This September, SOM will participate in two event series organized to advocate for and promote net-zero building. CarbonPositive RESET!, an interdisciplinary conference and expo, provides architects, designers, engineers, developers, planners, and policymakers with educational resources and practice-focused sessions on utilizing sustainable materials, generating renewable energy, and other strategies for a carbon positive future. Described as a 1.5ºC Global Teach-In, the event is hosted by Architecture 2030 and other leading organizations and takes place across three days in three regions.
World Green Building Week, an annual campaign hosted by the World Green Building Council, will take place from September 21st through 25th. This year’s theme is #ActOnClimate, with events designed as a call-to-action for the building industry, policymakers, and government to create net-zero buildings and to highlight the work being done by leaders in the field. As a new signatory to WorldGBC’s Net-Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, SOM seeks to expand its role as an advocate for all buildings to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050.
Throughout the month, SOM Consulting Partner Philip Enquist, Director of Structural Engineering Dmitri Jajich, Design Director Yasemin Kologlu, Director of Sustainable Engineering Luke Leung, Director Ellen Lou, Director of Urban Design and Planning Daniel Ringelstein, Associate Directors Arathi Gowda and Yinying Zhou, and Associate Mina Hasman will participate in various discussions. To conclude the month, SOM will convene a multidisciplinary panel of experts for a discussion on how to reduce embodied carbon though a holistic design approach.
CarbonPositive RESET! Event Series
Region 2: Europe, Middle East and Africa
“Paradigm Shift: Planning and Designing for Climate”
SOM Consulting Partner Philip Enquist will join Director of Urban Design and Planning Daniel Ringelstein and Drew Wensley, CEO at MT Planners, for a conversation on designing for climate in Africa and the Middle East. The three will discuss the critical need for architects and urban planners to design carbon positive buildings and landscapes in order to address both current and future climate needs—and to meet the 1.5ºC commitment.
September 17, 2020
4:45 – 5:30 p.m. UK
Register here.
Learn more here.
Region 3: Asia, Asia Pacific and Oceania
“Reset! Architecture: Designing to Meet 1.5ºC”
SOM Director of Sustainable Engineering Luke Leung will join Kongjian Yu, founder of Turenscape, and Carl Elefante of Quinn Evans for a conversation on innovative approaches to sustainable design and how the industry is changing to meet the 1.5ºC targets. Focusing on their work in China, the three will discuss actions they are taking to mitigate climate change through architecture and engineering.
September 22, 2020
12:00 – 12:40 p.m. SH/HK Time
Register here.
Learn more here.
“Planning and Designing for Climate: A Paradigm Shift”
SOM Director Ellen Lou and Associate Director Yinying Zhou will join Kongjian Yu, founder of Turenscape, for a discussion on innovative examples of carbon positive design in Asia. SOM Consulting Partner Philip Enquist will moderate the discussion. Panelists will share insight on scalable strategies for reducing carbon emissions. The panel is hosted by Architecture 2030, a group dedicated to transforming the built environment from the major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to a key part of the solution to the climate crisis.
September 22, 2020
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. UK
Register here.
Learn more here.
World Green Building Week
“Net Zero for Communities, the Planet, and Economies”
SOM Associate Mina Hasman will join Marcene Broadwater, of IFC/World Bank Group, Bianca Wong of Kingspan, and Cynthia Curtis of JLL for a discussion on the urgent need for—and the benefits offered by—net-zero buildings. Victoria Burrows, Director of Advancing Net Zero at WorldGBC, will moderate the discussion. Panelists will share insight on how net-zero buildings support thriving and resilient communities, protect the planet’s resources, and represent a solid investment.
September 23, 2020
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. UK
Register here.
Learn more here.
“Understanding Embodied Carbon: Interdisciplinary Perspectives from SOM”
Finding effective strategies to reduce embodied carbon—the impacts associated with building materials and construction—has never been more crucial. This event organized by SOM will convene an interdisciplinary group of design professionals—in interior design, architecture, engineering, and urban planning—to discuss approaches to reduce embodied carbon at every scale, from interior finishes to city-wide interventions. The panelists will propose industry-changing opportunities and share lessons learned from the sustainability movement that can accelerate the decarbonization of building materials. Moderated by SOM Associate Mina Hasman, the panel includes Director of Urban Planning Ellen Lou, Design Director Yasemin Kologlu, Director of Sustainable Engineering Luke Leung, Associate Director Arathi Gowda, and Director of Structural Engineering Dmitri Jajich.
September 24, 2020
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. UK
Register here.
Follow the conversation on social media: #WGBW2020 #ActOnClimate
Learn more about CarbonPositive RESET! here.
Learn more about World Green Building Week here.