hartford pursued a comprehensive effciency project to reduce the campus’ carbon footprint, lower energy costs, and decrease maintenance costs. Mantis Innovation designed a three-measure project for the campus based around LED lighting, controls, and HVAC. The complete overhaul and upgrades are expected to save the University of Hartford an estimated 5.3 million kWh annually, equaling an estimated savings of 955,000. The kWh savings seen through this project are equivalent to taking roughly 800 cars off the road every year.
With this project engineered by Mantis Innovation, the campus will now feature: • Modern LED lighting fxtures across campus • Occupancy sensors to reduce light usage when rooms or halls are empty • Rooftop unit optimization using sensors to setback units, resulting in units running when needed versus constantly • Daylight sensors to reduce light usage based on availability of natural sunlight
These solutions lower the university’s energy usage, ultimately reducing its environmental impact while improving aesthetics, comfort, and facility control.
“We are thrilled to have completed a project that not only addresses our sustainability mission and goals, but also lowers our annual energy and maintenance costs,” said Chris Dupuis, associate vice president, capital planning and management at the University of Hartford. “These savings give us the opportunity to reinvest this money into other benefts for our student body. The work done by Mantis Innovation brings our campus one step closer to reducing our carbon footprint, a top priority for the school.”
More Companies Join Net Zero Goal
Washington – The Urban Land Institute’s Greenprint Center for Building Performance (ULI Greenprint) announced that its membership has grown to include more than 70 private companies.
ULI Greenprint is a global alliance of real estate owners and investors dedicated to reducing carbon and achieving net zero by incorporating sustainability into all aspects of their building portfolios. Through measurement, benchmarking, knowledge sharing, and implementation of best practices, ULI Greenprint members strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 for buildings under operational control.
“Never before has it been a greater priority for real estate to address climate change through ESG and sustainability programs across geographies, sectors, and portfolios. The addition of these new members is a sign of the times and a testament to the collective goals of decreasing carbon emissions and increasing asset value across the industry,” said Marta Schantz, senior vice president of the ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance.
The addition of these members grows the program’s ability to accelerate decarbonization in the industry by diversifying the program’s reach across property types, geographies, portfolio sizes, and levels of ESG experience. The cumulative holdings of ULI Greenprint members total more than 18,000 properties in the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacifc regions with a value of more than 1.4 trillion.
Over the past year, the following companies have joined ULI Greenprint: Alex Brown Realty, Inc.; AEW; American Realty Advisors; Ascentris; Atlanta Property Group; AvalonBay Communities; Barings; BentallGreen Oak; Bridge Industrial; Cabot Properties; Crow Holdings; Drake Real Estate Partners; E T Exeter; Equity Residential; Fairfeld Residential; Hang Lung Properties; James Campbell Company; Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, L.P.; Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.; MetLife Investment Management; Paramount Group; Pembroke; StreetWorks Development; TA Realty; nico Properties; and WashREIT.
Ebbrell Designs TraceLink Corporate Headquarters
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being mindful of COVID-19 and health concerns. Cargile said, “We used an open ceiling concept with acoustical baffes throughout the space, with ample spacing for the workstations, which provide individual privacy for the staff. We ensured daylight was maximized throughout the offce, incorporated fresh air design through the use of improved HVAC fltration, and added room for live plants in the design.”
Jennifer Bozec, facilities manager at TraceLink, pointed to the interior staircase as a great multi-purpose design element. “Not having to share elevators with other building occupants improves COVID safety and being in one contained space with one entrance improves security,” said Bozec. “The custom millwork, planters, and lounge space around it makes it welcoming and a wonderful gathering space for relaxing and small group work.”
With room for just 285 of its 400 employees, TraceLink incorporated the use of a software-based desk reservation system to manage demand. Putnam said the system has other advantages as well. He commented, “For safety’s sake, in the event of an emergency, fre or disaster, we know who is in the building and where.”
Putnam said his favorite aspects of the design are the areas of interconnection throughout the open-concept and the fexible arrangement. “We believe we have given our employees all the offce options to work comfortably, safely and productively,” Putnam added.
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