Conference Proceedings

Updated as of May 13, 2009

(PL-01) What Will It Really Take to Achieve Carbon-Neutrality?
Presenters: Wendell Brase, Vice Chancellor, Administrative & Business Services, University of California-Irvine
Carbon-neutrality is a taller order than many people realize and requires far more than simply redoubling our efforts. Wealthy universities are taking the easy way out by buying emissions credits rather than taking direct actions to reduce or offset their carbon emissions. Although emissions credits will no doubt play some role in achieving carbon-neutral, our primary intent should be direct action. We need to think big in terms of plans, investments, funding strategies, new business concepts, and comprehensive efforts, because the goal is immense, especially for research institutions. It may be the most challenging goal we ever face in our career.

(PL-02) Achieving Climate Neutrality Through Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy
Presenters: Larry Eisenberg, Executive Director/Facilities Planning & Development, Los Angeles Community College District Office; David Newport, Director, University of Colorado at Boulder
Years in development, the LACCD, the largest community college district in the United States, is currently implementing a comprehensive strategic plan to achieve climate neutrality in 2009. Through the use of cutting edge renewable energy generation and energy storage technology, the LACCD 24/7 will be supported 100% by non-carbon based energy in the summer of 2009. This effort required the development of innovative financing techniques that have allowed for the installation of this technology to occur at no additional capital cost with a reduced overall energy operating budget. In addition, LACCD is reducing or offsetting transportation carbon emissions through an aggressive program of incentives, subsidies and behavior based programs. Finally. LACCD is beginning the design process on 50 new buildings that it expects will exceed LEED Platinum standards by maximizing all sustainable attributes to achieve a zero energy status.

(PL-03) Students Lead the Way to a Sustainable Future
Presenters: Clayton Carlson, Student, University of California Santa Barbara; Julie Hayes, Student, Colorado University Environmental Center; Kelley Payne, Student, Berkeley Student; William Rutledge, Student, student; Andrea Zaragoza-Ballesteros, University of Colorado Environmental Center

Moderator:
John Ruffo, Partner, WRNS Studio, LLP

(CC-01) Moving to Carbon Neutrality: Not all Buildings are Created Equal
Presenters: David Body, Principal, Cannon; Craig A. Hamilton, Principal, Cannon Design
To meet near and long term targets for campus energy reduction will require significant new campus wide and building specific strategies. But different campus building types present different opportunities and challenges for sustainability: the programmatic and operational needs of a research laboratory building is different than a residence hall which is different that a classroom building.

(CC-02) Living Greener, Living Better: Dorms That Attract Students to Campus. (proceeding not submitted)
Presenters: Braulio Baptista, Principal, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP; Amy Cortese, Sustainability Coordinator, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, LLP; Gabe Merrell, Resident Director, Reed College
This presentation examines the planning of a four building, home-like 125-bed housing complex for Portland's Reed College–and how this project serves Reed's long-term development goals; (1) to draw students and future development to an underutilized corner of campus; (2) to house 75% of students on campus; (3) and to provide housing that supports students socially, academically and environmentally. Special attention will be given to both campus master planning and the sustainable architecture of Reed's new student housing.

(CC-03) Utilizing Students to Broaden Sustainability Planning Beyond the ACUPCC
Presenters: Chelsea Hodge, Student, Pomona College; Bowen Patterson, Sustainability Coordinator, Pomona College; N. Scott Smith, Architect and Planner, Sasaki Associates
Student involvement can provide a strategic advantage when considering sustainability that extends beyond the climate-specific issues of the Presidents' Climate Commitment (PCC). For this reason, Pomona College engaged its own students in completing a Campus Sustainability Audit and Action Plan. Based on Pomona's experience, campus sustainability coordinators will learn how student involvement can provide the resources necessary to complete more thorough sustainability planning that tackles climate issues as well as broader sustainability concepts.

(CC-04) Beyond LEED: Building-Type Specific Energy Standards at OSU (proceeding not submitted)
Presenters: Bernard Costantino, Campus Architect, The Ohio State Universtiy; Willa S. Kuh, Senior Associate, Sasaki Associates; Michael R. Walters, Sustainable Practice Leader, Affiliated Engineers
The Ohio State University's 2008 Green Build Policy establishes energy use intensity standards that exceed state guidelines and, for many building types, exceed LEED energy standards. OSU University Architect Bernard Costantino, his consultant engineer, and campus planner will describe this comprehensive policy and its projected impact on campus energy use. They will detail the research supporting the policy, including consultation with peer institutions. This policy also addresses standards for building commissioning, life cycle analysis, implications for construction budgets and staffing.

