As I write this chair letter, I am also actively planning my three fall semester architecture classes: Environmental Technologies 1: Systems Selection & Materials (2nd year students), Integrated Design Studio (4th year students) and Well-being Thesis Research (5th year students).
I find myself conflicted.
Part of me is super-energized to plan my engagement with 60+ students over the course of 16 weeks, attempting to inspire and prepare them to drive meaningful climate action. I am grateful to be able to address a seemingly infinite number of topics (construction joints, MEP coordination, biophilia) using a diverse array of methodologies (scavenger hunts, exploded axons, literature reviews) to resonate with as many perspectives as possible. I truly love my job.
However, another part of me can’t help but be frustrated by the daily headlines detailing the federal cuts to educational programs and research initiatives that are working to combat this same climate crisis. One step forward. One step backward. As a professional in this space, I am sure I am not alone in this feeling.
If you feel this way too, the good news is that we can choose to view this “back to school” season with a fresh optimism, a new hope. We can actively engage with the next generation and share our gifts in the effort to make forward progress. I would like to boldly suggest that you reach out to your local or state AIA component and ask if they have existing mentorship programs or high school design competitions in place. If so, see how you can plug in. If not, I encourage you to consider asking if there is interest or support within the component to start a new initiative, with the goal of engaging and supporting this next generation.
Another excellent option is reaching out to a local university or community college that has an architecture, sustainability or allied design program, and offer your expertise either as a guest speaker, a juror or mentor. The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Map is a good place to start as it identifies 250+ member schools with 7,000+ faculty and 40,000+ students. I can speak to this need personally as each semester I actively solicit this type of “outside” engagement with an open call on my LinkedIn page. The photo above features the 9 mechanical engineers and commissioning agents who shared their time and talent with my 5th year net-zero focus studio students in a series of active design workshops last fall. If you are close to Atlanta, please contact me. With over 700 students in our architecture program, there are many opportunities!
Some more good news related to this “back to school” theme is the timing of a couple of updates regarding the AIA/ACSA COTE Top Ten for Students Award competition. The 2025 competition winners will be announced very soon after the posting of this issue of the COTE News and the 2026 competition has opened for registration. We are happy to report that the competition in 2025 has reached over 1400 student and faculty participants from over 80 schools. We are even more excited that this competition has expanded in 2025 to now include a second category for the foundation level (the first two years of college, including community colleges). Ten percent of the entries this year came from this new category which is increasing the number of architecture studios that can benefit from your expertise (nudge, nudge).
As I close this letter, I’d like to make one more request. If you do end up reaching out and connecting with either an AIA component or a college/university, please let me know. You can either tag me or message me on LinkedIn or send me a quick email at cote@aia.org. I will find a way to amplify your effort and use it to encourage more people to do the same. Let’s go “back to school” together!
Robin Z. Puttock, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, is an Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University and a practicing architect with over twenty years of professional, national award-winning, sustainable design experience. She is the editor and contributing author of Teaching Carbon Neutral Design in North America: Twenty Award-Winning Architectural Design Studio Methodologies (Routledge 2025) and is the project architect of many LEED certified buildings as well as the first US Department of Education Green Ribbon School recognized by President Barack Obama. Robin serves as the 2025 Chair of the National AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Leadership Group.