As part of the AIA San Francisco Small Firms monthly meetings, L+U Senior Associate Brendon Levitt discussed how architects in small firms can make big impacts towards reducing carbon emissions.  The presentation emphasized six ways that we commonly help small firms implement low-carbon projects:

  • Leveraging energy code compliance for actual high performance
  • Understanding the differences between energy code and thermal comfort
  • Anticipating climate change through staged resilience planning
  • Creating clear mechanical systems narratives for architects and contractors
  • Providing targeted analysis for specific owner questions
  • Designing electric lighting and daylighting systems that reinforce the architectural space

Note: Attendance qualified towards the CA licensing board requirement for Zero Carbon Continuing Education.

L+U’s office is located in a newly-renovated 1942 hangar on the Naval Air Station in Alameda.

More about Brendon:

Brendon Levitt is a licensed architect, lighting designer, and energy consultant. He is a senior associate at Loisos + Ubbelohde and an Associate Professor at California College of the Arts. He holds degrees in architecture from Yale University and UC Berkeley. Over the last 25 years Brendon has worked on over 130 buildings in 15 countries. His projects have been recognized with over 90 awards including some of the highest honors for sustainability in the profession. In Brendon’s free time, he writes and lectures about sustainable design and the synthesis of contemporary culture, thermo-visual delight, and new technology.

 

More about Loisos + Ubbelohde:

Loisos + Ubbelohde specializes in high performance buildings, providing architectural consulting, design and research with a focus on comfort, energy efficiency and sustainability. Their consulting services include: daylighting and lighting design, energy modeling and thermal comfort, as well as natural ventilation, HVAC design, and building performance monitoring.  Their perspective integrates both architectural and engineering approaches to buildings which enables us to work collaboratively with design teams in an iterative process moving between technical analysis and the generation of designs. Their portfolio includes large, complex projects, and yet we also understand the constraints on small firms and do often work with smaller budgets to strategically maximize impact.