2022 Sustainability Action Plan by Ayers Saint Gross

RECOMMITTING TO ACTION

2022 Sustainability Action Plan

Ayers Saint Gross

2022 SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN

FIRM PROFILE

PROJECTS

ARCHITECTURE INTERIORS LANDSCAPE PLANNING + SPACE ANALYTICS GRAPHIC DESIGN

PEOPLE

PRACTICE

RESEARCH & RESOURCES

FIRM PROFILE Ayers Saint Gross is a 180-person, internationally

FOUNDED

1912 PHILOSOPHY

recognized design firm focused on higher education. Founded in 1912, we have an interdisciplinary staff of professionals organized around specialized areas of expertise including planning and building design for a wide range of research, academic, and student

We engage people and places to create designs that enrich the world.

life facilities, campus master planning, landscape architecture, interior design, space analytics, and wayfinding and signage. Our design is driven by a critical and analytical discourse, a respect for past wisdom, a mind to future potential, and a belief that we have an

CLIENTELE

obligation to leave places better than we found them.

100% of our work is for mission-driven clients

Ayers Saint Gross has worked with more than 250 institutions around the world. We program, plan, and design teaching and learning facilities that enable discovery and encourage collaboration within and across disciplines. Our focused experience designing

80%

higher education

20%

edge of campus, mixeduse development

DESIGN AWARDS

200+ OFFICE LOCATIONS BA LTIM O RE WA SHIN GT O N TEM PE

for higher education clients is marked by a commitment to align the physical form of our designs with the mission, structure, and cultures of each campus. We listen, observe, analyze, and collaborate. Our designs are informed by the spirit of our clients and the specific opportunities of each site. Working Together Towards a Common Goal We approach our design process as a collaboration with our clients. We create dialogues that encourage consensus building, engage stakeholders, and incorporate collaborative efforts to find creative solutions to project challenges. We understand education, specialized programmatic demands, and building performance. Working Across Disciplines Our practice is built on an interweaving of design disciplines. We work in an integrated fashion that produces holistic planning and architectural designs that engage multiple, cross-disciplinary factors such as ecological impacts and benefits, connectivity, energy use, broader community goals, university goals, cost, and implementation. Consensus building and collaboration guide all our efforts.

PROJECTS Achieving sustainability requires carefully balancing the unique needs of people and ecological systems with the economic realities inherent in each project. Ayers Saint Gross balances these opportunities and challenges to develop creative and effective design solutions.

The projects we design represent the largest impact

We appreciate that building operations are responsible for

we can make on creating a sustainable future. Ayers

28% of global carbon emissions and that concrete, steel,

Saint Gross signed the AIA2030 Commitment in 2011

and aluminimum — critical building blocks for much of

and submitted its first annual reporting data in 2012.

our work — account for another 21%. We take ownership

The following year, we began to celebrate the whole

of this reality and design for low embodied and

building architectural project that achieved the greatest

operational carbon construction to the best of our ability,

reduction in energy use intensity and the interior-only

recognizing that there is an ecosystem of factors that

project that achieved the greatest reduction in lighting

influence the best way to achieve the desired outcome.

power density annually through our internal Carrot Awards program. Sustainability’s integration into the design industry

We have charted goals and action items within each of our practice areas to help us establish Ayers Saint Gross as the carbon neutral design practice of the

has evolved substantially since we formalized our

future. Goals within architecture, interiors, landscape,

commitment over ten years ago. Our firm itself has

planning, space analytics, and graphic design follow

also evolved significantly in that timeframe. Our

along with specific action items we’re undertaking to

ownership structure transitioned into an Employee

ensure progress toward carbon neutrality and support

Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) in 2013, shifting

our clients in achieving their high-performance goals.

our culture to that of an employee-owned design firm. We’ve formalized our commitments to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion through our Just Disclosure. Our

GLOBAL CO2 EMISSIONS BY SECTOR

focus on mission-driven clients has not changed, but the complexity of the design challenges we’re asked to address has increased, mirroring the complexity and integration of our world’s challenges. Our thinking on sustainability has also evolved substantially. As new data have come to light, we more urgently than ever understand that we must achieve

28%

Building Operations

23%

Transportation

22%

Industry Concrete, Steel & Aluminum

21% 6%

Other

drastic reductions in carbon emissions by 2030 and complete carbon neutrality by 2050 to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES, BANCROFT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Source: 2018 Global ABC Report, IEA

ARCHITECTURE In alignment with our signature to the AIA2030 Commitment, we will produce a net-zero architectural design portfolio by 2030.

