Presenters:

Chris Flint Chatto, Sustainability Coordinator, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP, Portland, OR

Mark Frankel, Technical Director, New Buildings Institute, White Salmon, WA

Mary Ann Lazarus, HOK Architecture, St. Louis, MO

Jared Silliker, Silliker + Partners, Seattle, WA

Session sponsored by Stoel Rives

In a recent editorial Architect magazine cried, "You’re green? Then show us the data", noting that “LEED is an aspirational tool, a kind of sustainability forecast [that] only holds true until move-in day. … To gain actionable four-dimensional understanding of the value of sustainable design strategies, architects, building owners, and facility managers have to invest in long-term performance evaluations.” (Architect, October 2008) Indeed, from the Living Building Challenge to the 2030 Challenge, more and more emphasis is being placed on actual energy performance, and in the UK building performance is already being publicly showcased through a labeling program and California law will demand similar information next year. Moreover, another British effort, CarbonBuzz, provides a framework for both self-reporting of modeling and performance data that shows aggregate statistics. These efforts, coupled with a recent New Buildings Institute study showing little correlation between predicted and actual building performance, beg the questions: how do the buildings we design perform; how can post-occupancy evaluations and benchmarking surveys be improved; how can architects be more involved; and what benchmarking trends lie ahead? 

This session will showcase how leading architecture firms (HOK and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects) track carbon impacts of their projects and how that data is impacting new projects. Discussion will explore ways to collaborate as an industry to build on these efforts and how the design community can create a larger legacy. Moreover, the session will investigate recent trends and tools in building performance benchmarking, and issues around data disclosure will also be addressed—be it from a voluntary or regulatory environment.

Presenter Bios

Chris Flint Chatto

Chris Flint Chatto is a Sustainable Design Coordinator with Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects. He focuses on optimizing building efficiencies, from energy and daylighting studies in early project development to tracking the performance of completed projects, to monitoring the energy performance of ZGF projects in the context of the 2030 Challenge. Chris developed an expertise in daylighting, climate analysis and bioclimatic design for high performance buildings while working with the BetterBricks Integrated Design Labs at the University of Oregon and University of Washington.

Mark Frankel

Mark Frankel is the Technical Director for the New Buildings Institute. NBI develops programs, policy, training, and research on high performance buildings and energy efficiency for organizations all over the country. Recently, Mark led the development of the Advanced Buildings Core Performance program, a prescriptive energy program for savings of 20-30% over code. Mark also co-authored a recently released study of LEED building energy performance. Currently Mark is involved in national coalitions to improve and encourage building performance feedback to the design community.

Mary Ann Lazarus

Mary Ann Lazarus serves as HOK's firmwide Sustainable Design Director. As part of HOK design teams, Mary Ann leads the integration of sustainability criteria into design concepts, and acts as team facilitator for effectively assessing the impact of energy efficient design strategies on project design, construction and operations. She has developed materials and programs to raise awareness and create a consistent base of knowledge across the firm and with HOK's clients. Lazarus is co-author of The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design, Second Edition.

Jared Silliker

Jared Silliker, LEED AP, heads up Silliker + Partners, consulting with businesses, organizations and governments to advance green building and reduce carbon emissions. He specializes in sustainable design integration, communication and education strategy, and marketing guidance related to sustainable business. He spent 8 years at The Cadmus Group managing EPA’s ENERGY STAR commercial building design program, for which he developed an energy performance initiative aimed at architects. Jared earned his MBA in Sustainable Business at The Bainbridge Graduate Institute. He also writes for Inhabitat.com, covering sustainable design topics, and volunteers with AIA COTE in Seattle and nationally.