Source: residential architect Magazine
Publication date: 2006-04-01

By residential architect staff

For those of you who were unable to trek down to Coral Gables, Fla., or for those of you who did make it but would like to relive the experience, we revisit “Reinvention 2005: Greening the American House.” This was <i>residential architect</i> magazine's second symposium, and like the first, it sold out lickety-split. Apparently architects are very interested in making the houses they design more energy efficient, healthier, and more intimately connected to the landscape and climate they occupy. Or maybe they simply thought South Florida in December seemed like a fine idea.

More than 300 of you came from far and wide and Canada. Like last year, the event began with a housing tour. As impressive as the houses were, though, some of you thought the architectural highlight was our meeting place, The Biltmore Hotel, designed in 1925 by architect Leonard Schultze for the founder of Coral Gables, developer George E. Merrick. “The Biltmore is an enchanting place,” said architect/attendee Charles Paul Goebel, of Easton, Md. Yet, as with most buildings in Florida, the place was chilled to frigid, despite the moderate weather. In fact, our group—especially those from the region—concluded that Miami has a steep climb to reach sustainability. Most of its architecture prioritizes views and combats the engulfing heat with SEER ratings.

But Max Strang, AIA, did take his Coconut Grove climate into consideration for his house, featured on the tour. The “tropical industrial” building is long and narrow, sending coastal breezes through its structure. He preserved as many trees on site as possible, borrowing their shade for passive cooling. Atop the house, a trellised outdoor room is comfortable on all but the hottest afternoons. Chad Oppenheim, AIA, also made handsome use of the setting for his showpiece house on Sunset Island III.

Architects Sim Van der Ryn, Frank Harmon, and David Hacin picked up their 2005 Leadership Awards at Reinvention.

The building opens wide to views and air circulation from the intracoastal waterway. In this boating colony of manmade islands, it's the front of the house that's the private side. Here a striking courtyard shelters occupants within the protective planes of garden walls, the front elevation, and garage doors. Nearby, developer Craig Robins' Aqua community on Allison Island is an equally dramatic backdrop for Miami's social whirl. There, Duany Plater-Zyberk's Ludwig Fontalvo-Abello detailed his firm's 8.5-acre master plan of “tropical urban” mid-rise condos and townhouses for us. And architect Alexander Gorlin, FAIA, graciously guided us through his eponymous “Gorlin” building.

Reinvention's home tour stopped in at Chad Oppenheim's photogenic house on Sunset Island III (top), Max Strang's “tropical industrial” abode in Coconut Grove (above right), and Alexander Gorlin's namesake condominium at Aqua (above left). ra060401022h2.jpgEnlarge photos.

Photos (clockwise from top left): Courtesy Ken Hayden, Max Strang Architecture, and Dacra Reinvention's home tour stopped in at Chad Oppenheim's photogenic house on Sunset Island III (top), Max Strang's “tropical industrial” abode in Coconut Grove (above right), and Alexander Gorlin's namesake condominium at Aqua (above left).

Not all of the housing aimed for sustainability, but it all showcased Florida's natural splendor. And that's an obligation for all who stake claim to a slice of land, said our keynote presenter, Brian MacKay-Lyons, FAIA, of Nova Scotia. His approach relies heavily on local wisdom, conditions of site and climate, and practical materials to create durable and enduring architecture. It's a refrain we heard again in other sessions, from architects Ted Flato, FAIA; Frank Harmon, FAIA; and Sim Van der Ryn, among others. Allison Ewing, AIA, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, FAIA, and Ross Chapin, AIA, addressed sustainable design at the urban planning level, where concerns about social viability and friendly density enter the picture. And Ken Wilson, AIA, Rick Harlan Schneider, AIA, Jason F. McLennan, and Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA, discussed the nitty-gritty of parsing systems, materials, and best practices for more sustainable results.

This winter's “Reinvention 2006: The Entrepreneurial Practice” gathers in San Diego to explore the many ways residential architects can apply their skills and talent beyond the traditional boundaries of single-family house design. Stay tuned.

reinvention 2005: greening the american house

At <i>residential architect</i> magazine's most recent conference, "Reinvention 2005: Greening the American House," attendees gathered by region to brainstorm the challenges and opportunities facing architects who wish to design more sustainably. Here's a complete collection of their ideas, many of which offer potential across regional divides.

