(F01) Lessons Learned on the Pathway to Climate Positive and Equitable Design: Stitching Together Design, Climate Positive and Equity Goals

Those whose work shapes the built environment hold great responsibility to both people and planet. Our everyday decisions about the way we build—such as design processes, systems choices, and materials choices—have marked impacts on global climate, human and environmental health, social well-being, and community prosperity. In this session, we've gathered two architecture firms, an engineering firm, and a community-based organization to share case studies exploring the pathway toward climate positive and equitable designs. The project examples will help us examine the responsibility each of us holds in this work, key lessons learned, and the opportunities and challenges along the way. We will explore the goals and approach taken with Africatown Plaza, a midrise affordable housing development and community business incubator located in the Central District of Seattle, borne out of the vision of Africatown Community Land Trust. With intentions rooted in stewarding the local and displaced African American community to grow and thrive in place, the project was cultivated mindfully: from an intentionally crafted design team to an authentic and robust community engagement process. Taking a broader view, the latter part of the session will identify the relationship of climate change, materials, and equity. We will discuss combined research from five different affordable housing projects indicating key systems and materials choices to reduce embodied and operational carbon and their impact on creating equitable built environments. Furthermore, we will examine material life cycles, where we start to quantify external costs associated with our building products, prompting us to reevaluate our design criteria. Cost control is critical to prioritizing and preserving resources and access for equitable and sustainable development.