Webcast:

Carbon Neutral Campus Architecture:
Climate Specific Design and Innovation

Cost: $50 USD

Buy an archived CD of this program.

Order the webcast CD to listen in on an investigation of cutting-edge learning environment projects that are carbon-neutral* and beyond. This webcast focused on three projects which push the limits of design to create high-performance environments that are also exemplars of pedagogical and aesthetic excellence.

Because design requirements vary considerably according to climate, examples of carbon neutral buildings from three different climate zones are highlighted. We discuss in detail the passive and active strategies of these buildings, and how they respond to their specific climatic conditions. The program moderator is Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture critic for The New York Times, and panelists include an architect and client from each project.

FEATURED PROJECTS:

Aldo Leopold Legacy Center, Baraboo, Wisconsin – Built and Operating
The Kubala Washatko Architects
This project represents the design and construction of a new headquarters and conference facility for a prominent environmental organization. Completed in spring 2007, the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center includes office and meeting spaces, an interpretive exhibit hall, a library and archive, and a three-season classroom. Built to the highest standards of energy efficiency and sustainability, the Center is carbon-neutral and “zero net” energy in design. It will produce over 110% of annual building energy needs. Certified LEED® Platinum in Fall 2007, the Center received 61 of 61 points submitted. The Aldo Leopold Legacy Center is the first building recognized by LEED® as carbon-neutral in operation. It achieves today the goals set by the Architecture 2030 Challenge and by the American Institute of Architects “Walk the Walk” campaign to make all buildings carbon neutral by 2030.

Okanagan College, Penticton, B.C. Canada – Under Construction
CEI Architecture Planning Interiors
The Centre of Excellence is an innovative, two-story multi-purpose facility that will provide essential trades and technology training and professional development to students in British Columbia and beyond. The building itself will be used extensively as a teaching tool and all aspects of the building and its systems are to remain totally visible and, wherever possible, ‘hands-on’ and demonstrable. Live building data will be available on a web-based interface. The rooftop ‘Petri dish’ will allow for study of experimental technologies such as wind turbines and alternative photo-voltaic. With such an ambitious vision, it became clear that a LEED-certified building would not suffice, and the decision to accept the Living Building Challenge was made. Penticton is located in the Okanagan valley, at the northern tip of the Sonora desert. The hot, arid summer is offset by the cold Canadian winter, resulting in a net heating load for the building and a critical need for water conservation. 

Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY – Study
Ashley McGraw Architecture
Huntington Beard Crouse Hall (HBC) is a three story academic building constructed in the 1950’s. It contains a mix of teaching spaces, offices and academic suites and provides an excellent case study to determine the feasibility of renovating existing academic buildings to use net-zero fossil fuel energy while simultaneously creating a state of the art learning environment. The goal is that post-renovation, this building will be at a “net zero fossil fuel” performance level. In addition, the majority of strategies used to achieve this level of performance are not be of the piecemeal, additive type, but rather integrated, passive architectural strategies designed to maximize the building’s use of its site resources: Sun, wind, shading, and topography. These passive strategies are most commonly utilized on new construction, but we feel it is critical to examine how they can be creatively applied to substantially renovate existing building stock.

Learning Outcomes:    

• Discover what drivers and “change agents” have been put in place at campuses and institutions to lead to the successful design and construction of carbon neutral and beyond facilities.
• Explore projects and design possibilities that can or will achieve carbon neutrality.
• Derive inspiration for climate-specific design and understand the strategies related specific climate zones.
• Learn and understand strategies of integrated design, technology, research that can be applied to your projects to move them to carbon neutrality and beyond.
• Examine strategies and connections that tie the lessons and research of successful carbon neutral and beyond buildings back to the understanding of the occupants/students/researches who will use the buildings and to the community as a whole.

