The AIA Framework for Design Excellence Confessions of a Convert BY PAUL LEWANDOWSKI, IIDA, AIA At first, I wasn’t buying it. When AIA Maine adopted the AIA Framework for Design Excellence (F4DE) as part of our design awards program in 2019, shortly after the Framework was released, I was concerned that it would reduce the number of entries we receive each year and become a barrier. I have always considered myself to be a “green” architect. I was an early LEED-accredited professional and worked on many Net Zero projects. I didn’t understand the F4DE; I thought it would be complicated to comply with, take away time I didn’t have and strongarm itself onto my clients. F4DE is NOT a tool for green shaming. The Framework seeks to inform progress toward a zero-carbon, equitable, resilient and healthy built environment. As a toolkit or checklist, it provides a set of principles that guide us, as architects, towards better design regardless of the project size, scope or sustainability goals. I was wrong. As I continue to learn about the framework, I’ve seen how it isn’t only a tool for measuring a project against similar projects. It provides a robust checklist of thought-starters that can be utilized throughout the course of a project, from pre-design through post-occupancy evaluations. The Framework The F4DE is a set of 10 principles. Design for: Integration, Equitable Communities, Ecosystems, Water, Economy, Energy, Well-Being, Resources, Change and Discovery. The 10 principles are organized around four outcomes or areas of impact: Zero carbon, Equitable, Resilient and Healthy. Many of the suggestions in the principles are things that we may already be doing — designing for daylight, specifying environmentally friendly materials, or providing universal access. The AIA website has an excellent description and ample information on each principle, as well as links to external resources. I encourage you to visit it by scanning the QR code, especially the section on “If you can do only one (or a few) thing(s),” which lists some of the most impactful and easy things to consider. https://www.aia.org/resources/6077668framework-for-design-excellence My studio is small, with four full-time staff and four part-time. We are based in Portland, Maine. We utilize the F4DE in our projects. We recently applied it to projects in concept design, construction and post-occupancy. After sharing the Framework with a new client and preparing a graphic description of the process, I was amazed at the positive reaction we received. The document is a goal sheet for the project. We discussed how we may not achieve all of the goals but that it was important to discuss possibilities. Below, I list each of the Principles and some of the aspects of each that we use in our work. 1. Design for Integration Getting client input and allowing people to be heard is crucial to a project’s success. BuildingGreen.com has an excellent article on “How to Run a Great Workshop” that you can read by scanning the QR code. https://www.buildinggreen.com/ feature/how-run-great-workshop-37-tips-and-ideas In it, they give tips for preventing design by committee, the timing of meetings, gaining value for disagreeable people and supporting iteration. With 37 tips, it is an exhaustive set of helpful tips for client integration. 2. Design for Equitable Communities Calculate your Walk Score with www.walkscore.com. Most realtors are using this website to quickly describe a location in terms of walkability, bike-ability and availability of public transportation. Remember, this is a tool of discovery and not shame. I’ve got projects that have a low score due to their location, near a highway or rural site. The walk score might be low, but going through the process has caused me to think about equitability and prompted me to discuss things with the client, like providing a shuttle or organizing carpools for employees. 3. Design for Ecosystems There are so many possibilities in designing for ecosystems, but one that is near and dear to me is bird safety. With over a billion bird strikes each year, designing bird-safe glazing 8 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .23 | www.aia-wyoming.org
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