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AIA COTE/USGBC Relationship
COTE supports LEED and considers the USGBC to be an important
partner with many shared goals. To that end, COTE encourages local
chapters to partner with local USGBC chapters to co-sponsor events
and other collaborations. In small or geographically dispersed
communities, the groups may overlap or even merge; it may make
sense to blend the groups. Given the different missions, COTE
recommends keeping the groups distinct, even if they work closely
on a regular basis. The COTE national advisory group continues to
work with USGBC to refine the relationship and seeks ways to
partner effectively at all levels.
AIA New York (City) COTE: We’ve worked very well together.
There are many cross-over people, but typically active in one group
or the other. We have co-sponsored events together in the past, but
not typical. We sometimes compete for speakers. They have a
different goal with a limited focus. In NYC, the GBC Chapter is
also more focused on engineering and less on design due to the
membership base.
AIA Houston
COTE: We have stayed separate from the USGBC local chapter,
understanding that LEED is not the end all, we try to educate about
the reasons why it is important to build green and take the focus
off the checklist mentality. We do collaborate on events with the
USGBC from time to time, like our recent tour. Some in our
membership have said they want a focus on green architecture for
architects, and if issues like liability come up, they don’t
want to discuss that in front of contractors and folks from other
building sectors. Our local USGBC chapter is a great group, but we
realize that there are many more roads to sustainability than
LEED.
AIA
Seattle COTE: Cascadia is a very active chapter of the USGBC.
There is only been limited interaction between the two
organizations, some members work with both groups. The GBC has had
problems scheduling as far in advance as the AIA typically needs to
meet publication deadlines. Profit sharing is always an issue with
teaming with any organization. Combining resources to achieve
similar visions should be an obvious match.
AIA Charlotte COTE: A USGBC chapter has formed in Charlotte this
year. The biggest obstacle is that the USGBC chapter already has
many more members and resources. Most of our past COTE members are
active with the USGBC and are looking for ways to most effectively
use their volunteer time, and this usually means working on a USGBC
Committee. For the moment I foresee our COTE working on events
directly related to the AIA (such as design awards and the green
membership luncheon) while the USGBC chapter will take over some of
the advocacy with the local businesses and government. We keep each
other up to date with our plans and should work together whenever
possible.
AIA Cleveland COTE: Almost all of our AIA COTE programs have been
in partnership with the Cleveland GBC, including a successful
charrette. A member of the staff of the CGBC is on our COTE
committee and regularly attends our monthly committee meetings. We
may raise money for the events both individually and jointly
although we remain two distinctly separate organizations. We try to
focus more on the architecture of sustainability while the CGBC is
more on the LEED and technical view of sustainability.
Historically, CGBC has taken the lead in Cleveland on green issues
with the architects slow to join and integrate sustainability into
their practices. This is rapidly changing. The Cleveland AIA
chapter has been actively supporting sustainable issues, design,
and technology since 1999 with a COTE committee active since 2000.
Our COTE creates one monthly meeting per year that have been
successful in generating interest although we gather a much larger
audience when we partner with the CGBC. We also have partnered with
many of the other green organizations active in the Cleveland area
to produce a biannual three-day symposium on sustainability, with
AIA and CGBC playing a most active role (I was the chair of the
planning committee of the Sustainable Community Symposium).
AIA COTE Partner Organizations
There are numerous organizations that COTE works with regularly,
within the AIA and beyond. The COTE Advisory Group has been working
to formalize many of these relationships and in some cases, formal
MOUs have resulted (with, for example, the EPA and with
BuildingGreen).
AIA Knowledge Community: The Committee on
Design (CoD)
COTE has long worked closely with the other largest of the
Knowledge Communities, and that relationship has been strong in
2005 in preparation for the May 2006 Architecture of Sustainability
Conference and Competition as well as other joint activities.
AIA Knowledge Constituency: The Center for
Communities by Design (CxD)
The center builds coalitions and works with many organizations to
promote livable communities; COTE is a partner on several projects,
including the Sustainable Design Assessment Team initiative.
(www.aia.org/liv_sdat).
The
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE)
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning
Engineers is the national professional society representing
professional engineers in the fields of heating, ventilation, air
conditioning, and refrigeration. AIA has been working with ASHRAE
on various projects, including the authorship of
project-type-specific design guides.
Building Green/Environmental Building
News
The Building Green team has been an important partner on the Top
Ten for years, creating the online submission form and data
collection aspect of the entry process. Each year, the metrics and
related databases are refined. An MOU was signed in 2005, paving
the way for closer and more consistent collaboration.