* What is Carbon Neutral and How Does it Relate to Net Zero Energy Buildings?
A building that is carbon neutral uses no fossil fuels in its operation, creates no direct greenhouse gases, and, as a result, does not contribute to global warming. The energy it uses may be produced on site or may be drawn from a utility grid but it must be “clean,” produced by wind turbines, photovoltaics, or other renewable energy system. Thus, a building that is both Carbon Neutral and Net Zero Energy produces at least as much renewable energy as it uses each year.
Definition from: BetterBricks, an initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

 Who Should Attend? 

This webcast is aimed at: architects, planners, capital project managers, educational administrators, engineers, architectural students and faculty, owners, and those who work in educational environments and are interested in high-performance buildings.

The webcast will feature high-performance buildings that are exemplary not only for their design vision, aesthetic and environmental stewardship—but also for their support of learning and/or research.

Moderators:

Nicolai Ouroussoff was named the architecture critic of The New York Times in 2004, where he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2006. Before that, from 1996 to 2004, Mr. Ouroussoff was the architecture critic of The Los Angeles Times, where he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2003 and 2004. Previously, Mr. Ouroussoff was a freelance writer from 1992 to 1996. His work appeared in publications like Artforum, The New York Observer, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Elle Décor, The New York Times and others. Mr. Ouroussoff was born in Boston on Oct. 3, 1962. He received a bachelor’s degree in Russian from Georgetown University in 1985 and a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture in 1992.

Lisa Johnson is a Principal and Higher Education sector leader with design firm DLR Group. Throughout her career, Lisa has focused primarily on the planning and design education facilities, and is currently the chair of the Higher Education subcommittee for the AIA Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE). She has a bachelor of architecture degree from Carnegie Mellon University, and over 17 years of professional work experience. In addition to her leadership within CAE, Lisa has been an active member in multiple professional associations, including the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) and the Council of Educational Facility Planners, International (CEFPI)

Presenters:

Buddy Huffaker was hired as the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s (ALF) first ecologist in 1996 and appointed Executive Director in 1999. He has directed ALF's growth to a $1 million budget and overseen a capital campaign for $8.6 million and the building of the Leopold Center.	Tom Kubala is a principal and co-founder of The Kubala Washatko Architects, overseeing projects from first schematics through final drawings. He is involved in every aspect of the practice and has directed many of the Kubala Washatko’s award-winning projects and research endeavors.
Andrew Hay holds a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta and is a professional engineer registered in B.C. and Alberta. He has taught at the University of Alberta, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Okanagan University College. He continues to be actively engaged with students, through mentoring and assisting with instruction at Okanagan College in Mechanical Engineering Technology.	Robert Parlane  is Senior Project Manager at CEI Architecture Planning Interiors. A graduate from the University of Bath, Robert has been a qualified British architect since 1991. His work experience covers a wide range of sectors, with a strong focus on offices, laboratories and higher education facilities.
Eric Beattie is the Director of Campus Planning, Design and Construction at Syracuse University. Prior to Syracuse University, Eric was the Director of Planning and Construction at Williams College in Massachusetts, overseeing an active building program to support their liberal arts mission.	Matt Broderick is a Principal at Ashley McGraw Architects and also leads the College and University Design Studio. He has worked with many colleges and universities, including Syracuse University, SUNY Oswego, LeMoyne College and Cornell University.

Learn more about this webcast's collaborators:

The American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education(AIA-CAE) connects architects and allied professionals interested in designing, building and using superior educational, cultural, and recreational facilities that meet the needs of students of all ages. AIA CAE members educate the public about the value of quality education design.

Society for College and University Planning(SCUP) - SCUP provides knowledge and resources on integrated planning for higher education, with a particular focus on academic, fiscal, resource, facilities and infrastructural planning.

Building on The Times’s decades of active involvement in education, The New York Times Knowledge Network offers a wide range of distinctive adult and continuing education opportunities, including online courses, programs and Webcasts. Some of our programs are offered directly by The Times, while others are presented in collaboration with universities, colleges and other educational institutions.

Questions? Please contact Kathy Benton at kathy.benton@scup.org, or call 734.764.2001