What are the toughest barriers to green design?

1. Finding information about whether something is really green
--Is something green, economical, technically beneficial, and something the contractor and owner will buy into?

2. Air conditioning loads and the American mindset to be super-chilling

3. Dimensioned materials can be restrictive--they need to be fully included in the design to reduce waste
--Restructure Dumpster fees
--Liability prevents incentives for innovation, pioneering

4. Practical implementation--having to accept others' research without having resources in-house to verify appropriateness of implementation

5. Fear among practitioners to talk about building science

6. Multiplicity of consultants makes finished design inherently full of holes between teams

7. Nondurability of post-war housing stock. Houses built in the past 20 years to 40 years are going to start dropping.

1. Correct information
--Is it green?
--Making sure data is reliable
--Accurate modeling of data

2. Nonadaptable systems
--No modularity
--Doesn't respond to software updates
--Inability to update old technology

3. 3-D modeling of building assemblies with green information built-in
--Information provided for costs in dollars to purchase, in energy use, and in ability to recycle

Rapid growth/costs

1. Public awareness = lack of demand

2. Understanding that the word green can equal good design

3. Production housing plans that do not take into account solar orientation

4. Front-range views are of the Rockies to the West

5. Water laws don't allow homeowners to collect rainwater. We conserve water, then we pay higher rates.

6. Recreation and preservation in the mountains compete with one another

1. Solar providers, lack of technicians/suppliers

2. Solar panels
--Information lacking
--Costs
--Rules, regulations, subdivisions
--No incentives by FPL

3. Water management
--Potable
--Site water management; water invasion

4. Knowledge/education
--Nontraditional methods and materials, cultural--new ideas, not tried-and-true
--Convincing purchasing manager to buy into sustainability

5. Code compliance
--Windows
--Ventilation
--Testing and approval of new materials by city officials

6. Education of profession, of client; lack of interest in sustainability from county, city, and/or municipality

7. Climate--heat and humidity

8. Having total control by designer

9. Hurricane/wind issues

10. Insects--mosquitoes, termites

11. Relative cheap electricity costs for A/C

1. No track record, even though many products seem to be available

2. Not knowing how they interact/react with other elements

3. Getting alternative products to the jobsite. Different contracts have varying degrees of familiarity with various "green materials"--where to buy it, how to properly install it, and how to store it at the jobsite

4. Finding builders who are willing to think outside the box to use materials and/or processes that are different from what they've used

5. Receiving mixed messages about how "green" different products are, where to find the testing results, and what to believe about anecdotal evidence put forth by subcontractors who've "experimented" with new products and say, "No, it's not good" or "Yes, it works great."

1. Clients themselves--wealthy enough not to have to bother; need to educate them

2. Air conditioning becoming the norm in design

3. Clients expect as close to perfect as possible--some attitude problems

4. Interior design often done by decorator. Needs to be incorporated in AIA contract--make better architects. Usually need this professional input.

5. Builders reluctant to do something different

6. Availability of products

7. Schedule and budget

8. Title V

9. Engineering site standards

10. Local zoning and building code regulations

1. Money

2. Client

3. Lack of knowledge

4. Historic neighborhoods

5. Building officials

6. Density issues

7. Zoning ordinance

8. Throwaway mentality

1. Energy is cheap, clients are interested

2. Initial cost versus long-term payback

3. Granite counters versus insulation--what shows versus what's invisible

1. Lack of knowledge
--Architects can educate themselves
--Who educates builder/contractor, homeowner, general public, legislators, and building officials?

