Designing Sustainably for Social Justice

By NextHaus Alliance Founding Member, Kipnis Architecture + Planning

Kipnis Architecture + Planning believes that “affordable” and “sustainable” provide synergies that support the health and wellbeing of the planet and the home’s occupants, as well as the values of local communities. The firm’s portfolio includes a handful of affordable housing projects through the years while the team’s practice daily reinforces the values of social equity. 

Between 2011 and 2013 and with grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (NSP2), Kipnis Architecture + Planning renovated homes and condominiums in Evanston, Ill., in poor condition, with issues including water leakage and substandard mechanical and ventilation systems. Sustainable upgrades included installing new, higher performance windows, improving the insulation systems, upgrading the mechanical systems and making the homes watertight.

NSP2 was established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to stabilize neighborhoods damaged by foreclosure and abandonment. Working on the condominiums and this two-unit building supported local companies and provided the community with sustainable, affordable housing opportunities.

We took some of the worst homes in Evanston and made them significantly better. (Kipnis Architecture + Planning photo)

Green Homes for Chicago – held in 2002 as a collaboration between Chicago’s Department of Housing and Department of Environment in conjunction with Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago – selected architects from a 2000 international design competition to build an affordable green home in the city’s Englewood and Hermosa neighborhoods. Kipnis Architecture + Planning's submitted three designs, with the following selected from over 100 applicants. It was finished in 2002 with Mark A. Miller Architecture as a designer partner.

(Kipnis Architecture + Planning photo)

“Creative strategies were employed to maximize energy efficiency with a small budget,” said Nathan Kipnis, FAIA, founder and principal of Kipnis Architecture + Planning. 

Sustainable features include one of the first uses of continuous insulation in the Chicago area, linoleum flooring made from natural jute fibers, carpeting made of recycled plastic soda bottles and cement-fiber board siding. 

“When an adjacent house burned, the green home didn’t catch fire,” Kipnis said. “The cement fiberboard siding proved its worth as embers glanced off of the siding.”

Although this particular design was also submitted in the Green Homes for Chicago competition, it has not yet been built. “It stands as a pillar of our belief in the future of sustainable homes,” Kipnis said. The classic Midwest Prairie Style design has passive solar and tight construction details for high efficiency. 

(Kipnis Architecture + Planning rendering)

“Consulting on the Chicago Green Bungalow Initiative in 2001, Jeanne Gang, founder of Studio Gang, and I were consultants for four energy-efficient and sustainable bungalows in the City of Chicago,” Kipnis said. 

Energy efficiency reduced the homes’ operating costs and enabled families of moderate income to afford them. The average space-heating energy savings ranged from $574 to $1,073 per year in 2001, providing meaningful savings that improved their quality of life.

(Kipnis Architecture + Planning photo)

“That’s still a pretty significant savings,” Kipnis said, “proving that sustainability and affordability can work together to support the health and wellbeing of the planet and the home’s occupants, as well as the values of local communities.”

Learn more about NextHaus Alliance member Kipnis Architecture + Planning and its work in sustainable architecture and resilient design on Facebook and Instagram, and at www.kipnisarch.com.

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In the News: Climate Change

Yes, It’s Dire – But We Can Still Make Things Right

Nathan Kipnis, FAIA, LEED BD+C | Kipnis Architecture + Planning

Extreme weather events are increasing occurrences throughout the Midwest, in the U.S. and around the globe. Relentless news reports of droughts, tornados, wildfires and flooding are proof that climate change is real, and that its aftermath affects peoples’ lives, homes and livelihoods.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) reported this week that “scientists are observing changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across the whole climate system.” Its report, Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis, was approved this summer by the IPCC’s 195 member governments. 

Earlier this year, The Nature Conservancy released its report, An Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Illinois, with similar findings. “Over the past 120 years, the average daily temperature in Illinois has increased, especially the average overnight temperature,” the report states. “The average daily temperature has increased by 1-2⁰F in most areas of Illinois.” 

According to both reports, the evidence is clear: there is direct correlation between humanity’s role in climate change and the Earth’s rising mean surface temperature of about 1.0⁰C above pre-industrial levels. Unless there is a change in human behavior to reduce and eliminate consumption of goods and services that emit greenhouse gasses, the Earth is on a trajectory of a 2.0⁰C rise in temperature, and this will be exponentially worse. Global temperature is expected to reach or exceed 1.5⁰C over the next 20 years, IPCC states.

