AIA 2030 COMMITMENT


Summary: On November 16, 2009, GGLO signed on to the AIA 2030 Commitment program, which seeks to further the goals of the “The 2030 Challenge” developed by architect Ed Mazria at Architecture 2030. The AIA program asks firms to take a leadership role in operational improvements and project design by reducing energy consumption in the built environment through design innovation, education, and promotion of new technologies and solutions. GGLO committed to take the following actions in recognition of our AIA 2030 Commitment: Establish a Sustainability Team: To guide the development and implementation of the firm’s Sustainability Action Plan (SAP), a long range planning document to align the firm’s work with the 2030 Challenge Implement Operational Action Items: Such as tracking and reporting office energy use, reducing paper consumption, and providing incentives for using public transit Report Annual Progress: Make our SAP and other annual progress reports available to the public by providing them to the AIA for posting on their website

Results and Actions: In the past couple of years GGLO has created and implemented an Environmental Action Plan and Sustainability Action Plan (3MB PDF) to guide both our internal operations and our sustainable design practice. Further, we are continuously expanding our technical knowledge base and broadening our understanding of the social and natural environment through research and design projects, which we feature on our Insight page. Some notable examples are: Building Performance Evaluations (BPE) Embodied Carbon at the District Scale Additionally, GGLO has developed a Multifamily EUI Calculator, a tool for helping architects apply the 2030 Challenge to residential projects. The first step of the 2030 Challenge is to determine the appropriate baseline for calculating energy reduction targets. For mixed-use multifamily buildings, this is not as straightforward as it may seem. Based on our BPE research, GGLO recommends calculating a Whole Building Average EUI, which will vary depending on the percentage of common space area provided in a building. Click on the image below to try the GGLO EUI Calculator for multifamily residential projects!

Resources: Seattle 2030 District Architecture 2030 and its 2030 Challenge for Planners Multifamily EUI Calculator For more on GGLO’s sustainable projects, please visit our Sustainability page or contact Principal Will Castillo AIA or our Director of Sustainability Alicia Daniels Uhlig NCARB.
Solar hot water collectors mounted on the green roof at The Allison Inn and Spa.