Embodied Carbon 101: Making the Case
Description
Addressing embodied carbon in one’s practice requires strategy, communication, and collaboration. This course addresses how AEC practitioners can speak with clients and collaborators about embodied carbon to demonstrate the value of reducing embodied carbon and to provide pathways to reduce its impacts in projects and the environment. Learners will hear from sustainability professionals whose practices represent traditional architectural firms, large engineering and consulting firms, and small design/build practices who share approaches to reducing embodied carbon in cooperation with clients, including: managing client choices by selecting and presenting low embodied carbon materials and designs; marketing and external communications; making the economic case for use of low embodied carbon materials and designs; drawing parallels between embodied carbon and materials and occupant health; and developing mutual goals and values with clients and project teams from the early stages of a project.
Course expires 11/14/2026
Learning Objectives
Participate in early discussions with project team and collaborators to identify areas in which each discipline can reduce embodied carbon through material choices and material reduction.
Effectively offer material alternatives to traditional materials that will reduce embodied carbon, improve material and occupant health, and, in some cases, reduce costs.
Systematize external communications to clearly articulate the importance of reducing embodied carbon in relation to environmental health and sustainability values and to propose straightforward ways for clients to begin addressing embodied carbon.
Analyze a project for potential embodied carbon barriers and opportunities, and develop and propose alternative pathways to address barriers and optimize opportunities.
![Gunnar Hubbard Gunnar Hubbard](https://aiau.aia.org/pluginfile.php/1/local_instructors/image/55/55.jpg)
Gunnar Hubbard is a recognized leader in the green building industry in the U.S., Asia, Europe and the Middle East. He has more than two decades of experience as a licensed architect, consultant, educator and sustainability advocate. In his role as Thornton Tomasetti's Sustainability practice leader, he oversees green building experts in our New York City, London, San Francisco, Boston and Portland offices, who have performed more than 400 LEED and BREEAM certifications. Gunnar specializes in creating high-performance, low-energy, healthy buildings. He focuses on advancing the firm’s building analytics capabilities and expertise in the Passive House, Living Building Challenge and WELL certification systems. Gunnar was inducted into the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED Fellow in 2012 and as an American Institute of Architects Fellow in 2015.
![Nadav Malin Nadav Malin](https://aiau.aia.org/pluginfile.php/1/local_instructors/image/798/798.jpg)
Nadav Malin is a passionate facilitator, leading workshops and retreats to help organizations of all types find alignment, inspiration, and leadership in pursuit of their goals. He convenes peer networks of architecture firm Sustainable Design Leaders, Sustainable Construction Leaders, and others. He facilitates gatherings and consults to USGBC, AIA, large corporations, government agencies, and architecture firms. And he helps project teams with charrette facilitation and design process support to achieve optimal outcomes.
Nadav is also the building industry’s acknowledged go-to resource when you need thoughtful perspective on the materials and design solutions that define sustainable building practice. As president of BuildingGreen, he oversees the company’s industry-leading information and community-building websites BuildingGreen.com and LEEDuser. He served as executive editor of GreenSource magazine throughout its highly decorated seven-year run.
![Kate Burbriski Kate Burbriski](https://aiau.aia.org/pluginfile.php/1/local_instructors/image/799/799.jpg)
Kate works to ensure building performance simultaneously creates social, health, environmental, and economic benefits for the people and places that are touched by Arrowstreet’s work. She works closely with clients to enhance their missions and meet project goals. Kate directs Arrowstreet’s Strategic Building Performance Plan. She brings her expertise in net zero, embodied carbon, integrated design, materials evaluation, occupant engagement, and building certification to all of Arrowstreet’s projects. Kate also facilitates Arrowstreet’s meeting the AIA 2030 Commitment.
![Matthew Gifford Matthew Gifford](https://aiau.aia.org/pluginfile.php/1/local_instructors/image/800/800.jpg)
Since joining Shepley Bulfinch in 2004, Matt has led complex projects for the country’s leading academic institutions, including Amherst College, Johns Hopkins University, and Xavier University. His recent work with Smith College and Loyola University Maryland further showcases Matt’s values-based approach to sustainability to create healthier buildings for both people and the planet, while providing clients with creative solutions to sustainability through an integrated design process. His expertise in green building has been recognized by colleagues and clients alike, with recent presentations on healthy building materials at Greenbuild and the Society of College and University Planning (SCUP) conferences.
Matt holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech and a Master of Urban Design from The City University of New York. He is a member of the Boston Society for Architecture.
![Rachel White Rachel White](https://aiau.aia.org/pluginfile.php/1/local_instructors/image/801/801.jpg)
Rachel joined the company in 2009 after having hired Byggmeister to renovate her master suite. She started as a consultant helping to develop standards and goals for energy and water use, and indoor air quality and to track these over time. After she became an employee, her role evolved to include project management. In her current role Rachel splits her time between overseeing the company and shepherding projects through the planning process.
One of the things that Rachel feels distinguishes Byggmeister is the emphasis on performance. “During project planning we look for opportunities to improve comfort, efficiency, air quality. In other words, we plan to improve performance. Then, once the project is over, we measure how we did and apply the lessons learned to future projects. It’s a virtuous circle.”