2. Cost
--More expensive materials
--Unknown payback
--More transient homeowners
--Lack of incentives

3. Lack of transportation to more remote areas
--Lack of regional product production
--Embedded energy costs
--Low population density

4. Code and zoning issues
--Resistance to new methods by inspectors--i.e., gray water systems
--Minimum lot size

1. Lack of history/proven data to support; when manufacturer supports products with data, they're easier to implement

2. Dealing with inspectors on strategies with which they aren't familiar

3. Contractors hesitant/resistant; lack of skilled workers

4. Must use building science expert

5. IBC not regional

6. Specs not read/adhered to

7. Education--where to go for good information

8. Products evaluated in isolation, not tested as assemblies; no lifecycle evaluation; no historical evidence

9. Most of our market is for baby boomers building vacation homes

10. Landscaping is impervious versus pervious ground cover

11. Clear trees versus sacrifice passive solar benefits

1. Our own architectural ignorance

2. Lack of public awareness/demand

3. Lack of local government support

1. Permitting officials--Lack of education/knowledge

2. Clients
--Lack of education/knowledge and cost sensitivity
--Orientation toward view versus energy efficiency
--Challenges with community design guidelines

3. Community design guidelines/review boards
--Can limit design options creating obstacles (i.e., homeowner-run board)

4. Short-term thinking

1. Culture doesn't value sustainability and resists change
--Public education isn't teaching it
--Market isn't supplied with alternative sustainable products

1. Cost

2. Jurisdictional issues (zoning, codes, "big government" decisions)

3. Client expectations (mobility, short-term thinking)

4. First cost/long-term cost

5. Site issues in an urban/suburban context

6. Water/moisture management

1. Little to no manufacturing; materials shipped in from other regions

2. Contractor experience and education

3. Because of demand for building, surplus of inexperienced contractors

4. Moderate climate--little payback/long return; value added is difficult to cost out

5. Rating insulation for peak-points
--Codes determine focus of/allocation of dollars

6. Payback period versus no data on products/systems

7. Colleagues
--Resistant to change
--Litigation
--Inertia required to find and certify new products
--Lack of interest
--Resistance to being regulated
--Change their minds/lead by example

8. Taxing consumption per square foot versus consumption--incentives for smart design

9. Ignorance and invisibility of environmental consequences

1. Rising land costs and fear of under-building

2. Scarcity of visible alternatives

3. Variety of climates, from marine to heavy snow to seismic and high winds

4. The environment is so mild that we don't have an obvious single focus--harder to sell against no air conditioning

5. Race against time; so much being built that is mediocre

What are the best opportunities for sustainable residential design?

1. Opportunity to rebuild post-hurricane in Gulf Coast with more multifamily and more low-income housing

2. Community development needs to take better advantage of local conditions--in Arizona we can use buildings to shade one another

3. Education of public

4. Developers need more education and accountability; more regulation for builders and developers

5. Water in Texas is an opportunity, water in Arizona a barrier; rainwater harvesting versus city-supplied

6. Arizona and Texas have a solar opportunity

7. Reuse of nonrecycled materials

8. Blog for salvaged materials; redistribute the wealth

1. Modify local zoning ordinances to promote sustainability
--Emphasize high-density development around transportation centers
--Incorporate sustainability in design review standards/ordinances
--Encourage second units and home offices, working at home, affordable housing, and in-law units

2. Volunteer an hour at a local school to discuss sustainability
--To teach, you must know
--To answer a child's question, you must know a lot more

1. Development around transportation corridors

2. Energy--sun, wind, geothermal; low humidity; Amendment 37--voter-initiated alternative energy options

3. Production builders with moral passions

4. Affordable revocation opportunities

5. Landscaping and xeriscaping to cool our homes

6. Denver- and Boulder-based materials, recycling warehouses

1. Rain--cisterns

2. Sun--solar, electric, hot water

3. Wind--ocean breezes

4. Minimal cold temperatures

5. Fast growth of landscaping
--Shading
--Water retention on site via plants
--Oxygen output
--Air cleansing

6. Breaking away from the norm--becoming a team player in sustainability

7. New construction

8. Public transportation and mixed-used development zoning

9. Reuse old construction materials (H-H-H restore)

10. Work out of your house

1. The fact that the cost of energy is what it is, is forcing people to think about less consumption--it's not so fringe, more in the center of everyone's mind

