BEC: Austin Committee Meeting
December 4 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Related Events
Join BEC: Austin for their monthly meeting featuring a presentation and lunch.
Improving our Health and Lowering our Carbon Footprint – Climate Responsive Building and Remodeling Design
with Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA
Barley | Pfeiffer Architecture
Climate change is making our environment hotter and less comfortable. We are air-conditioning much more than just 10 years ago, to say nothing of a generation ago. This global shift needs to be reflected in our architecture. Why are today’s technology-based Green building programs giving “cover” to architecture that is NOT responsive enough to climate change? What is needed in our approach to architecture in the 21st century to truly lower our carbon footprint? What paradigm shifts in user expectations, knowledge, and even aesthetic tastes are necessary to get us to where we need to be?
Learning Objective 1:
Describe the citizen volunteer effort behind Energy Star and the resulting paradigm shift that spawned the international Green building movement and it’s impact on the built environment.
Learning Objective 2:
Question the effectiveness of present-day approaches and incentives to Sustainability and Resilience in the built environment.
Learning Objective 3:
Recognize how to effectively lower your carbon footprint utilizing common-sense strategies employable by those from every socio-economic background.
Learning Objective 4:
Enable citizens & community leaders to think beyond the current sustainability paradigm to improve future outcomes.
Peter Pfeiffer is an Architect, Author, Building Scientist, Realtor & Property Manager who is among the earliest American architects to be named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects for his life-long achievements in developing high-performance green design & building strategies. He was instrumental in the creation of Energy Star, and then the nation’s very first nationally recognized Green Building program. Peter is the founding shareholder of Barley | Pfeiffer Architecture, whose work has been published in such diverse venues as the Washington Post, Fine Homebuilding and featured on The Discovery Channel and This Old House. Residential Architect magazine cited him as one of the ten most influential residential architects of the decade. Peter is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences on architecture, building development, and climate change. As such, he has been nominated for the prestigious Hanley Award for his meaningful efforts to advance green building in North America. He has been honored as the “National Green Advocate of the Year” by the National Association of Homes Builders and named the” Green Superhero of the Year” recently at the International Building Show. More recently he has been selected to speak at the prestigious SXSW conference addressing how architectural design decisions interact with climate & social action.
BEC: Austin is an interdisciplinary organization that promotes the exchange of information on building enclosures and related science specific to the climate of Central Texas.
Interdisciplinary: architects, engineers, contractors, building owners, consultants, facility managers, code officials, educators, manufacturers, and those with a stake in building enclosure performance
Exchange of information: discussion, training, education, outreach, and awareness
Building enclosures and related science: energy-efficiency, moisture control, indoor air quality, longevity, and durability
BEC: Austin typically meets the first Wednesday of each month from 12-1pm. To receive reminders, please sign up for the BEC mailing list here.
2024 BEC: Austin Committee
Chair: Keith Simon, FAIA
Chair Elect: Josh Leger, AIA
AIA Austin staff liaison: Julia Brown