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and High
Performance Buildings Database
The DOE’s High Performance Buildings Database is a
valuable resource for building information and COTE has long worked
with DOE to bring Top Ten Green Project information into the
database, a project that is ongoing at this time. DOE
representatives have provided technical assistance with the Top Ten
program, including participation in the expanded Technical Review
component of that program.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
ENERGY STAR® Program
The AIA has an MOU with the EPA (signed in 2004), which has ignited
several significant projects (including a water conference,
research effort, and more); the EPA ENERGY STAR Program also is a
sponsor of the COTE Top Ten Green Projects.
The National Building
Museum
The museum hosts the annual announcement of the AIA COTE Top Ten
Green Projects and has partnered with COTE in other efforts as
well.
Solar Decathlon
AIA has been a supporter and sponsor of the Solar Decathlon since
the first effort in 2002. This year, past COTE Chair Mark Rylander,
AIA, was one of the judges in fall 2005 when 18 teams will brought
their competition solar houses to Washington, D.C., where they
constructed a solar village on the National Mall.
The Tides
Foundation
The Tides Foundation awarded a grant to COTE for the Ecological
Literacy in Architecture Education project and the 2005 Ecological
Literacy Report. The foundation works toward positive social
change, putting resources and people together to strengthen
nonprofit organizations and the progressive movement.
Other Allied Organizations and Resources
This is a list of some of the many organizations with which COTE is
cultivating collaborative relationships due to shared goals:
American Planning
Association (APA)
The APA is a nonprofit public interest and research organization
committed to urban, suburban, regional, and rural planning. The APA
and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified
Planners, promote the art and science of planning to meet the needs
of people and society.
American Society of Landscape
Architects (ASLA)
The ASLA is the national professional association representing
landscape architects. ASLA promotes the landscape architecture
profession and advances the practice through advocacy, education,
communication, and fellowship.
American Solar Energy Society
(ASES)
The U.S. section of the International Solar Energy Society, ASES is
dedicated to the development and adoption of renewable energy in
all its forms, including solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen, ocean,
and biofuels.
Association for
Community Design (ACD)
Supports community design centers with many resources, including a
nationwide directory of community design centers, publications, and
interactive discussions.
Building
Science Corporation (BSC)
BSC is a Boston-based architecture and building science consulting
firm that focuses on preventing and resolving problems related to
building design, construction, and operation. Internationally
recognized for its expertise in moisture dynamics, indoor air
quality, and forensic (building failure) investigations, BSC is
also on the leading edge of the sustainable building and community
design, promoting energy efficiency and environmental
responsibility within the constraints of marketable and affordable
building technology.
Colorado Renewable
Energy Society (CRES)
CRES increases the awareness of the economic and environmental
benefits of solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and energy-efficient
technologies.
The Earth Pledge
Foundation
The foundation identifies and promotes innovative techniques and
technologies that restore the balance between human and natural
systems. Through demonstration, education, and research, the
foundation seeks to deliver viable models to government, industry,
and communities.
Energy & Environmental
Building Association (EEBA)
EEBA provides education and resources to help the residential
design, development, and construction industries profitably deliver
energy-efficient, environmentally responsible buildings and
communities.
The Enterprise
Foundation
The Enterprise Foundation has partnered with the AIA, the
Natural Resources Defense Council and others on the Green
Communities initiative to ensure sustainable, smart, and healthy
homes and neighborhoods for Americans with limited incomes. The
Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship was established in 1999
by The Enterprise Foundation to promote architectural and community
design in low-income communities and encourages architects to
become lifelong leaders in public service and community
development.
Green Building
Pages
Green Building Pages is a sustainable-building materials database
and design tool for the environmentally and socially responsible
designer, builder, and client.
Homes Across
America
Homes Across America aims to build the bridge between
homebuyers, builders, designers, and technical assistance providers
who have questions, ideas, and information to share about
resource-efficient features and innovations. A broad spectrum of
national partners has contributed to this searchable technology
showcase of resource-efficient homes and contacts across the
nation.
International Downtown
Association (IDA)
The IDA promotes and guides the development of vibrant, healthy
urban centers that anchor towns, cities, and regions, by providing
information resources, news, case studies, legislation tracking,
and other services.
The Kresge
Foundation
The Kresge Foundation is a private foundation “to promote the
well-being of mankind.” A key effort is its Green Building
Initiative to encourage nonprofit organizations to use sustainable
design principles in their facilities.
