Subcommittee Introduction and Firm Roundtable

This session was be focused on demystifying the Commitment. Sustainability leaders from firms of a variety of sizes answered questions to provide insight into how they got started and how they are working towards the goals of the Commitment. They shared lessons learned and success stories from projects in Texas and beyond.

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Sustainability Action Plans & Goal Setting

This session covers the process of creating a SAP, the recommended framework, and perspective from two firms on the process and impact of SAPs. An in-depth conversation about goal setting, for both firms and projects, occurred in the second half of the session.

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DDx Overview

This session will cover the process of reporting a project to the Design Data Exchange (DDx). The DDx is a national framework created by the AIA with simple metrics and a standardized reporting format for measuring progress. It is confidential, easy-to-use and compares project performance in your firm and to the aggregated data of other signatories.

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Embodied Carbon

This session will have a primer on embodied carbon, as this has become increasingly important for architects to consider in addressing climate change. Martin Torres will cover the basics of embodied carbon, describe biogenic carbon, provide some strategies for reducing EC, and explain some of the policy efforts the Carbon Leadership Forum are pursuing. Following the embodied carbon presentation, we formed peer-to-peer network groups to help sign on to the 2030 Commitment. The groups reviewed Sustainability Action Plans, answered questions about reporting projects, defined strategies and tools and shared successes and failures with the goal of this network being to expand and support the 2030 Commitment Signatories in Austin. (Note: the peer-to-peer groups were not recorded.)

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2030 By The Numbers

We review the AIA 2030 Commitment “By the Numbers” report, examine the four core strategies for zero carbon design, and discuss the challenges for Austin firms to sign on to the 2030 Commitment and report to the DDx.

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Embodied Carbon 201

COTE’s 2030 Subcommittee hosts a panel discussion on embodied carbon reduction strategy, tools, and policies. We have a great panel with Dirk Kestner from Walter P. Moore, Kate Bren from Positive Energy, and Sarah Talkington from Austin Energy Green Building. Moderated by AIA Austin COTE Co-chair, Josh Leger.

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