To achieve this goal we will: 1. Establish an energy use intensity (EUI) target for

4. Codify post-occupancy evaluation tools for use on

every whole building architectural project during

every project over 50,000 GSF.

Schematic Design.

More consistently understanding how our projects

Setting an energy performance target early in design

perform post-occupancy will helps us to design better

helps our teams keep track of what we’re working

projects in future.

toward. We use our own database of over a decade’s worth of project data to establish EUI targets based

5. Partner with structural engineers who are

on a project’s program and and climate zone. We also

signatories to the Structural Engineers 2050 (SE2050)

reference larger industry-wide data sets such as the

Commitment Program.

Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), Zero Tool, and Energy Star’s Target Finder to validate our targets. 2. Complete a whole building life cycle analysis (WBLCA) for every project over 50,000 GSF.

The SE2050 is a voluntary program of the Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) and the Sustainability Committee of the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The program is similar to the AIA2030 Commitment Ayers Saint Gross has signed and commits structural

Whole building life cycle analysis helps us track the

engineers to, “understand, reduce, and ultimately

embodied carbon of our projects. We will database this

eliminate embodied carbon in their projects by 2050.”

information in the same manner as our EUI data and leverage it to develop low-carbon projects for our clients. 3. Contract energy modeling support from our engineering and energy modeling partners for every project over 50,000 GSF. We can’t reach all of our operational carbon reduction goals alone and need support from great consultants to advance our progress.

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, HAYDEN LIBRARY REINVENTION

INTERIORS In alignment with our signature to the AIA2030 Commitment, we will reduce the lighting power density of our interiors project and ultimately produce net-zero interior projects across our design portfolio by 2030.

To achieve this goal we will: 1. Meet or exceed AIA2030 Commitment targets for

4. Track the interior finish materials specified in

lighting power density.

2021 to establish a baseline and set targets for the

Our interiors projects have reliably met or exceeded the AIA2030 Commitment target for lighting power density

percentage of products that have Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

reductions over the last decade. As the achievement

LEEDv4 includes credits for the number or percentage

benchmark continues to become more stringent, we will

of products used that have EPDs. This action says

continue to meet or exceed the AIA2030 interior-only

we’ll track that number whether an interiors project

project targets.

is pursuing LEED or not and set a target for how to increase the percentage of products we specify that

2. Complete an interior life cycle assessment for every

have EPDs.

project over 10,000 GSF. While interiors projects tend to have fewer carbon emissions when compared to whole building architectural projects, interiors projects tend to turnover their products and materials more quickly. This churn

5. Track the interior finish materials specified in 2021 to establish a baseline and set targets for the percentage of products that disclose material ingredients and potential human health impacts.

in materials can significantly impact the long-term

LEEDv4 includes credits for the number or percentage

sustainability of an interiors project.

of products used that have health impact disclosures. This action says we’ll track that number whether an

3. Evaluate our specifications annually to ensure basis

interiors project is pursuing LEED or not and set a target

of design products are consistent with Ayers Saint Gross’

for how to increase the percentage of products we

commitment to the Living Product 50 / AIA Materials

specify that have health impact disclosures.

Pledge. Ayers Saint Gross is a signatory of the Living Product 50 / AIA Materials Pledge which indicates we prioritize products with publicly available material transparency documentation such as Environmental Product Declarations and material ingredient inventories in our specifications.

RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART + DESIGN, BRIDGE HALL APARTMENTS

LANDSCAPE, PLANNING + SPACE ANALYTICS Data-informed planning empowers impactful decision-making. We will improve tracking and organization of project data to ensure our continued ability to leverage information for current and future clients.

To achieve this goal we will: 1. Track the percentage of renovation and new

4. Track the percentage of tree cover for existing

construction defined in planning designs that were

campus conditions and planning designs published

published in 2021 to establish a baseline and set

in 2021 to establish a baseline and set targets for

targets for increasing renovation and renewal.

increasing canopy.

