Committee on the Environment

The AIA Columbus, Ohio COTE chapter is looking for a virtual speaker on making a business case for sustainable architecture. In particular, we're looking for tools like calculating ROI to present to owners to try to encourage better choices. Does anyone have any recommendations of someone who might be willing to join us virtually for a lunch (noon-1pm ET) presentation?

Hi Erin,

I have a prepared deck titled "Decarbonization by Design" which I think gets at the core that you are looking for though there are no "calculators" but what it does do is reframe sustainability in different ways so that our practitioners can talk about strategies sometimes without even saying the work sustainability. It's also content that will be in my book that I am currently writing on the topic.

Hi Erin,

I have given numerous presentations locally (Chicago, Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey, and others) and nationally (three Architectural Record one hour seminars - Sustainability, Resilience and Carbon, numerious national AIA conference presentations, etc.) as well as internally for the national SFx committee numerous times.  I was the past national co-chair of the 2030 Commitment Working Group and served on the Committee on Climate Action and Design Excellence and the Sustainability Leadership Group.  I am currently on the national ExCom of the SFx committee. 

If you would like, I would like to speak to you about what you are exactly looking for.  I can be reached at 847 864-9650.

Hey Erin,

We have a Case Study for the first Zero Energy School in the State of Florida, Neocity Academy. We have told the in-depth story in a few conferences already. The project had to be built for the same cost/student station as mandated by Florida State Funding.

Great results. We are achieving $113,000 savings every year. Lots of intelligent strategies to think about cost, cost shifting, cost savings... The district had never done a project like that one.

It is also a phenomenal learning environment. Neocity is also ranked #4 academically in Florida HS's.  .

Let me know if that is something you would find interesting. you can reach me at teliaeson@littleonline.com

Tomas Jimenez-Eliaeson, AIA

Design Partner I Little

You all have been fantastic with so many recommendations and offers to help- I really appreciate it. Our next committee meeting isn't until July 8 so I won't be able to respond individually until after I know more about what our group is interested in but I wanted to let you know that I'm grateful and impressed at the expertise that's available.
In a long term, bigger picture, I'm wondering if there would be good value in setting up a speaker exchange database where COTE community members can list topics that either have presentations on or are interested in developing to share between chapters.