Hey,
We are the people who are supposed to be the authority on building in the states and provinces we serve. We are given this authority on oath that we will do our utmost for the benefit of the societies that give us this charter. Why are we either allowing or deliberately shedding this awesome responsibility to raters of narrow interest "sustainability" rating systems while maintaining fully the liability for the buildings we design. Do these raters carry such a charter from the jurisdictions in charge? Do they assume liability for their decisions and actions? No, if such individuals have the authority to change the architecture and decisions of architects, then they need to be registered as architects.
Design is by nature integrative in and of itself, and must not be parceled out to an ever expanding melange of special interests that may not work to the benefit of a well coordinated design. Since it is the architect who has the charter to produce competent design of the built environment taking into account many factors (beyond just energy), it is solely the architect that may make the decisions on building and building systems. If we hand over this responsibility then we're really handing over the design. Our charge is much, much more than just aesthetics.
James Cooper
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James Cooper AIA, NCARB, MAIBC
Principal
Cooper Architectural Works
Portland, OR
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