What’s The Architects’ Biggest Lever?
I’ve recently finished reading Auden Schendler’s motivating 2009 book, “Getting Green Done” in which Schendler specifically outlines the need for each industry, and each individual business within that industry, to “find their biggest lever”. Schendler posits that in order to achieve sweeping reductions in carbon emissions and avoid marketable, yet ultimately distracting, greenwashing, businesses should pinpoint advancements within the construct of their established operations with the potential to effect maximum reduction of carbon emissions. It left me thinking… as an architect, what’s is our biggest lever?
Auden Schendler is the Vice President of Sustainability at Aspen Skiing Company and has made a career of advising major companies on strategic means of achieving maximum reductions in carbon emissions within their business construct. Schendler uses an excellent comparison of two major corporations to make his point: Ford and Walmart. A decade ago, both were looking to be known as sustainably conscious companies, and initially both planned to move toward constructing more sustainable stores and factories as the way to achieve this goal and put on a green public face. Ford moved forward with a “green” building, designed by William McDonough, while Walmart hired a consultant who advised them that their biggest lever, without question, was that Walmart sold more product than any company in the world. Walmart could greatly reduce overall carbon emissions by selling compact florescent light bulbs at reduced prices neatly displayed at eye-level to millions of consumers, reducing energy usage down the line. Ford missed their biggest lever – they make cars! The easiest and most profitable way for Ford to effect change is to make their product more efficient. Would the environment benefit from these major carbon producers halting operations? Perhaps, but if they intend to stay relevant in their current line of work they should find the best way to do business with maximum energy efficiency. At GO Logic, we know that the building design and construction industry’s biggest lever is to make the building assembly significantly more efficient. The Passive House standard achieves this. Buildings, both in construction and in use, represent nearly 50% of overall carbon consumption worldwide. We look to reduce energy consumed by a building during use by 80-90%. In turn, the owner sees a significant return on investment through reduced net energy costs. Most importantly, by taking control of the design of the building assembly, prior to tacking-on “green” technologies and materials, the architect and builder can steer a client towards a valuable alternative, far less likely to be omitted due to extraneous price tags. The lesson? We design and build buildings – let’s make buildings better! -Timothy Lock