Like a domino effect, further increases in Earth’s temperatures will trigger exponentially severe environmental and societal problems. Among them, rising sea levels and more dramatic wildfires, loss of plant pollinators and decreased crop output, increased pests and lengthy periods of drought and flooding. 

Fortunately, there are scientists and business professionals across the environmental spectrum working hard to dissect the research and implement viable solutions. I remain positive that – together – we can slow and even stop greenhouse gas emissions by changing behaviors that prepare us for the future.

Scotland Retreat Cottage - Kipnis Architecture + Planning

What You Can Do

First and foremost, our shared goal is to make sure global temperature does not increase by 1.5⁰C and certainly not by 2.0⁰C. To do this, our No. 1 action must be to stop using fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal and natural gas. 

Here are a few other changes you can make now that will have an impact over time:

• When looking at a new home or significant changes to your home, “correctly size” it to what you practically will use. Many of us have rooms in our house that we rarely occupy.

• If you’re moving, renovating or building, consider a home that has tightly constructed space, requiring little energy for heating or cooling.

• Switch to all-electric, in-house systems and appliances. Stop using natural gas.  The path to getting off of fossil fuels includes moving to an all-electric lifestyle. Electricity allows for the use of clean, renewable energy on the electric grid. The amount of renewable energy on the electric grid is growing every day.

• Adopt on-site renewable and alternative energy systems. Consider installing solar panels and petitioning your community to develop local solar or regional wind farms.

• Stop using gasoline-powered vehicles and make the switch to electric. Use mass transit when and where you can and take your bicycle when traveling around your community. Living in a ‘walkable’ community makes local travel that much easier.

• Petition your employer to offer work-from-home options that reduces travel time to and from the office. During COVID-19 quarantine, many of us appreciated how effective and efficient work-from-home can be on a number of levels.

Lake Zurich Home - Kipnis Architecture + Planning

What the Industry Is Doing

At Kipnis Architecture + Planning, we have been designing sustainable, resilient homes since our founding in 1993. To plan for the above changes and maintain a clear path to environmental health, the best practices in the architectural community are:

• Using future forecast weather projections when designing residential homes and commercial buildings to have systems ready for tomorrow’s weather, not just today’s.

• Designing buildings to be as resilient as possible in the face of Mother Nature’s volatility. This includes designing for intense weather events such as extreme heat, rains and winds, as well as aftermaths such as fires, power outages and flooding.

• Incorporating back-up power systems and safe areas for sheltering in place.

• Designing for bulk storage mudrooms and personal hygiene spaces that are separate from internal living areas.

• Incorporating carefully designed home offices and inspiring spaces for home schooling.

• Designing for multi-generational living, including for aging-in-place where the primary living areas are on the ground floor.

• Including a spin on the old-fashioned “kitchen garden,” where raised bed or vertical gardens are creatively placed either indoors or steps outside the kitchen door.

Health and wellness begin at home and – like the proverbial ripple in a pond – can go a long way in our collective efforts to reduce the effects of climate change. Together, we’ve got this. 

Nathan Kipnis, FAIA, LEED BD+C is founder and principal of Kipnis Architecture + Design.

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Make Yourself at Home: Why Interior Design Should Be Part of the Renovation Process from the Beginning

By Janet McCann

What makes a house a home? 

When you’re looking for a home, scrolling through real estate listings or walking through open houses, it’s easy to imagine yourself living there. But once you buy a home and start a renovation project, it can get more challenging – What color should I paint this room? Where should my existing furniture go? How can I best light this space?

Indeed, interior design makes a house your home. If a home renovation project is like a makeover, the interior design is your personal (and personally meaningful) look. What works for someone else won’t necessarily work for you.

It makes sense, then, for an interior designer to be part of the team from the very beginning. Whether it is a new home or a renovation, there are considerations that only an interior designer can address, such as room size for desired furniture, the type and size of furnishings, and window size and styles integrated with window treatments, among other elements of décor. 

Working with a designer isn’t about her or his style – it’s about discovering and executing yours. Some people know and articulate their style quite well. Others struggle with defining it. 

