Centerbrook Makes the 2030 Commitment

CENTERBROOK, Conn. -- Centerbrook has taken the American Institute of Architects 2030 Commitment, whose mission is to advance the goal making all buildings carbon neutral within the next 16 years. This effort entails applying the principles of sustainable design to every project from the earliest planning stage through final construction in order to make new and existing structures as energy efficient as possible and to reduce fossil fuels and other greenhouse gas-emitting energy sources.

“Our AIA Commitment extends what Centerbrook has been doing for a long time, beginning with our design of passive solar homes in the 1970s to our recent high performance buildings, including numerous LEED projects from Certified to Platinum,” said Partner Mark Simon, FAIA. “We are very excited about advancing this national effort to transform the way we build, collaborating with nature to make enduring places. To those ends we believe buildings can be designed to be both endearing and eminently efficient.”

The AIA reports that buildings consume 48 percent of the nation’s energy and to date more than 200 firms have made the 2030 Commitment. “The purpose of the Commitment is to elevate a firm’s focus on sustainability to its entire design portfolio rather than simply on a few exemplary projects,” said Mark Herter, who chairs the Centerbrook Sustainability Committee. “This effort requires that we develop an action plan, meet regular benchmarks for energy reduction, and report progress in the projects we have designed.”

In a letter to Centerbrook, AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA, wrote, “The AIA 2030 Commitment will allow practitioners to learn from one another by providing [a] common language …to share with each other the lessons learned, innovative strategies implemented, and best practices adopted…”