Developing Our Sustainability Action Plan

A LEED Platinum project: The University of Oregon Student Recreation Center

The American Institute of Architects has long advocated for environmental stewardship. In 2006, the AIA adopted the 2030 Challenge, which seeks to achieve a dramatic reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 2030, and a complete phase-out of fossil fuel emissions by 2040. More recently, AIA’s leadership formally resolved to exponentially accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, the building sector, and the built environment. 

The AIA regards the development of a Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) by every member firm to be a useful step toward achieving its 2030 commitment targets. As the AIA’s guidance document states, each SAP is a declaration of a company’s unique approach to sustainable design. The goal is to follow an introspective process—thinking strategically and methodically—to translate sustainability values and aspirations into a comprehensive approach for transforming a firm’s practices and portfolio. A key aspect of every SAP is the adoption of metrics for measuring improvements, such as establishing Energy Use Intensity (EUI) and Lighting Power Density targets for every project.  

My office—Robertson/Sherwood/Architects—has pursued energy efficiency and sustainability in our work for many years—decades, really. We’ve reliably considered life-cycle implications, believing them to naturally be attendant to a sustainability-minded approach to design. We’ve designed numerous projects that by all measures have achieved exemplary levels of energy conservation, protected and conserved water, enhanced indoor environmental quality, and optimized operational and maintenance practices. Of these, several have attained Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, including multiple LEED Platinum and Gold projects. 

Despite our commendable track record, until now we have not developed our own formal Sustainability Action Plan. We’re doing so now. My primary concern is that our SAP should truly be actionable. I don’t want our plan to be a collection of hollow statements. It needs to provide a measurement framework with a continual focus on evaluation, adaptation, and improvement in how we operate as a firm and conduct our work. Our SAP should serve as a long-term planning tool to ensure ongoing alignment of our values, goals, and practice. The plan must provide us with the means to “walk the talk” and practice what we preach.  

Everyone on our staff is involved in the process of developing our SAP. We’re a small enough firm (a dozen people) so all company members can participate equitably. We’ve already conducted an office-wide SAP kickoff meeting, as well as individually participating in a sustainability survey tailored to the specifics of our practice. We’ve discussed increasing internal training and education, as well as supporting staff development through LEED, WELL, Passive House, or other green-related professional accreditations. We’re talking about how we can operate more sustainability, from the way we handle office procurement and waste to minimizing reliance upon automobiles through telecommuting, use of public transit, and cycling. 

Screenshot from the Robertson/Sherwood/Architects SAP kickoff meeting

A significant byproduct of a Sustainability Action Plan for Robertson/Sherwood/ Architects will be its value as an information-sharing platform that communicates our values to our clients and staff. Even now, during the process of developing our plan, I sense among my coworkers an enthusiasm for helping to create the change they will be participating in. A welcome result of our change management process is the culture of empowerment and innovation it is spawning within the RSA team. As my office grows and evolves, our SAP will not only shape how we practice and approach our work but also represent a key investment in our firm culture and its future wellbeing.  

Many AIA-member firms have already developed their own Sustainability Action Plans. For examples, a huge sampling from AIA California is available for downloading online. They vary in quality but share in common an assessment and self-awareness of how each firm operates and the extent to which it aspires to reducing negative environmental impacts associated with its business practices and approach to sustainable design. Many plans clearly state the way the firms seek to keep themselves accountable.  

The AIA 2030 Commitment Program is entirely voluntary; that said, there’s little doubt the entire architectural profession bears a collective responsibility to do what it can to protect our clients, our communities, and our planet. As is all too evident to anyone paying attention, the climate crisis is escalating. In addition to threatening public health, the existential threat of climate change is exacerbating systemic racial injustice and economic crises. If you doubt the role architects should play in addressing climate change, note the urban built environment is responsible for 75% of annual GHG emissions globally; buildings alone account for 39% of the total.  

There are plenty of reasons to be less than optimistic about our planet’s future. The architectural community, along with many others, first began sounding the alarm a half-century ago. The moral imperative to act has existed throughout the entirety of my professional career and yet here we are, confronted by a situation more dire than ever. The chaotic, non-linear progression toward runaway global warming is only gaining momentum, a problem I first noted on this platform over thirteen years ago.  

So, are efforts like committing to the 2030 Challenge and developing a Sustainability Action Plan too little too late, tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? Perhaps. On the other hand, being proactive—doing what we can control—is empowering. Our SAP will demonstrate a commitment to addressing climate change in concrete, verifiable ways. We will be doing what we can to not contribute to the problem.  

Preparing our Sustainability Action Plan will be the easy part. Following through will be the true test. Shame on us if we fail to do so.