If a client truly cannot explain their taste and style, I pick up on clues, such as their current living situation. I also have them look at pictures from magazines, Houzz or Pinterest to share what they like. I make sure that their taste in the architecture matches with the interior design.  

As part of the team, an interior designer has a particular point of view which is distinct from the architect or builder yet complementary to the integration of the project. The interior designer keeps the end result in mind, monitoring how design and building decisions impact the overall look, feeling and budget of a project. 

For example, as part of the NextHaus Alliance team, I am involved in all initial conversations with the architects at Kipnis Architecture + Planning and with the builder at Berliant Construction. Close collaboration continues with them and with other NextHaus Alliance partners through several stages of the project.

Our most recent project – the renovation of a historic home in Evanston – is an example of this type of collaborative work. The home’s unique and beautiful history adds another layer of excitement and invention. 

I believe it is very important to honor the integrity of the architecture of any home. At the same time, I bear in mind the fact that, just like a person, homes evolve. Because a house ultimately serves the people who live there, it must change with the times. 

To see how the Evanston historic home changes during the collaborative renovation, follow along on the NextHaus Alliance Facebook and Instagram over the next several months!

Janet McCann, president of Janet McCann Associates, is a core member of NextHaus Alliance.

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Design Excellence, Defined and Pursued

By Nathan Kipnis FAIA, LEED B+C

What is excellent design?

There are a lot of interpretations, many colloquial, about that descriptor. But from an architectural standpoint, design excellence is defined in a more holistic, encompassing way.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has developed a thoughtful Framework for Design Excellence. The defining principles of excellent 21st century design fall into this framework, which has been drafted around the collective striving for sustainable, resilient and inclusive built structures. While this framework will be used as a basis for design competition among architectural professionals, it ultimately and frequently will be used as a guiding ideology for all projects, greatly expanding the definition of what design should aspire to in these times.

AIA’s framework underscores the important role that architecture plays in protecting people and the environment from the effects of climate change and social injustice. As architects looking at the present and future, we take seriously our work in facilitating these principles in our own work.

The ten points of AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence include the following:

• Design for Integration: An integrated process that balances beauty and function.

• Design for Equitable Communities: Design that takes into account the community and future occupants as well as those who live, work or visit the building. 

• Design for Ecosystems: Structures that benefit humans and nonhumans within the ecosystem, including animal life and nature.  

• Design for Water:  Throughout the space, the responsible use of this precious natural resource.

• Design for Economy: Designing for value for the homeowner, the community and the earth with a goal of being cost neutral and design neutral.

• Design for Energy: Reducing dependence on fossil fuels and working towards Net Zero Energy and Net Zero Carbon building. 

• Design for Well Being: During and beyond the current global health crisis, creating homes that support health and well being for all people. 

• Design for Resources: Selecting and using materials that reduce embodied carbon and environmental impacts without sacrificing building performance.

• Design for Change:  With the inevitability of change, designing structures that take into account future risks and vulnerabilities and changing markets on a social, economic and environmental level.

• Design for Discovery: An exciting facet of design, in which lessons discovered from previous work are used to refine and improve the design process for the betterment of all. 

As a member of the national AIA’s board-level committee, I’m honored to be a part of the effort to implement the principles within this framework. Watch this space for updates on progress, as the framework and its inspired designs come to life.

Nathan Kipnis is Founder and Principal of Kipnis Architecture + Planning in Boulder, Colo. and Evanston, Ill. and co-founder of NextHaus Alliance. He was recently appointed to serve on the American Institute of Architects’ highest-ranking committee on sustainability and architectural design.

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Architects Can Save the World!

Nathan Kipnis, FAIA

I recently finished up two meetings with the American Institute of Architects (AIA).  The meetings were focused on how the AIA, and all architects and builders, are to work towards making buildings as sustainable and resilient as possible.  I left both meetings with a sense that the task ahead will be very challenging, but the stakes are huge.

I serve on two national committees for the AIA.  I am the national co-chairman of the 2030 Commitment Working Group.  The 2030 Commitment’s goal it is to get all architects to design their buildings to net zero carbon by 2030.  I also am on the AIA’s Sustainability Leadership Group (SLG). The SLG oversees strategic planning for the various sustainability groups.

A Streetcar Named 2030! Everyone looking at the camera is a member of the AIA’s national 2030 Commitment WG.

