Full Day Continuing Education Event - December 14

To kickoff Gulf Coast Green 2023, we invite you to attend a full day of Continuing Education (CE) Seminars sponsored by the Committee on the Environment (COTE).

Pre-registered pricing includes breakfast and lunch. Parking is not included.

MISSION
The Committee on the Environment (COTE) works to advance, disseminate, and advocate—to the profession, the building industry, the academy, and the public—design practices that integrate built and natural systems and enhance both the design quality and environmental performance of the built environment.

The committee reflects the profession’s commitment to providing healthy and safe environments for people and is dedicated to preserving the earth’s capability of sustaining a shared high quality of life. The committee’s mission is to lead and coordinate the profession’s involvement in environmental and energy-related issues and to promote the role of the architect as a leader in preserving and protecting the planet and its living systems.

9:30am-10:30am

Deconstruction and Building Materials ReUse  -  1.0 HSW

In this presentation you'll learn what Deconstruction is, understand more about the different types of Deconstruction, and explore the benefits that Deconstruction provides to society. If you've ever wondered if Deconstruction is the great idea that LEED and other Green Building programs claim it is, come learn about the pros, cons & reality of Deconstruction. Find out whether you can incorporate Deconstruction or Reclaimed Building Materials into your next project, and why it may or may not be a good idea.  Learn about the benefits that Deconstruction can provide to society as a whole, beyond just the reuse of materials.

Speaker: 

Caroline Kostak is the owner of RePurpose Depot, a deconstruction and reclaimed building materials company. RePurpose Depot has deconstructed over 100 houses and had a store in the East End of Houston for 3 years before the pandemic.  She is currently the Houston area representative for The ReUse People and a LEED Accredited Professional for Homes, helping people build environmentally-friendly homes and multi-family projects.

10:45am-11:45am

Zero Waste as a part of Zero Carbon  -  1.0 HSW

Zero Waste is not new, but it remains elusive. What does AIA Committee on the Environment promote? How has uptake in the Total Resource Use and Efficiency Rating System been lately? How can buildings best decarbonize, and how does Zero Waste fit? What can designers do to enable waste diversion? What tools are available? Which municipalities are making progress in this realm? Steve will present the tools and techniques of the TRUE Rating System and compare waste diversion to other forms of decarbonization.

Speaker: 

Steve Stelzer, Program Director of the Green Building Resource Center, offers green building strategies for plans brought in by the public, develops and maintains green strategy displays, coordinates green building tours, and facilitates educational programs.  Steve is focused on making Houston a greener place to live and work.

11:45am - 12:30pm - lunch

12:30pm-1:30pm

Cooking the books and cooking our planet – A full performance outcome accounting of our built environment decisions - 1.0 HSW

A lowest-first-cost minimum-code mentality is preventing the deployment of proven-sustainable-best-practice designs, technologies, and policies in the built environment. This course will show how triple-bottom-line cost-benefit-analysis accounting monetizes the Natural, Human, and Financial capital value opportunity of our decisions.

Speaker:

David is the Founder and President of McMac Cx, LLC., a Mission Focused Social Enterprise creating equitable pathways to Communities where Businesses Prosper, Humans Thrive, and Nature Flourishes. Working with Social Tech Partners from around the globe, David creates performance outcome transparency and accountability within the Built Environment, so that his Clients can implement the best designs, advanced technologies and world class policies and processes that maximize the ability of buildings and connected communities to be healthy, efficient, and prosperous. 

1:45pm-2:45pm

I Want My School to Help My Community - AIA Credit 1.0 HSW

If you were born between 2009 and 2012, your view of the space and world around you is quite different. This generation of people wants to invest in making their community and their world a better place, and they expect their school to do exactly that. Would you let an eleven-year-old design your new Middle School? Well, students at The Branch School in Houston, Texas, were given a chance to create their ultimate school. When asked about their end goal, one student answered, “I want my school to help the community.” With the help of Kirksey Architects and Harvey Builders, learners in grades 6 through 8 actively participated in the design of their middle school. They used a Project-Based Learning curriculum to understand the design process, the importance of sustainability in building, and the science of construction. In their own words, hear from them about what they wanted this building to accomplish for their education and development as peacekeepers, problem solvers, and stewards of their world. Listen to the School Board President and the design team explain how the learners created a thoughtful and sustainable solution for their own Middle School. Engage in the same activities that the project team used to gather insight from the students and the teachers, and then you can incorporate these activities and lessons at your school and with your students. Learn about the innovative ideas incorporated into the design to help achieve LEED certification and maximum energy efficiency resulting in overall savings for the school. Finally, see the finished product and celebrate the accomplishments of these students in their new space. Come find out if the students designed a school that will help their community and just how that is happening.

Speakers: 

Jody Sergi is an Architect and Associate Vice President at Kirksey.  She was the Project Manager for The Branch School.  Jody has worked in K-12 and Higher Education projects almost exclusively during her 22 year career.  She earned her BArch from The University of Cincinnati and became a LEED AP in 2003.  She has served on the Board of Directors for the USGBC and has Chaired the AIA Gulf Coast Green Conference.  Jody is an advocate for green schools and believes that schools can have a low impact on the earth and a huge influence on the way children learn.

Michelle is an Associate Vice President and Lead Designer at Kirksey.  Michelle has made an impact in education through design. In her 13-year career, she has works on award-wining projects ranging from early childhood facilities to higher education institutions. Michelle has been a speaker at several conventions and in 2016 was named and exhibited as one of Houston’s Emerging Voices by Young Architects Forum. Several of her work has won awards including AIA Houston Design Awards. For The Branch School, she worked on designing their new building and intertwining it with their curriculum.

Richard Lopez is a Senior Mechanical Engineer at CMTA. For The Branch School, he was the MEP project manager, lead mechanical engineer, and led the discussion on the geothermal system selection. Since joining CMTA in 2012, he has worked on Net Zero Energy, LEED Platinum, and Living Building Challenge projects.

• 4.0 AIA HSW 
• AIA Members will have their credits reported.
• All Non-Members will receive certificates