(CC-06) Developing a Carbon Neutral Lab
Presenters: Niraj Dangoria, Assistant Dean, Facilities Planning & Management, Stanford University; David Martin, Principal, Anshen + Allen; Christopher Shay, Project Manager & Planner, Stanford University
Research laboratories continue to pose the most significant challenge to campus carbon emissions initiatives. How can they be designed to respond to changing program components, transformative research methods, and alarming societal developments regarding climatic change in support of carbon neutrality on campus? Learn how the Research Laboratory in the Age of the Invisible, a hypothetical design exercise has led to design approaches which provide unrivaled flexibility for evolving research pedagogies and carbon neutrality; creating exemplar discovery environments which endure well beyond 2030 toward 2060.

(CC-07) A New Campus Plan: Sustainable Land Use & Its Collaborative Learning Environments
Presenters: Charles F. Jeffery, Dean, Institutional Planning, Glendale Community College; Carl G. Price, Principal, RNL
This presentation discusses the importance and challenges of identifying and addressing the sustainable land planning strategies for your campus. Learn how the college, design team and community representatives master-planned and implemented a new sustainable campus that emphasizes life long learning, social interaction and most importantly a place for the Gen-Y students and community to feel at home. This session will describe steps the college took to translate its vision into the realized campus and their unimaginable successful student enrollment results.

(CC-08) Climate Action Planning at the Oregon University System
Presenters: Steve Mital, Director of Sustainability, University of Oregon; Bob Simonton, Planning & Budgeting, Oregon University System
The Oregon University System is choosing to confront greenhouse gas emissions with a system-wide approach rather than institution by institution. Guided by the adage that a rising tide lifts all boats this approach leverages the resources of the larger institutions and greatly assists smaller schools whose resources are limited. The session will describe the OUS approach, results to date, and advantages–both real and perceived. University planners, sustainability directors, and others responsible for climate action planning should attend.

(CC-09) Growth, Community, and the Presidents Climate Commitment (proceeding not submitted)
Presenters: Brodie Bain, Principal, Mithun; Ysabel D. Trinidad, Vice Chancellor, Administrative Services, Finance & Administration, University of Washington
University of Washington, Tacoma (UWT), is located in the historic core of Tacoma and will expand 5-fold in the next 20+ years. This degree of expansion presents an extraordinary opportunity, and profound responsibility, to plan a low impact 21st Century campus that also addresses the programmatic needs of the institution. The solution charts a course to meet the President's Climate Commitment along with growth. Attendees will learn strategies for integrated, comprehensive planning that incorporates sustainable strategies while meeting specific program goals.

(CC-10) Master Planning to Achieve a Carbon Neutral Campus
Presenters: Don Miles, Principal, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, LLP; Paul F. Smith, Director, Facilities, The Evergreen State College; Tim Williams, Associate Partner, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, LLP
The Evergreen State College, located on 1,000 forested acres in Olympia, Washington, is a small, public, Liberal Arts College committed to achieving a carbon neutral footprint by the year 2020. As part of efforts to achieve this goal, a sustainably driven Master Plan (adopted in 2008) established a comprehensive, long-term sustainable development plan and course of action for campus. The proposed session will highlight specific strategies in the plan aimed at providing the most significant reductions in carbon emissions.

(CC-11) Getting to Zero (Green): Setting Priorities In Planning and Design (proceeding not submitted)
Presenters: Martha Ball, Architect, Cannon Design; Timothy Ball, Director of Facilities, Salk Institute, La Jolla; Punit Jain, Vice President, Cannon Design
Approaching "zero carbon" in a sustainable campus involves decisions about where the best leverage points are, from campus-wide infrastructure strategies to individual building strategies. The presenters will illustrate methodologies to organize, analyze and prioritize design sustainable design strategies by their life-cycle cost/benefit performance from campus scale to individual buildings.

This presentation will present techniques that integrate campus wide-of infrastructure with building level decisions into a unified cost-savings and return-on-investment model.

(CC-13) Meeting the 2030 Challenge–Small and Large Residential Stories (proceeding not submitted)
Presenters: Kurt Haapala, Associate Architect, Mahlum Architects; Bradly Wilson, Mechanical Engineer/Associate, PAE Consulting Engineers
Nationwide, the drive to achieve carbon neutrality is transforming campus buildings and communities. This session compares the distinct strategies and resulting housing facilities of two leaders in sustainability, Pacific University and University of Washington. One is a private liberal arts college and the other a major public research institution, but their disparate paths both lead to achievement of the AIA 2030 Challenge. Their stories offer valuable tools for institutions and designers looking to create sustainable communities with ambitious performance outcomes.

(CC-14) Oops, We Got Platinum
Presenters: James Blomquist, Associate Vice Chancellor, City College of San Francisco; Timothy L. Craig, Principal, VBN Architects; Kathleen Smith, Principal, EcoSmith Design & Consulting
The budget calls for Silver but the institution's commitment, a donor's behest, or guiding principles of the department open the door for further exploration. Learn from facility case studies that achieved LEED Platinum certification, including the nation's first Platinum community college building, strategies on how to change operations, work with contractors, or rethink options, even after construction starts. You'll benefit from the perspective of academics, facility management and institutional leadership. The intended audience is anyone involved in Presidents Climate Commitment.

