AIA National’s Blue Ribbon Panel for Codes and Standards issued a report outlining AIA’s vision for the adoption and application of building codes and standards to ensure they continue to act as valuable design tools in a resource-constrained future.
The publication, Disruption, Evolution and Change: AIA’s Vision for the Future of Design and Construction, details an aspirational path forward for the profession’s commitment to meeting 2030 climate objectives. The four focus areas of the report—energy, health/safety, welfare and transparency—speak to methods to help us achieve AIA’s objective of leading the change we seek. They also help to frame discussions and partnerships to advance environmentally responsible design and construction.
“We know that smart, energy-efficient design alone will not help us to meet the carbon-reduction goals needed to forestall or to prevent the worst effects of climate change. This document asks all industry stakeholders to work together to urge policymakers, at all levels of government, to implement policies that encourage architects, builders, our clients, and others to make reducing the carbon footprint of our society a top priority.”
–Robert Ivy, FAIA, Executive Vice President & CEO, AIA
As part of the report, AIA National issued the following statement of values related to building codes and climate change:
WHERE ARCHITECTS STAND: A STATEMENT OF OUR VALUES
We stand for protecting communities from the impact of climate change. Global warming and man-made hazards pose an increasing threat to the safety of the public and the vitality of our nation. Rising sea levels and devastating natural disasters result in unacceptable losses of life and property. Resilient and adaptable buildings are a community’s first line of defense against disasters and changing conditions of life and property. That is why we advocate for robust building codes and policies that make our communities more resilient.