2. Adaptive reuse of building in the urban cores

3. Brownfield redevelopment

4 Local governments starting to think about LEED and other water/sewer issues and zoning/growth in RFP

5. Slowing of the economy allowing municipalities to take the time to get planners and designers to explore these issues

6. Instilling issue of energy consumption and environmental issues in children through their education

7. ABC program (Architecture By Children)--Cincinnati AIA program where local architects go into area schools to teach short-term course in architectural design

8. CORA endorsing/getting message out

1. Access to information

2. Thorough buy-in to good site and building design

3. Necessity via increased fuel prices to force change

4. Popular user-friendly information--i.e., books, resource center

5. Access to resource centers and staff education

6. Chapter 40B--affordable housing legislation

7. Multifamily projects

8. Smart growth legislation

1. Policy

2. Great design has longevity

3. Educate general public

4. Better building practices

5. Educate the building trades

6. Utility incentives

7. Right-sizing homes

1. Slight increase in higher-density housing

2. Access to renewal natural resources
--Solar
--Wind
--Geothermal
--Some hydroelectric
--Some timber beetle damage

3. Clients willing to take more risk on second/vacation home; early adopters

4. Graduate schools of architecture

1. Rebate back to owner
--Solar
--Energy-efficient mortgage

2. Getting government more involved
--Tax breaks if your house achieves a certain rating

3. Multifamily--all utilities must be paid by owner not tenants

4. Software to visualize energy usage like infrared heat lost

5. Energy to become more and more expensive

6. Visualize suburban/urban planning as a comprehensive package

7. Energy analysis on a larger scale
--Transportation
--Commercial
--Residential (community/neighborhood; block)
--Educational
--Emission
--Example: aligning traffic lights
--Publish and reward examples--gold, silver star = positive; red star = negative

8. LEED system for computers

9. Utility meter inside the house so owner can see consumption as it happens

1. Infill/renovation

2. Public transportation

3. Educate future clients

4. Recycle buildings

1. Small residential development

2. Required annual education certification for building permit
--Architect
--Builder

3. Tax credit for surpassing a basic standard

4. Hurricane design--No. 1 biggest threat

1. Educated review boards (like the Kiawah Island Architectural Review Board)

2. "Location-efficient" mortgages in Atlanta through Fannie Mae (near transit stops)
--Assume no car payment
--Energy savings

3. Building in communities that are pedestrian-friendly

4. Encourage regulation of sensitive ecological areas--exploit/leverage where feasible

5. Volunteer to participate on ARBs--be friendly, "become a resource for your community"

6. South Carolina "Land Bank"--Government buying up sensitive ecosystem lands from homeowners

7. Zoning and planning--lots of room to improve
--Community cottage zoning example
--Accessory housing
--Kiawah Island allows second building with kitchen

8. Re-education is key
--Savannah example of multi-economic levels

9. Charleston example to minimize parking lots encourages more walking

1. Better information/demonstration of benefits

2. Leveraging the "fashionable" aspect to get people to sign on

3. Infill urban projects

4. Tighter energy code that's up-to-date, with incentives for innovation

1. Architectural ingenuity ("the classics")

2. Tapping into client intelligence

3. Shading/window/roof issues

4. Renovate, rebuild in some cases

5. Education/understanding clients' lifestyle

1. Lead by example
--Our workspace, demonstrate sustainable habits
--Provide efficient specs
--Shortlist of choices

2. Architecture is "elitist" not "populist"

3. Community--prevail upon luminaries to push green technologies; encourage product designers and star architects to go green

4. Get sustainable projects in the press

5. Educate the public--explain the project, site sign, volunteer in classrooms; organize green architecture/elementary school design competition and field trips to green buildings

6. More sweaters/less heating

7. Change your specs/green standard

8. Recycle, reuse, or relocate existing house--don't demolish; salvage demolished materials

9. Replant trees, keep landscape

10. Recycle all materials

11. Green line of production homes from production builder

12. Local AIA awards for sustainable design

13. <i>residential architect</i> gives awards for green projects

14. Green sounds fringe--change name to smart

15. Higher density around mass transit

16. Vouchers for mass transit

17. Moral imperative

18. Allow multifamily use on single-family lot

1. Build smaller, denser, better

2. Use local, natural materials; phenomenal natural environment that inspires

3. Emphasize health issues

4. Custom design does not have to be inflexible

5. Rising costs force people to make a decision between smaller, shoddier, farther

What are the cheapest and quickest changes we can make right now?

