Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, Gensler. [Photo: Garrett Rowland/courtesy Gensler]
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, Gensler. [Photo: Garrett Rowland/courtesy Gensler]
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, Gensler. [Photo: Garrett Rowland/courtesy Gensler]
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, Gensler. [Photo: Garrett Rowland/courtesy Gensler]
John W. Olver Design Building, Leers Weinzapfel Associates. [Photo: Ngoc X Doan Photography/courtesy Leers Weinzapfel Associates]
John W. Olver Design Building, Leers Weinzapfel Associates. [Photo: Ngoc X Doan Photography/courtesy Leers Weinzapfel Associates]
Keller Center – Harris School of Public Policy. Farr Associates (Design Lead & Architect of Record) and Woodhouse Tinucci Architects (Collaborating Architect, Interior Designer). [Photo: Jacob Hand/courtesy Farr Associates]
Marine Education Center at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. Lake|Flato Architects in collaboration with Unabridged Architecture. [Photo: Casey Dunn/courtesy Lake|Flato Architects and unabridged Architecture]
Marine Education Center at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. Lake|Flato Architects in collaboration with Unabridged Architecture. [Photo: Casey Dunn/courtesy Lake|Flato Architects and unabridged Architecture]
Marine Education Center at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. Lake|Flato Architects in collaboration with Unabridged Architecture. [Photo: Casey Dunn/courtesy Lake|Flato Architects and unabridged Architecture]
Buildings generate nearly 40% of the world’s CO2 emissions—and since two-thirds of the buildings that exist today will still be around by the middle of the century, architects need to rethink their design now to have a chance of meeting goals for a net-zero economy. The industry is shifting, and sustainability has become a standard part of architecture. But some projects go further than others. Each year, the American Institute of Architecture Committee on the Environment selects the 10 best designs. Here’s the list for 2020.
Austin Central Library. Lake|Flato Architects and Shepley Bulfinch. [Photo: Nic Lehoux/courtesy AIA]Austin Central Library Lake|Flato Architects and Shepley Bulfinch
Located in downtown Austin, this public library has a 373,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system; some of the water is used in a garden designed to attract pollinators on the rooftop. A soaring six-story atrium fills the building with natural light, and reading porches and outdoor dining help connect visitors with nature. The project is certified LEED Platinum, the highest rating in LEED’s green building certification program.
United States Land Port of Entry, Columbus, New Mexico, Richter Architects. [Photo: David Richter/courtesy Richter Architects]United States Land Port of Entry, Columbus, New Mexico Richter Architects
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In a remote corner of New Mexico in the Chihuahuan Desert, this border crossing “conveys our country’s better virtues—architecture that serves and respects all people, embraces culture, conserves resources, nurtures ecology, protects habitat, celebrates diversity, and conveys a love of the land,” the architects write on the AIA site. Solar panels power the building, which is designed to save energy. Native plantings help provide habitat for desert animals, while ponds and recycled concrete “sponges” help store water during rare rains.
Environmental Nature Center and Preschool, LPA, Inc. [Photo: Cris Costea/courtesy AIA]Environmental Nature Center and Preschool LPA, Inc.
This preschool at a nature center in Newport Beach, California, preserves four acres of open space with native plants in a suburban neighborhood. Rainwater is harvested from roofs into bioswales where plants filter and clean the water. The preschool, built with natural and recycled materials, is designed to be so efficient that rooftop solar panels can provide more power than the building needs. Preschoolers grow their own food in an on-site organic garden. The design is flexible, so the building could later be repurposed for other uses in the future.