2030 Commitment Working Group

The 2030 Commitment, a direct offshoot of the 2030 Challenge, provides a framework for efficiency targets for energy reductions for various building types in various climatic regions.  It is also designed to positively impact a design firm’s culture so that these reductions are integrated into how a firm operates.  The idea is that all projects are to be efficiently designed, not just a few “superstar” projects that we all seem to have.

Everyone looking at the camera is a member of the AIA’s national 2030 Commitment WG.

Our group recent meet in Kansas City (which I had never been to before – GREAT BBQ!) to review how we are going to make the program easier to use, provide a clearer business case to architects, and begin to integrate carbon metrics into the program.

The program is already seeing results.  In the most recent annual report, firms in the program have abated 17.8 million metric tons of CO2e in the last year.  That is the equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 21 million acres of forest annually.  That’s nearly as big as the state of Maine. But we need to step up our efforts even more.  The three-year goal is to double the number of signatories in the program and double the rate of reporting by those firms.

The reduction targets, currently at 70%, increase by 10% every five years until they are at net zero by 2030.  At NextHaus Alliance, we are routinely achieving that 70% reduction target on the homes we design. Next year, that target increases to 80%, a mark that we fully intend to meet.

Sustainability Leadership Group

The AIA’s Board of Directors just passed a groundbreaking resolution on Climate Change.  The resolution was introduced at the AIA’s national convention in Las Vegas and was signed by 50 members, including myself, to formalize leadership focused on climate action.  The three parts of the resolution included a declaration of urgent climate imperative for carbon reduction, transforming the way firms operate to achieve zero carbon work, and focusing others outside the AIA on this goal.  The vote was an overwhelming 93% to 7% (who are these 7% anyway?).

I just met with the SLG in Washington, D.C. to work on how to implement this and restructure the AIA.  The most amazing part of this is previously, the AIA allocated 6% of their funds on sustainability initiatives.  This is now going to increase to 60%, a full order of magnitude shift.

Change on the ground – and ground-up change

My firm is not that large.  We submit approximately 40,000 square feet into the Design Data Exchange, the reporting tool for the 2030 Commitment, out of the three billion (!) that the 2030 Commitment tracks annually.  But as part of the NextHaus Alliance, the concept of the 2030 Commitment is fully integrated into the work that we do. Saying it is part of our DNA sounds sort of cliche, but it is very true.  If you could put on colored glasses that showed how efficient, sustainable or resilient a building is, that is what we wear all the time.

Buildings are the source of nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions.  Being a part of these committees gives me hope that the people that make the key design decisions are being steered in the right direction for the benefit of the environment as a whole.  I feel that I am in a unique position – being a member of these committees is so rewarding knowing the impact that they are having, while at the same time the work we do at NextHaus Alliance is on the same plane, but done at a personal level.  Both scales of effort are needed to address climate change.

Nathan Kipnis, FAIA is the co-founder of NextHaus Alliance and  Founder & Principal of Kipnis Architecture + Planning in Evanston.

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Why an All-Electric Home is the Most Sustainable Home

There’s been a lot in the news lately about green living, and how homes can be designed and constructed in a sustainable way. Those contemplating either building a new sustainable home or doing a substantial renovation to an existing home should consider the benefits of going all-electric, both from an eco-efficiency standpoint and a home efficiency perspective. 

Recently, members of the NextHaus Alliance and I were fortunate to have designed and constructed a modern lake house in a northwest suburb of Chicago featuring an all-electric system. This is the first winter the homeowners have been in the house, and it has been a wild season, with record-breaking low temperatures and rounds of snow and ice. Even on the coldest day, however, this home was warm and cozy. Looking ahead to summer, the home’s electric system is equally well equipped to maintain cool interior temperatures when the weather gets sweltering.

It’s the Chicago area, after all, when there can be greater than 100-degree temperature shifts within a year. That’s the reason why we designed this house, and homes like it in similar climates, to sustain extreme weather swings, with details like continuous rigid foam insulation added around the exterior. 

Why electric?

Electric power is a sustainable choice that makes sense, as ‘electricity is the currency of renewable energy’. If the goal is to de-carbonize, electricity is an effective way to do that. 

