Climate Resilient Future: Energy Effectiveness in Design and Construction

Climate Resilient Future: Energy Effectiveness in Design and Construction

This webinar is part of the RAIC 2024 Conference on Architecture, now available to stream!

Topics: Climate Justice and Resilience, Sustainability, Adaptation and Mitigation

Length: 1 hour | What's Included: Video, Quiz, and Certificate of Completion 

As the 21st century is increasingly shaped by the impacts of a changing climate, energy and material availability seems likely to decline. The result of this “energy descent” will have profound implications on the architecture profession. How do we design for extreme energy reduction without sacrificing building performance? What does construction look like in an energy scarce future? How do architects prepare for a future characterized by unknowable change?

Drawing from 25 years of experience in high performance buildings and regenerative design, this session explores the implications of energy descent on design and construction. The first part of this presentation will examine the anticipated energy and material constraints of the 21st century. The second part will identify the impacts of these constraints on the design, construction, and performance of our buildings. Lastly, the third part will explore how anticipating and adapting to these impacts can position architects as leaders charting a path towards a resilient future.

By the completion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify the anticipated impacts of climate change on building material and energy availability
• Appraise energy effectiveness in building design, construction, and operation
• Demonstrate the benefits of energy effective design to a building’s long term capital value
• Implement energy effective design principles in order to maximize building lifespan and support a climate resilient future

Subject Matter Expert:

Michel Lebrie
Architect AIBC, MRAIC, LEED AP BD+C, Envision SP
Principal, Local Practice Architecture + Design

Michel is a quiet force who listens more than he speaks. He has the unique perspective of learning lessons as an advisor on leading sustainable projects over 25 years across more than 45 Canadian communities. At Local, he helps teams navigate the risks and benefits of opening groundbreaking buildings with a lifetime of impact. Patient and passionate, he’s been sharing his knowledge with the next generation of designers as an instructor at BCIT and UBC since 2004. Michel inspires people to see the transformational potential in every piece of architecture. His dream is for all buildings to be integrated with nature. You can find him recharging on the ski slopes and field where he coaches kids’ soccer. Ask him for advice about camping off-grid, which he enjoys each summer with his wife and three children.