(CC-15) Sustainability at the University of Denver: Planning, Policies, and Practices (proceeding not submitted)
Presenters: Lyndsay J. Agans, Assistant Professor, University of Denver; Tom McGee, Energy Engineer, University of Denver
The University of Denver Sustainability Council is working to build a comprehensive sustainability action plan. That plan specifically addresses three areas: academics and research, operations, and administration and finance. This session details the development of that plan, with emphasis placed on the alignment of that adaptation with the public good and inclusive excellence mission of DU. Session attendees will engage in discussion and case studies based on direct experiences (dilemmas and promising practices) faced in the development of the plan.

(CC-16) Developing an Effective Climate Action Plan (proceeding not submitted)
Presenters: Minakshi Mani Amundsen, University Planner, Cornell University; Stan Wrzeski, Sustainable Systems Analyst, Affiliated Engineers, Inc
As the land grant institution for New York State, Cornell University is engaging in an expansive effort to develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP) intended to be an exemplar for other AC&UPCC signatories. This session will outline the methodology and process used to develop their CAP, and how it may be scaled and adapted for varied institutions. A transparent and robust "sustainable decision process" is guiding choices - both initially and throughout the life of the plan. Faculty/staff/student committees developed and evaluated options for each carbon-reduction strategy, using economic, environmental, social, and strategic institutional goals. These were woven into a portfolio using engineering, financial and planning perspectives.

(CC-18) Implementing Sustainability on a Campus Scale: UCSB 2005 (proceeding not submitted)
Presenters: Kirk Davis, Principal, Glumac; Scott Lewis, Brightworks
This session will provide a practical roadmap to assist facilities staff to understand the "Presidents Climate Commitment" and its impact upon the existing campus as well as future campus improvements. Included will be a primer on sustainability comparing and contrasting LEED with The Natural Step with Carbon Neutrality. A methodology will be reviewed to engage stakeholders and prepare an implementation plan for implementing the "Presidents Climate Commitment".

(CC-19) Mid-Century Modernism Transformed to Support Carbon Neutrality
Presenters: Gregory E. Blackburn, Principal, Anshen + Allen; Sam Evison, sevison@davislangdon.us, Davis Langdon; Frank Zwart, Associate Vice Chancellor & Campus Architect, University of California-Santa Cruz
How can a generation of mid-20th Century modernist buildings support campus wide carbon emissions initiatives while responding to evolving needs of a 21st Century study body, even as they approach what appears to be the end of their useful life? It is possible through assertive design and planning to create a completely transformed environment for student life and learning while providing an environmentally benign solution–this session will focus on how this has been accomplished in transforming the Porter College Residences at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

(CC-20) Soup to Nuts: Sustainable Dining at the University of Colorado (proceeding not submitted)
Presenters: James C. Childress, Partner, Centerbrook Architects and Planners; Kambiz Khalili, Interim Director of Housing and Dining Services, University of Colorado at Boulder; Philip Simpson, Assistant Director/Facilities Planning, University of Colorado at Boulder
As part of a larger campus-wide effort, the University of Colorado-Boulder's new Center for Community will knit together a large student body and "green" its dining facilities. Its dining center and student services spaces, including multi-cultural gathering spaces, an advocacy hall, career services, international education, and counseling, will encourage student interaction among an increasingly disconnected campus community. The building will replace two inefficient dining facilities with a new food service concept which includes ecologically sensible food waste management systems and a variety of dining venues and food options.

This presentation will describe CU's "green" dining programs, how they are integrated into the design of a building slated for LEED-certification, and how these strategies help CU meet the ambitious goals outlined in its 2006 Blueprint for a Green Campus. Participants will learn about the specific sustainable strategies being used in campus planning, building programming and planning, and food service operations.

(CC-21) A Sustainable Campus Masterplan for Athabasca University- a Campus without Students
Presenters: Shafraaz Kaba, Architect, Manasc Isaac Architects
Athabasca University (AU) is Canada's leading distance education and online University. AU has recently experienced a period of rapid enrolment growth that has seen the student body double over the past 6 years to 32,000 students. AU has completed a Sustainable Campus Masterplan to deal with this exceptional growth at their campus without students. Integrating ideas of indigenous planting, wildlife corridors, public art, local history, economic drivers and environment, this Sustainable Masterplan creates a place that is memorable and significant.

(CC-22) Globalization and Cultural Confluence (proceeding not submitted)
Presenters: Ronald A. Altoon, Partner, Altoon + Porter Architects; Edward Avedisian, Chairm of the Paramaz Avedisian Bldg Committee, American University of Armenia
A representative from The Regents of the University of California and an international designer will explore the synergetic effects of contrasting cultural, political and economic systems working together. A multi-faceted case study will demonstrate the successful outcome of a local university's expansion into a developing country.