Reinventing and renewing existing buildings is critical to

Many institutions have tree canopy goals and

reducing embodied carbon. Better understanding how

quantifying the extent to which our planning projects

our clients are reinventing in-place will help us develop

support institutions in progressing toward their goals

benchmarks for renewal.

elevates the quality of our service.

2. Track the percentage of impervious and pervious

5. Track space utilization for existing campus conditions

surfaces for existing campus conditions and planning

and planning designs published in 2021 to establish a

designs published in 2021 to establish a baseline and

baseline and set targets for right-sizing occupancy.

set targets for increasing pervious surfaces and local stormwater management capacity.

Our clients have varying definitions for what “rightsizing” looks like. Supporting our clients in defining more

Better understanding how our clients are balancing

efficient square foot per student and/or square foot per

development and pervious surfaces will help us identify

office metrics can help them optimize their space use

benchmarks for stormwater management capacity.

and provide more impactful environments in a smaller footprint.

3. Track the percentage of turf grass and other landscapes for existing campus conditions and planning

6. Increase carbon sequestration in the landscapes

designs published in 2021 to establish a baseline

we design by 5% per square foot of landscape area by

and set targets for increasing biomass and ecosystem

2024.

services in the landscape. Monocultures of turf grass do little to support habitat

Using previous years’ projects, we know what amount of carbon sequestration is typical in the landscapes

for indigenous species. Better understanding the extent

we design. We aim to increase that sequestration by

to which our clients are embracing native and adaptive

advancing more biomassive landscape designs.

landscapes will help us inspire improvement.

GRINNELL COLLEGE, LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN

GRAPHIC DESIGN High-impact signage and wayfinding systems are built with lowcarbon materials that communicate clearly and are resilient to temporary messaging needs. We will continue to engage clients to extend their branding into their physical environments.

To achieve this goal we will: 1. Increase the percentage of whole building projects

2. Quantify the embodied carbon of typical signage

that include interpretive signage for sustainability.

materials per unit of material.

Buildings don’t use energy; people do. When buildings

Interior and exterior signage and wayfinding packages

include interpretive signage on how occupants are

use material that has embodied carbon. Quantifying

anticipated to engage those environments, we increase

this information will help us better communicate how

the likelihood that occupant behaviors will result in

signage designs can better align with overall campus

more efficient energy and water use.

sustainability goals.

GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE, SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING

PEOPLE At Ayers Saint Gross, sustainability starts with our people. Through education and culture, we maintain a commitment to excellence in sustainability that allows us to create the highest quality built environment.

Education + Accreditation

Ayers Saint Gross has always valued social, educational,

More than 45 percent of our professional staff carries

and cultural engagement that aligns with social

sustainability-related credentials and we continue to

sustainability. We actively engage with the United Way

encourage employees to pursue these achievements.

of Central Maryland and Valley of the Sun United Way;

We make cutting-edge information readily available to

our staff serve as mentors and board members for the

our staff through many avenues, including our intranet

ACE Mentor Program of America across the country;

website, virtual and in-person presentations, and

we finance scholarship opportunities at a number of

public communications.

institutions to support students in attaining the education

Ayers Saint Gross also helps to keep staff educated

staff a Careers in Design exploration program to inspire

by participating in a variety of off-site continuing education opportunities. Attendance at conferences is encouraged and supported. Sustainability team leaders attend workshops introducing them to new techniques. Volunteer opportunities are also encouraged and supported with local organizations.

that will advance them in the design professions; we fifth graders at Beechfield Elementary School in West Baltimore; and we host Jim Wheeler Month of Service in honor of our firm’s former president. We believe in an equitable community. Our firm invests in supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion in our professions and within the communities where we live

Just Disclosure

and work, but we have often followed our instincts rather

Just is a voluntary reporting tool developed by the

than evaluating against benchmarks. Our Just Disclosure

International Living Future Institute for organizations to

helps us make and track measurable commitments and is

describe operational, social, and financial actions that

the next step in our commitment to social sustainability.

contribute to what equity looks like at that organization.