1. Community pools and community yards

2. Use of reclaimed/salvaged lumber

3. Specify salvaged (make these specs at the salvage yard)

4. Use local materials

5. Exposed-frame structure

6. Integrated recycling stations within the house

7. Build-in construction waste penalty/incentive to general conditions

8. Passive solar
--Orientation--zero cost
--Overhangs--minimal cost

9. TechShield radiant barrier sheathing

10. Rainwater harvesting

11. Vented roof assembly

12. Vented wall assembly

13. Engineered studs

14. Specify flyash mix

15. Biofoam insulation

16. Recycle house materials before demolition

17. Design small now and "pay as you go," so future additions can happen if necessary; design flexibility for future change

18. Smaller floor plans; challenge/educate clients that they can live more simply, with less stuff. Do you need three entertaining zones?

1. Build smaller

2. Proper site orientation

3. Shade windows

4. Exchange fluorescent bulbs for incandescent

1. Building orientation (production homes)

2. Public education (advantages of "smart" building)

3. 300 days of sun a year and lots of wind

4. Take advantage of low humidity

5. Many local materials to use

6. Plant trees

7. Promote healthy benefits

1. Programmable thermostat

2. Overhangs

3. Landscaping

4. Orientation

5. Operable windows

6. Radiant barriers, insulation

7. Solar water heater

8. Xeriscape

9. Municipality zoning--higher density, granny flats, outbuildings, guest suites

10. Cisterns--water collection used on site

1. Recycle discarded materials, re-evaluate all floor plans, and re-engineer the houses to be more energy-efficient

2. Align to sun movement

3. Shade windows

4. Timber to trusses/wood; eliminate termite treatments

5. Collect rainwater; irrigate

5. Radiant shield

6. Reuse old materials

1. Change spec on paints used in your projects

2. House orientation more thoughtful

3. Instant hot-water heater in lieu of larger central unit

4. Specify flyash-content concrete

5. Go beyond code-minimum R-values with insulation

6. Make sure air barriers are installed properly

7. Specify/detail better flashing

8. Separate garage by either distance or vapor barrier

9. Specify tile with recycled content

10. Specify fluorescent light bulbs in lieu of incandescent

11. Provide basic elements to prepare for future installation of "green" components (chases, smart walls, conduit for roof PVC)

1. Overhangs where there is snow and wind

2. Service HVAC early

3. Increase R-values

4. Cluster zoning or revised zoning regulations

5. Reduce pavement

6. Specify sustainable materials

7. Upgrade to Energy Star appliances

8. Use local materials as much as possible

9. Become involved politically to support local materials

10. Use only downlighting on site

11. Implement compact fluorescent and low-voltage lights

12. Lighten lighting loads--programmable heating and lighting

1. Orientation/flow-through ventilation

2. Exterior materials

3. Passive solar concepts

4. Weather stripping

5. Reduce concrete usage; spec wood foundations

6. Reduce cubic footage

7. Right size--"The Not-So-Big House"

8. Energy conservation

9. Air infiltration control

10. Simplification (K.I.S.S.--Keep It Simple, Stupid)

1. SIPs panels

2. Tighten envelope-radiant barrier; foam insulation

3. Construction waste recycling

4. Recycled/sustainable wood products--i.e., OSB

5. Recycled sheet rock

6. HVAC systems--use more swamp coolers

7. Proper orientation

8. Build smaller houses

9. Use natural ventilation

10. Proper use of overhangs

11. Xeriscape and recycle rainwater

1. Educate staff and ourselves

2. Educate our clients

3. Choose and specify energy-efficient products

4. Serve on local planning commission to help create a tipping point

5. Work on visualizing graphics and communication models

6. Mobilize--set up presentation booth at state fairs and other events; partner with utility companies, lending institutions, and political figures

