Embodied Carbon (EC) will account for nearly half the global carbon emissions from new construction in the next 30 years. The urgency with which industry professionals, real estate developers, product manufacturers, and property owners must work together to reduce EC in their projects and product selections is mounting. Though sometimes in conflict, EC and Operational Carbon (OC) must be addressed holistically, rather than solving for one at the expense of the other.

For too long, making buildings healthier has focused on occupant health, a narrow view neglecting manufacturing workers and communities around the factories. Truly healthier materials must be free from chemicals of concern throughout the supply chain. Outrage over the injustice embodied in unhealthy products is valuable only if it spurs action, and action means designing out bad product types and pushing manufacturers for safer materials. You can contribute to the movement by lending your voice and your project’s buying power.

Electrifying existing buildings is easier said than done. There are numerous roadblocks to electrification, from first costs, to technical feasibility, to grid limitations, operating costs, and tenant education, just to name a few! Richard Gerbe will moderate this roundtable discussion with key stakeholders representing manufacturers, utilities, engineers, and building owners, to learn how cross-sector collaboration will help accelerate the decarbonization of New York’s existing building stock efficiently and equitably.

While certifications are crucial to pushing the limits of sustainable construction, validating investments, and providing quality assurance, they sometimes risk a narrowed viewpoint, shifting priorities towards meeting a prescribed matrix and away from big picture values better benefitting building occupants and the environment. This presentation showcases individual projects and lessons learned from pursuing single and multiple certifications (LEED, Living Building Challenge, Passive House and WELL), and how they can be leveraged to create truly regenerative buildings.

With climate change resulting in increased heat and precipitation, coastal flooding, and other hazardous events, the built environment is experiencing increased vulnerability and disruption. The goal of resilient design is not only to protect critical project components from current climate hazards, but also to reduce downtime following a hazardous event and to prepare for and adapt to future challenges. This session will review three Passive House case studies, evaluating design solutions that incorporate the results from both passive survivability and climate resilience assessments.

Adopting circular economy approaches in a high-growth, high-waste sector like the built environment presents a tremendous opportunity for businesses, governments and cities to minimize structural waste and thus realize greater value from built environment assets. It is time to reshape our urban future and move from principles to practices. In this session, visionary practitioners will provide their perspectives on how partnerships are key to understanding and solving tomorrow’s challenges.