Electricity can be produce by various sources. If a home has solar panels, for instance, power can first be drawn that way. Electric battery power is often used as a backup. That  said, although homeowners may want to totally eschew carbon, sometimes it makes sense to have a natural gas powered generator in case the electricity goes out for an extended period of time.

For the heating and cooling system, we prefer using heat pump systems, which can be either ground-sourced (geothermal) or air-sourced. These systems are more sustainable, but they also provide more comfort than air forced from natural gas, which essentially “cooks” the humidity out of the air and thereby often requires the use of a humidifier. 

Myth busting 

Some people have certain perceptions about electric power, but those views are outmoded and misplaced in today’s context. Electric cooking now is not like your grandmother’s cooking, which was done on a stove with a heat element: modern induction cooktops are truly state-of-the-art. Some of the world’s best chefs use that method for a quicker, more even form of cooking. (If you aren’t convinced, come with us to a showroom and enjoy a delicious lunch prepared on an induction cooktop by a professional chef!)

All-electric systems are also quite quiet and, from an appearance sake, look like a regular forced air system.  Maintenance is also simple, and homeowners can change filters as they would with other systems. 

Electric systems are more costly than other forms of power, given the type and number of mechanicals involved. But on a long-term basis, electricity is a greener choice and is also a wise decision for comfortable, more efficient living:  in heating, for example, the heat is essentially moved around instead of being made, as is the case with natural gas.

An electric home is an investment in the future. So many aspects of human living are moving in the direction of such renewable sources of energy that reduce the use of fossil fuels, including the growing and perhaps inevitable use of electric cars. Add to that the benefits of health, sustainability, comfort and convenience, and you’ll find that the investment will pay off before you know it – all while you are enjoying your home in every season.

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Choosing the Right Windows and Doors for your Resiliently Designed Home

By Gabriela Taylor, Sierra Pacific Windows

According to the Resilient Design Institute, resilient design is defined as designs created with the capacity to adapt to changing conditions and to maintain or regain functionality and vitality in the face of stress or disturbance.  It is the capacity to bounce back after a disturbance or interruption.  These impacts include more intense storms, greater precipitation, higher winds and wider temperature swings.  

When designing a resilient home, choosing the right window and door package is crucial to the integrity of your building “envelope.”  However, you also want your home to be just that -- your home, which is warm, inviting, and comfortable. So how do you find the best of both worlds? 

Aluminum clad exterior, wood interior windows may be just the answer:  strong on the outside and able to complement your custom furniture pieces on the inside. Choosing the right windows will provide both exceptional durability and the beauty, warmth, and sustainability of wood. 

The integrity of your finished home is created by many factors. When it comes to the element of custom windows, there are some things you should look for:

• Durable materials that enhance the resiliency of your home.

  • Thick, low-maintenance, and weatherproof aluminum clad exterior.

  • A powder-coated exterior finish that can withstand the elements and is environmentally-friendlier to produce, with virtually no waste or harmful VOC’s.

ye-h photography | Prentiss + Balance + Wickline Architect

• Beautiful and certified sustainably produced wood, domestically grown that provides excellent thermal insulating capabilities and reduces our carbon footprint.

• Energy performance capabilities.

  • Glazing options to suit your needs.

    • A variety of ‘Low E’ glazing coating options to achieve optimal thermal performance goals. .

    • Dual or triple glazed units to reduce noise, improve energy performance, and filter UV rays.

    • Windows that can lead to energy savings by reducing the use of fossil fuels, thanks to thoughtfully placed windows to take advantage of daylighting in the right places, reducing heat loss during the winter months.

• Windows that contribute to passive building methods using solar energy.

• Processes and design techniques that maintain your building envelope.

  • Proven installation methods that protect your home from harsh winds, as well as air and water infiltration.

  • Excellent design pressure ratings, contributing to tighter building envelopes.

  • Wood components and insulated glazing that add to sound reduction providing quieter acoustics.

Resilient design is ultimately about the entire building and can be achieved by choosing the most advanced window design products for the particular environment and climate of your project location. To achieve both resilient and beautiful design, choose a window and door product that meets all of your performance requirements and aesthetic needs. 

Gabriela Taylor is an architectural consultant with Sierra Pacific Windows. Sierra Pacific is a core member of NextHaus Alliance. Learn more at www.sierrapacificwindows.com. 