Mayors' Institute on City
Design (MICD)
The mission of MICD is to improve the design and livability of
America''s cities through their chief elected leaders: their
mayors. The program is an initiative of the National Endowment for
the Arts (NEA), established in 1986 and now administered by the
American Architectural Foundation in partnership with the NEA and
the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
National Association of Home
Builders (NAHB)
The NAHB is a federation of more than 800 state and local
builders associations throughout the United States. This trade
association enhances the climate for housing and the building
industry and promotes policies that will keep housing a national
priority. Chief among NAHB''s goals is providing and expanding
opportunities for all consumers to have safe, decent, and
affordable housing.
The National Conference of
State Legislatures (NCSL)
Growth management page includes recent state and court actions,
publications, and a link to a database of state incentive-based
growth management laws.
The Natural Step
Since 1988, The Natural Step has worked to accelerate global
sustainability by guiding companies, communities, and governments
onto an ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable path.
More than 70 people in 12 countries work with an international
network of sustainability experts, scientists, universities, and
businesses to create solutions, innovative models, and tools that
will lead the transition to a sustainable future.
Project for Public Spaces
(PPS)
PPS was founded in 1975 to continue the pioneering work of
writer-sociologist William Whyte. PPS has helped more than 1,000
communities in 44 states and 12 countries improve their parks,
markets, streets, transit stations, libraries, and countless other
public spaces.
Rocky Mountain Institute
(RMI)
RMI is a nonprofit organization established in 1982 by resource
analysts L. Hunter Lovins and Amory B. Lovins. RMI brings a unique
perspective to resource issues, guided by the following core
principles: advanced resource productivity, systems thinking,
positive action, market-oriented solutions, end-use/least-cost
approach, biological insight, corporate transformation, the pursuit
of interconnections, and natural capitalism.
Smart Growth Network
(SGN)
SGN was formed in response to increasing community concerns about
the need for new ways to grow that boost the economy, protect the
environment, and enhance community vitality.
Society of Building
Science Educators (SBSE)
SBSE is an association of university educators and practitioners in
architecture and related disciplines who support excellence in the
teaching of environmental science and building technologies.
SBSE''s goal of promoting and supporting quality instruction in
building science is realized through a broad range of practical
activities.
Sustainable Building
Industry Council (SBIC)
With an active membership of key leaders in the industry, SBIC
brings together design professionals, corporations, and individuals
who are committed to sustainable design.
Sustainable
Communities Network (SCN)
This Web site provides links to information sources related to
healthy, vital, and sustainable communities. Its goal is to
increase the visibility of strategies that have worked in
communities and to promote a lively exchange of information to help
create community sustainability in both urban and rural
areas.
Sustainable Design Resource Guide
This guide, created by the AIA Denver Committee on the
Environment is organized according to the 16 divisions of the
Construction Specifications Institute. Each division outlines
specific concerns related to the products and systems in that
division, followed by product listings and information designed to
help in the purchase or specification of sustainable building
products.
The Trust for Public Land
(TPL)
Includes links to federal, state, and local funding of conservation
projects; the LandVote database of ballot initiatives in state and
local elections addressing open-space preservation; urban
conservation information; and information on the economic benefits
of designing development to protect open space.
Union of Concerned
Scientists
An independent nonprofit alliance of more than 100,000 concerned
citizens and scientists who seek to augment rigorous scientific
analysis with innovative thinking and committed citizen advocacy to
build a cleaner, healthier environment, and a safer world.
University Leaders for a
Sustainable Future (ULSF)
ULSF helps colleges and universities to make sustainability an
integral part of curriculum, research, operations, and
outreach.
Urban Land Institute
(ULI)
ULI''s mission is to provide responsible land-use leadership to
enhance the total environment. To increase its influence on
land-use policy and practice, the institute communicates best
practices and provides relevant and current information about land
use and real estate development to all its members and
stakeholders.
U.S.
Department of Energy's Smart Communities Network
This Web site provides information, assistance, and case studies on
energy-efficient, sustainable development that strengthens local
economies, protects the environment, and improves quality of
life.
U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS)
USGS provides reliable scientific information to describe and
understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from
natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral
resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. USGS has
become a world leader in the natural sciences thanks to scientific
excellence and responsiveness to society''s needs.
U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC)
USGBC is a coalition of leaders from across the building industry
that is working to promote buildings that are environmentally
responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. COTE
has worked closely with USGBC since its founding. COTE supports the
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building
Rating System®, and several past COTE chairs have served on the
USGBC board of directors. This is a key relationship that COTE is
cultivating actively at all levels.
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