We renewed our Just Disclosure in 2021 and look forward to updating our information bi-annually as we

Our firm’s definition of sustainability has always

continue to evolve into a more equitable organization.

recognized the careful balance between the unique needs of people and ecological systems with the

Our Just Disclosure helps us walk the walk when it comes

economic realities inherent in each project. In 2019 we

to social equity. We are honored to have been recognized

advanced our commitment to sustainability by sharing

as the International Living Future Institute’s inaugural

more quantitative data about the social equity and

Just Organization of the Year.

justice issues embedded in who we are and how we practice design.

PRACTICE Ayers Saint Gross applies the same sustainability principles we employ on projects to the operation of our offices. By using our offices as test cases, we aim to pioneer new strategies for use in our clients’ projects.

While the environmental impact of running our practice

Business Travel

is subtantially less than the impact of our design

We belive strong relationships can be built from hybrid

portfolio, we aim to be a carbon neutral design practice

engagement strategies. We value our time on-campus

by 2030. We’ve identified the following categories for

with clients and strategically plan for both in-person

our neutrality:

and remote engagement opportunities that allow us to meet stakeholders where and when they are available.

Energy Use We are tenants of leased spaces in our primary offices. When we fitout or upgrade our workspaces, we look for high-efficency systems to light, heat, and cool our offices to save energy and reduce operational expenses. Utility bills help us track our energy consumption.

Hybrid approaches allow us to limit out-of-town travel while using public transportation on-site helps us further reduce the impact of business travel. An annual accounting of plane, train, and rental car reservations allows us to quantify the impact of our business travel. Office Materials

Commuting We choose our primary office locations with sustainability in mind, prioritizing locations with access to public transportation that reduce the environmental impact of commuting. We also operate a hybrid design practice, offering flexibility to our employee-owners and reducing the number of people who commute each day. An annual commuting survey helps us track our habits.

4 Categories of Resource Conservation

We track office, kitchen, and catering supplies, as well as equipment use, specifically looking to further reduce paper consumption. We track garbage, recycling, and compost practices in each office. Our goals include increasing recycling and product reuse by staff, limiting printing, and encouraging vendors to retrieve samples for reuse. Centralized purchasing allows us to quantify the impact of our office materials. We look to track and offset our energy use, commuting, business travel, and office material consumption with a combination of Renewable Energy Certificates and carbon offsets on our path to carbon neutrality. Such practices are in alignment with our AIA2030 Commitment.

Energy Use

Commuting

Business Travel

Office Materials

RESEARCH & RESOURCES Developing research and resources allows us to increase our internal knowledge, improve our design process, and track the postoccupancy performance of our buildings. Research and resources help us stay current on the latest technologies and strategies while allowing us to identify and improve the most effective design methods and solutions.

Educating our staff, greening our business, and

We are also continuing to develop and grow our research

improving the caliber of our projects requires significant

efforts by supporting our staff in becoming scholar-

support. Our research and resources team develops

practitioners and sharing our work externally through:

print, web, and presentation media to support on-going sustainable design initiatives in addition to investigating

•

questions faced by our firm and the design professions

Society of College and University Planners (SCUP),

at large.

and the American Society of Landscape Architects

At Ayers Saint Gross we are constantly trying to improve the value of our work, and that is supported through research initiatives such as: •

Our Annual Comparing Campuses poster,

•

Developing and maintaining databases and dashboards for student housing, spatial usage, and project performance,

•

Broadening our abilities to analyze design decisions and project performance earlier in the design process,

•

Engagement with professional organizations such as the American Institute of Architects (AIA),

(ASLA), •

Collaborative conference presentations across the country, and

•

Published white papers.

Collectively this work accelerates internal knowledge sharing as well as creates and fosters external partnerships. We hope to expand these efforts to include a more formalized research and development program. Our website (www.ayerssaintgross.com) continues to host information about our firm, its projects, and the ideas

Learning from existing buildings and comfort

behind our work. Ayers Saint Gross is committed to

impacts by developing and utilizing automated

achieving our goals in people, practice, and projects by

building sensors and occupant surveys.

providing adequate resources and research time to our employees to do so.

WASHINGTON COLLEGE, SEMANS-GRISWOLD ENVIRONMENTAL HALL