7. Support builders/home builders association
--It's a business opportunity now but will be a standard everyone must follow later

8. Energy Star ratings for architects

1. Make it smaller

2. Shade summer sun/let in winter sun

3. Allow multifamily use on single-zoned lots

4. Allow some factory assembly

5. Survive review boards as best you can
--Wheedle
--Bleed
--Moan
--Cry
--Convince!

6. Know your sustainable ideas sufficiently to convince

7. Justify additional initial costs by proving payback

8. Change the way you, as an architect, think

9. Work with nature

10. Separate attached garages from the house with an impervious wall and air lock

11. Eliminate architectural preconceptions in your own mind

1. No lawns--use local plants, sustainable landscaping; strive for low maintenance

2. Reduce square footage, promote quality

3. Specs--foil-backed sheathing, low-flow fixtures, local products

4. Decrease runoff on sites

5. Water-collection systems--provide barrels (like garbage cans)

1. Improved insulation--new/historic

2. Improved air infiltration--new/historic

3. Programmable thermostat

4. Weather stripping

5. Education at all levels--elementary to professional

1. Accessory zoning unit

2. Density

3. New zoning (income-mixed conservation of available open space)

4. Architectural details--good building science

5. Educating permitting officials--write a certified letter to building official, stamp it, and certify it will work

6. Option to write a "performance spec" to override a code

7. Access to local material base--i.e., abundance of wood but not stone; utilize local materials where feasible

8. Landscaping with deciduous trees for shading in summer and daylighting in winter

9. Xeriscaping--use native plant materials that survive climate with minimal maintenance

10 Retrofit/update existing equipment

1. Conditioned crawl space

2. Conditioned attic space

3. More efficient HVAC

4. Tighter envelope

5. Simple code enforcement

6. Add insulation

7. Consult good architect before starting mass production of house plans

1. Adaptive reuse/renovation

2. Good design (fenestration, overhangs)

3. High-efficiency HVAC, including sizing, distribution

4. Attic insulation/venting/barriers

5. Change all the light bulbs

1. Educate people about the variety and specificity of climates in Northwest

2. Start with values survey with client versus program and style

3. Make cleaner, more persuasive arguments for smaller spaces

4. Attach environmental and dollars price tags to changes in scope

5. Overhangs and sloped roofs

6. Band together and use groups like CORA NW; ask environmentally minded businesses to increase awareness of architects as people who can help homeowners make well-informed decisions

What radical changes need to take place for a more sustainable future?

1. More urban density, greater zoning flexibility (Austin: 90 percent of city is zoned as single-family)

2. Home offices

3. Recycle whole houses (with a community development corporation)

4. Decentralize; community to be more self-sufficient

5. Disband homeowners' associations

6. Remove antiquated deed restrictions

7. Less parking/paved surfaces; create water-permeable surfaces

1. National energy policy
--Rebates and tax credits instead of tax cuts

2. Implementation of energy currency; jurisdiction sets an energy budget
--Excess can be sold to bigger users
--Can be included in conjunction with products used in home construction
--Stabilizes demand to lessen cost of supply and speculation

3. Permit expediting for specifying sustainable products or rebates on building products

4. Redemption of recycled products at point of sale
--Merge recycle centers with The Home Depot

1. Policy changes requiring flexible green compliance

2. More alternative energy choices

3. Education of general public, public officials, Realtors, bankers, inspectors, appraisers, and contractors

4. Require licensed architect to design single-family and multifamily residential projects

5. Voter-initiated Amendment 37

6. People live close to where they work

7. Change from the top down in state government

1. Code exceptions for sustainability/more flexibility
--Sun "setbacks" (your neighbor's daylight plane)

2. More education on sustainability--rethink what systems and materials we use and how we recycle materials

3. Homes designed for performance

4. Decrease floor area ratios

5. Incentives for sustainability
--Higher density
--Fewer impact fees and taxes
--Expediting permit process
--Higher floor area ratios

