Jacob Werner, AIA, is a principal architect and lab planner with Ellenzweig, in Boston, Massachusetts. He specializes in designing innovative spaces for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), with a focus on high-quality user experience, sustainability, and resilience. As a Certified Passive House Consultant, LEED AP, and WELL AP, Jacob is a passionate advocate for sustainable, long-lasting, and energy-efficient buildings. He is a leader in the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories, where he is New England Chapter President, advises on the I2SL Labs2Zero program, and authors I2SL Best Practices Guides. Jacob is also active in the American Institute of Architects, where he serves as Co-Chair of the AIA 2030 Commitment Working Group.
Courses
AIA 2030 Commitment By the Numbers (RY25): A Look into Firms’ Progress Towards Net Zero Emissions
How much progress have the more than 24,286 projects totaling 3.4 billion gross square feet (GSF) designed last year made toward achieving net-zero carbon? The AIA 2030 Commitment, a major climate initiative, brings together almost 1,600 architecture and design firms that have agreed to monitor their projects' energy data with the aim of attaining carbon neutrality in the built environment. Following the release of the 2030 By the Numbers 2025 report, we will discuss the report's main findings.
We will examine the trends in overall energy performance, the growing use of energy modelling, and the way in which renewables, fuel sources, and embodied carbon are reported. Looking to the future, since the Commitment has now been in place for 17 years and is less than five years away from 2030, the Working Group is suggesting a move away from the energy savings defined in CBECS 2003 towards total carbon reporting — a change in direction which will start with a series of iterative updates starting next year.