We know. You want to geek out about clever construction details and cutting edge construction methods, and in the process perhaps learn some strategies that you can bring back and apply to your own work. Well then, this is the session for you.

The growth of renewable energy is a hopeful and positive sign for society. It is not merely a fuel switch, however; it is a disruptive technology that is revolutionizing the fundamental economics of the grid itself. As fossil-fuel “storage” is supplanted by intermittent renewable energy, peak load is transitioning from demand-driven to supply-driven, and shifting the focus from “energy” to “power."

Vanderweil has piloted post-occupancy review to determine how buildings are used and discovered that gaps in installation, operation, and maintenance, which can result in excess energy and resource use, may be avoidable. Post-occupancy evaluation requires a small investment but yields results that can help alleviate owner issues with controls, circulation, and operational strategy.

Most firms claim to practice integrative design, but that’s not reliably the case! With LEED’s new “IP” credit and increased demand for NZ buildings, it’s time to get real. Transforming the design process is not simply adding a kick-off charrette – it’s a systemic transformation that even can help overcome the typical dysfunctional dynamics between architects and engineers. In this roll-up-your-sleeves session, participants will dig in, deconstruct what they do on a “typical” project, and “ReDesign” the future to achieve a desired performance outcome. Participants leave with actionable items to put into practice immediately.

We know how to design and construct net-zero and living buildings that are healthy, responsible, beautiful, durable and financially prudent. So why aren’t clients demanding this? How can we clearly demonstrate that this is in their best interest?

The AIA 2030 Commitment has impacted not only how we design, but also how firms practice. It has changed the way firms work by integrating performance information into the design process. This session is relevant to both those interested in learning more about the Commitment as well as current signatories, and will cover new tools and developments, such as the online performance tracking tool, the Design Data Exchange.

Buildings are designed to be expendable. Codes focus on safe evacuation in an emergency, not on keeping buildings occupiable through a disaster. With climate change, displacement due to damage from extreme weather events like Superstorm Sandy is more common. Is building to code minimums really enough?

Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) is a masonry product with a long history in much of the industrialized world, yet it has seen relatively limited use in the United States. The two presenters, Dan Levy and Steve Bluestone, both find AAC preferable to wood as a building material for many reasons, including resistance to fire, water, mold pests, and structural loads. And AAC does all of the above with a single material installed by a single trade.

The phrase “natural building” tends to evoke images of humble, rustic homes built out of mud and sticks by barefoot idealists in rural backwaters. The natural building movement has come of age, however, and today's professionally-executed natural buildings can match any green building in air-tightness, energy use intensity, durability, and aesthetics, all while achieving reduced levels of embodied carbon and enhanced social benefits.