Decarbonization Pathways for California Cities to Tackle Climate Change

An AIA|LA Advocacy Roundtable Discussion:

Decarbonization Pathways for California Cities to Tackle Climate Change

Virtual presentation hosted by AIA|LA — RSVP HERE for access details.

California cities have been leading the way with new policies to promote clean and healthy buildings that reduce costs for owners and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Last Spring the City of Carlsbad was the first city to pass a 2019 Reach Code reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and thirty cities or counties have now approved a range of ordinances. Come learn about the rationale for these policies, the different approaches various cities have taken, and how you can get involved.

Roundtable participants include:

James (Jed) Donaldson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C – Chair, AIA|LA Committee on the Environment & Principal, Johnson Fain (moderator)
Pierre Delforge – Senior Scientist, Building Decarbonization, Climate & Clean Energy Program, NRDC
Matthew Gough – Senior Campaign Representative, Sierra Club
Amy Rider, LEED AP – Principal Consultant, Archamy Consulting
Scott Shell, FAIA – AIA|CA COTE Advocacy Committee & Principal, EHDD

RSVP HERE for access details.

Resources:
Pierre Delforge’s blog: 2019 Set the Stage for Cleaner and Healthier Buildings

Matt Gough’s blog on the cities that have passed electrification reach codes

Electric Construction Guides

Pierre Delforge – Senior Scientist, Building Decarbonization, Climate & Clean Energy Program, NRDC

Pierre Delforge, a senior scientist, joined NRDC in 2010 after a 20-year career in the computer industry. At NRDC, he works on policies to accelerate the clean energy transition in buildings, with a focus on space and water heating, as well as plug-in equipment. Previously, Delforge was lead energy and climate strategist for HP’s sustainability group. He holds degrees in computer science from Cambridge University and École Centrale de Paris. He is based in San Francisco.

Scott Shell, FAIA – AIA|CA COTE Advocacy Committee & Principal, EHDD

Scott is a nationally recognized expert on high-performance buildings. For the past decade he has led the design of EHDD’s university buildings for science, ranging from the advanced Biomedical Sciences Research labs to new facilities for entire departments designed to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. He brings a strong integrated design approach to each project, partnering with clients, researchers, and the broader design and construction team to create facilities that excel in all aspects of their performance.

A pioneer in low energy and sustainable design, Scott serves on the National American Institute of Architects Advisory Group for the Committee on the Environment, where he is a frequent speaker. He has led the design of several of the nation’s first Net Zero Energy buildings. He has a particular focus on evidence-based design to verify actual performance and occupant satisfaction of the facilities to apply lessons learned on future projects to advance the practice of building.

Amy Rider, LEED AP – Principal Consultant, Archamy Consulting

Amy Rider is the Principal Consultant for Archamy Consulting who is acting as the Reach Code Coordinator for the Building Decarbonization Coalition. She has held positions with local government agencies and consulting firms for more than 15 years, working to optimize local climate change response through education, behavior change and technology implementation.

James (Jed) Donaldson, AIA, LEED AP BD+C – Chair, AIA|LA Committee on the Environment & Principal, Johnson Fain

James is a Principal with more than 17 years of professional experience in designing large scale projects. His experience includes the architectural design of diverse building typologies including office buildings, cathedrals, and large scale mixed-use developments.

James earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and a Master of Architecture Degree from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining Johnson Fain, James was practicing in San Francisco with a focus on high-end residential and tenant improvements during the ‘dot-com’ boom. James is a LEED Accredited Professional with a specialty in Building Design and Construction (AP BD+C).

James’ knowledge of the building industry is complemented with his interest in green building technologies and advanced computer modeling. James has co-taught architectural courses with Scott Johnson at both Berkeley and USC and has been a guest speaker at USC’s BIM symposium. His commitment to green building technologies has led to speaking engagements and leadership positions with a number of organizations including The Passive House Institute where he is a Board Member. He is involved in the US Green Building Council on the Abstract Review Committee for the 2018 Municipal Green Building Conference & Expo and was a Co-Chair on the Greening Committee for the 2016 Greenbuild Conference. In addition, James leads the Johnson Fain Sustainability and Resilience Lab within the firm.

Please credit: The William J. Worthen Foundation