6. Public transportation

7. Revise energy code
--Get power companies to agree to go 100 percent off the grid (agreements with cities mandate electrical meter on your house)

8. New Urbanism and mixed-use zoning and developments

9. Home office zoning; guest suites and grandmother suites allowed on same lot

10. Increased availability of sustainable materials

11. Stop allowing building in wetlands (supposedly "protected")

12. Eliminate lawns

1. Lobotomize contractors

2. Smart growth/density is not bad

3. Eliminate the desire of homeowners to request or support "traditional" building styles or elements that are counter to good/green design issues

4. Get the consumer to ask for something different

5. Convince people that smaller can be good

6. Stop building single-family houses

7. Extol the virtues of "smart" design

8. Legislate issues of green design and smart growth
--Zoning ordinances
--Incentives and tax credits

9. Require recycling of building materials from demolition/remodeling projects and salvage debris

10. HBA needs to be affected, revised, or regulated to limit its stranglehold on the industry

11. Get architects to be involved in local zoning boards of appeals

1. Revamp zoning regulations and building codes

2. Utilize wind power where applicable

3. Affordability

4. Progressive legislation

5. Where we build counts

1. Zoning and planning

2. Limit square footage per person

3. Mandate sustainable standards

4. Tax breaks for downsizing

5. Size does matter

6. Proper use of public utilities

7. Educate youth

8. Encourage infill/mixed-use

9. One car per family

10. Communal living

1. Zoning changes to increase density

2. Tax incentives for sustainable building

3. Improve public transportation

4. Require green education curriculum in all schools

5. Reduce housing stock--reconsider second-home culture and luxury
--Stricter energy codes
--Tax implications

6. Reconsider single-family home mentality; short-term ownership, consumer culture, disposability

7. Architects should unify and start saying no to clients

8. Increase integration of design and construction; perfect design/build model

9. Do more off-site construction for better quality control and reduce daily trips to the site

10. Zero waste construction--all waste recycled or used on site

1. Educate clients/create clients with desire to build sustainably

2. Code changes/zoning issues

3. Include energy analysis in site plan approval

4. Raise the bar for energy code requirements

5. Production housing--architects become involved

6. Get the word out that using architects can help save energy

7. Can AIA require its architects to get 25 percent of their CEUs in sustainability?

8. Construction waste recycling

9. Net metering (just passed in North Carolina)

1. Upgrade furnace by 2010

2. Zoning--more density, fewer cars

3. Geothermal heating/air conditioning

4. Robin Hood
--Tax credit
--No tax credit
--Tax

5. Zoning/sprawl--large-lot zoning creates sprawl, devours land (thousands of acres a day), makes people dependent on cars, makes public transportation impractical, requires billions of dollars spent on highways, alienates people, leads to a wide array of social ills, makes us dependent on foreign oil, and contributes to global warming

1. Lawsuits from stucco have transformed building practices

2. Abolish air conditioning and redesign to accommodate
--Reduce the number of days a home needs to be air conditioned--every house has to have cross-ventilation

3. Require a building to work as well without power and mechanicals as it does with them

4. Require a percentage of components to be local

5. Cisterns built cost effectively
--Water conservation, reuse

6. Educate building officials--offer symposium by architects
--Day without power

7. Window manufacturers could provide lighting and ventilation attributes that facilitate daylighting (natural lighting and ventilation)

1. Strategies to stop or limit urban sprawl

2. Incentives for infill

3. Adoption of New Urbanism to limit sprawl by zoning/planning

1. Major jurisdictional shift

2. Limiting size of dwellings

3. New systems design

4. Reducing sprawl

5. Economic incentives for new ideas "carrot"

6. Handling storm water (regional issue)

7. Moral imperative

1. Change perception/values over time

2. Hope that next generation will see things differently

3. Rising costs will force people to choose between smaller and shoddier

4. Increase extent of mixed-use development

A special thanks to Reinvention 2005 symposium partner Andersen Windows and sponsors CEDIA, Delta Faucet Co., Dryvit, Fypon, Knauf, NuTone, Schlage, Sherwin Williams, and Whirlpool Corp.