Dear COTE Community,
As we near the end of COTE’s 2023 activities we reflect on the work we have done this year and the volunteers who have given so much of themselves to further COTE’s priorities to elevate exemplars, engage the next generation, provide a hub for the COTE Network, and empower all members to achieve climate action and climate justice through design.
We advanced the COTE Top Ten Awards to streamline requirements and focus on outcomes; we advanced the criteria for equitable communities by asking teams to consider and improve their impact on equity at the local, regional, and global scale; we brough the community together at A’23 to discuss our most challenging issues; we led the re-writing of the AIA Policy and Position Statements on Environmental Responsibility, currently in review by the AIA Board, to reflect the evolution of sustainability and resilience and the imperatives we as architects have to mitigate climate change, advance adaptation, and improve equity and justice.
Of course, our work continues even as the year ends. At Greenbuild in Washington, D.C., the Biden administration announced a draft definition of net zero emissions buildings based on three pillars: energy efficiency, zero on-site emissions, and renewables. Along with AIA staff and members of the Strategic Council, Billie Faircloth, Michelle Amt, and I attended meetings at the white house to provide feedback as subject matter experts (a public RFI is forthcoming).
Within the AIA, COTE is working with staff on aligning metrics within the Framework for Design Excellence, 2030 Commitment, and awards programs. We are supporting the Board Committee on Climate Action and Design Excellence (CCADE) in drafting a Theory of Change for climate within the Institute. We are gearing up for 2024, which will include bringing resources on climate and climate justice to the community, evolving COTE national’s relationship with component chapters through an even more robust COTE Network, and working on new ideas to improve the Framework for Design Excellence’s accessibility, utility, and measurability to improve holistic sustainability across the industry.
I would like to express gratitude to all COTE volunteers, to Wei Wang, our YAF liaison, Bunny Tucker, our COTE Network Liaison, and especially to the COTE LG members who complete their terms this December:
Kjell Anderson, who has contributed his formidable technical and policy savvy to efforts ranging from the Strategic Council’s Carbon Literacy Sprint to advising on advocacy at the federal level, to leading the rewriting of the Policy & Position statements on Environmental Responsibility.
Elaine Gallagher Adams, who dedicated much of her LG term to the next generation by advancing the AIA/ACSA Top Ten for Students Competition, strengthening ties between students and professionals and streamlining the requirements to focus on maximum impact.
Helena Zambrano, whose tireless commitment to supporting architects in measuring, evaluating, and improving the holistic outcomes of their work sustains the COTE Top Ten Awards, Super Spreadsheet, and Common App.
And last but not least, I offer a huge heartfelt thank you Billie Faircloth, the 2022 Chair, who brought to COTE a clarity of vision and process and a deep commitment to mission. I am honored to pass the baton to our 2024 Chair, Michelle Amt, Director of Sustainability and Inclusion at VMDO. Michelle is a Top Ten recipient (with VMDO), past juror, and led the current iteration of the call for entries – there is no one more qualified. I cannot wait to see what this amazing community will accomplish in 2024.