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How Resilient Landscape Design Beautifies Surroundings and Mitigates Stormwater Issues

By Bob Hursthouse, President, Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors and Core Member, NextHaus Alliance

Just as there is an inherent connectedness in nature, a sustainable, beautiful home and its surroundings are linked together through complementary design elements and philosophies.

A well-appointed home that allows for a lighter living in the earth is truly an inside-out proposition, from architecture to interior fundamentals to landscaping. That holistic approach to resilient home design is what inspires and drives the collaborative work of NextHaus Alliance. 

Rooted in resiliency

Approaching landscape design with a mindset of sustainability involves the interplay between plantings and hardscapes and how the outdoor space connects to the indoor space and the people who live there.

Beauty, of course, is a key consideration in a landscape design. Choosing color palettes, textures and shapes of flowers, plants, shrubs and trees reflects your personal tastes and interests that carries through from the indoors to the outdoors.

From a practical perspective, stormwater management is an increasingly important part of landscape design today, especially in the Chicago area, where infrastructure hasn’t always kept pace with development and there have been more significant rain and flooding events in recent years. Compare today’s larger homes and garages, for example, to previously built smaller homes with smaller driveways, which have less surface runoff.  

Another relevant issue in stormwater mitigation is the loss of mature trees. Pests like the Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorn Beetle have led to major tree losses and, with that, declines in absorption capability.

There are landscaping solutions that can help deal with surface areas that aren’t able to absorb stormwater and hence tend to flood. Now, homeowners can choose from hardier plant materials, including native plants, along with more resilient materials that can help with water containment. Water mitigation is increasingly incorporated into our landscaping projects, encompassing hardy plantings as well as mechanical and physical systems. It’s part of an effort to ensure the overall integrity of a client’s home and to also contribute and help enhance the greater community. 

Rain barrels are one basic component of stormwater management that can be added to a home’s outdoor area. Homeowners can also create “rain gardens” with plants and layouts designed to hold water in that part of a yard. Trees, shrubs and plants in rain gardens and other carefully designed landscape areas can capture and hold water on the surface of the plant material, where it can be released more slowly into the general landscape. Fortunately, there are many great plant materials that can accomplish this function, including native plants, grasses and trees that are particularly resilient in the home soil and climate. Native species of oak trees are one example of a resilient tree that also host important species as part of a balanced environment.

The Next Wave of Sustainable Landscape in a Lakefront Home

A recently-completed home in Lake Zurich, Ill., a project that involved members of the NextHaus Alliance, illustrates the benefits of resilient landscape design.  For this lakefront property, we worked with the homeowners to choose a broad variety of native plants and resilient materials. While the lake levels are managed, there is a higher water table, and homeowners must collect and discharge water to the lake in a managed way.

One solution we added was a stream bed, which is an intermittent water feature and, if not needed for stormwater runoff, as a dry stream. Along the lake-facing edges of the property, we planted native grasses and perennials that lend color and a dense texture. In addition to privacy, tall grasses serve as a deterrence to Canada geese, which can make a mess on grassy areas.

“How do you want to live?” is the first and most important question we ask people when they are considering their landscape design. For those who want to live more sustainably, there are more ways than ever before to live lighter on the earth and more picturesque from their corner of it.

Bob Hursthouse is president of Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors, a core member of NextHaus Alliance. Learn more at hursthouse.com.

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Why Our Design Work is Influenced by the AIA’s 2030 Commitment

The 2030 Commitment

The AIA’s 2030 Commitment is a program designed to provide architects with feedback on their design’s carbon footprint so theycan work towards significant CO2 reductions. The program’s mission statement is “to support the 2030 Challenge and transform the practice of architecture in a way that is holistic, firm-wide, project based, and data-driven. By prioritizing energy performance, participating firms can more easily work toward carbon neutral buildings, developments and major renovations by 2030.’

The 2030 Challenge was developed by architect Ed Mazria in 2006 to address the fact that buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of CO2 emissions. Therefore. he reasoned, to help solve climate change, building design must move to net zero designs in a logical and stepped approach.

The most recent report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes a stark case for rapidly reducing the global CO2 output to hold atmospheric warming to 1.5ºC. With the obvious increase in hurricane activity, flooding and wildfires over the last few years, the “signal” has clearly appeared over the background “noise” – climate change is very real and we all must make significant efforts to address and correct it.

