This column is moving out of your inbox and into the pages of Reflexion. Here, we ask AIA Utah members to respond to questions about topics of interest in order to present a diversity of viewpoints. If you have a question you want to pose, an issue you want explore with your colleagues, or an editorial position you would like to share in a future issue, please contact Joe Magnum at the AIA Utah office at jmangum@aiautah.org. This issue’s question: “What environmental trends in the architecture industry are actually sustainable, and which are greenwashing?” Kenner Kingston, AIA, LFA, LEED, SEED, Principal, Place Collaborative Inc. Current environmental trends in our industry cover the gamut of sustainability and regenerative design topics, but the ones that have my attention at the moment are place-based design, water harvest and reuse, net zero energy, deconstruction over demolition and community resilience (with individual beacon buildings playing a key role). Of all of these, water harvest and reuse is the hardest to fake and has the lowest payback, which helps to explain why it is attempted so rarely even though it is needed most urgently in our bioregion (Great Salt Lake). My observation is that this trend is naturally resistant to greenwashing, which is kind of amazing. Net zero energy remains the most greenwashed trend of all, even though there is a legitimate, affordable, thoughtful and easy-to-apply third-party certification (ILFI Zero Energy) that scales wonderfully (offsite solutions are allowed in the ILFI’s Zero Carbon option). So, what’s the most sustainable current trend? Probably material health and safety. It’s not on my trendy topics list because in many ways the goal has been reached. Such great progress has been made in this area over the course of my career, thanks to LEED and Declare, that the average inhabitant of our projects is already benefiting meaningfully from fewer VOCs and Red List substances in the building materials that surround them. E. Ben Rogers, AIA, NCARB, Principal, FFKR Architects Practicing in a more conservative part of the state, many of our clients still align with the earliest guidance we received on the LEED process back in 2002. One client famously told us, “The only green we want to be associated with is the kind of green you can save us.” Another client — and a longtime friend — has spent nearly a decade developing a project. He holds a deep respect for the natural environment surrounding his property and wanted that value reflected in his project. However, once the costs associated with implementing those ideas became clear, the scope of green initiatives was reduced to remain financially feasible. At FFKR, our core design philosophy is rooted in listening to the client. We do not impose initiatives if they are not aligned with the client’s goals. That said, we consistently integrate energy efficiency, effective daylighting and the use of local materials — always within the constraints of the project budget. In the case of my friend’s project, many of the proposed green initiatives, while well-intentioned, bordered on greenwashing: aspirational, but ultimately unachievable. By staying true to our philosophy — listening carefully, respecting budget realities, and prioritizing practical strategies such as energy efficiency and natural lighting — we believe this approach represents a more genuine and sustainable path forward. Dear Architect 26 REFLEXION
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