How the 2030 Commitment Impacts our Work

My firm has been a part of the program since 2009, when the AIA formally adopted the principals of the 2030 Challenge. I have been a member of the 2030 Commitment Working Group since 2009. Since the beginning of 2018, I began my two year term as the national co-chair of this group.

There are four parts of the 2030 Commitment: 1) signing on to the Commitment, 2) modeling each project for its energy use, 3) producing a Sustainable Action Plan for the office that outlines how the office ‘walks the walk’, and 4) reporting the energy use of each project into the Design Data Exchange (DDx).

The rigor of the program establishes a format for reporting the energy modeling of designs. The 2030 Commitment impacts our firm’s culture by making everyone involved in the design process aware of our energy reduction targets and working as a team towards meeting or beating those targets.

Similar to driving a really efficient car, like a Prius or a Tesla, the DDx dashboard gives instant feedback on how we are doing. Similarly, when designing a building, we perform energy modeling early and often. This gives critical feedback when the designs are still very fluid, allowing us to decide how best to shape and orient a building at these early stages, and as the design is fine tuned, additional direction on how to detail the building and integrate and select the various components.

A Holistic Design Process

The current goal of the 2030 Commitment is to be designing buildings at 70% better than the 2003 equivalent baseline. As of 2017, only 560 projects out of nearly 10,000 projects submitted to the 2030 Commitment have met or exceeded this target. Of the 10 to 12 projects that we submit each year, we have had three projects in both 2016 and 2017 meet that difficult goal, in the Midwest’s challenging climate. Our other projects have generally been very close to the 70% goal, making our firm-wide average in 2016 at 62%, well above the 42% average for all 2030 signatory firms.

 While we embrace the challenge of the 2030 Commitment, we don’t let it negatively impact our designs. In fact, we take the technical influences that are required and artfully blend them into our designs. They become the The 2030 Commitment Energy Energy Model rationale for our design decisions and help add meaning to our projects, for both our clients and the environment.

Ultimately, the 2030 Commitment is another evolution in architecture and design. When we look back to how classic architectural styles evolved, those styles were influenced at the time by the local climate, materials and culture and were brought up to date by integrating the best and most appropriate technology solutions, verifying the design’s environmental performance, and developing the most appropriate architectural solution for a specific project. This is how we create beautiful, sustainable and resilient homes!

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The New Frontier of Luxurious Sustainable Living: Ground-Up Beauty and Resilience

Exemplifying the new horizon of beautiful sustainable living is a modern solar lake house in Lake Zurich, Illinois. 

Befitting a residence surrounded by nature, this home is inspired by and, importantly, powered by nature. Expected to be completed in fall 2018 and recently featured on the 2018 GreenBuilt Home Tour (greenbuilthometour.org) in July, it’s in the final process of construction right now, allowing for a stage-by-stage look at all that goes into creating sustainable luxurious homes. 

Designer Nathan Kipnis FAIA of Kipnis Architecture + Planning in Evanston and founder and core member of NextHaus Alliance, fuses nature with stunning surroundings and modern amenities in this 6,185-square foot home, built on a pie-shaped lot overcooking scenic Lake Zurich.

Sustainable Living

Design elements underscore and reflect shapes of nature, with features like a large curved window wall that integrates into the structure for an unobstructed view of the lake. 

Nature is at the core of the home in terms of energy derivation. To reduce the use of fracked natural gas, natural gas is used only as a starter for the fireplace and for a backup generator. The rest of the energy, including the power for the ultra-efficient HVAC system, hot water tank, dryer and induction cooktop, are derived from a 9.8 kW solar photovoltaic roof mounted array, with the remaining power coming from certified renewable energy credits from the electric grid.

The environment is top of mind in other elements of the home, including high-efficiency correctly-colored LED lighting, siding made from waste fly ash, interior finishes and materials  that are eco-friendly and healthy, smart home integration to efficiently control the various systems, careful deconstruction of the existing home for reuse, and many other environmentally efficient techniques and materials. 

To see other examples of residences that are both resilient and grand, designed by a collaboration of home industry experts that are part of the NextHaus Alliance, visit nexthausalliance.com.

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