RESEARCH

WHAT IS THE LHB RESEARCH STUDIO? LHB includes architects, engineers, landscape architects, planners, and researchers. When creating the “vision� that guides our strategic direction, we imagined a world where every child feels connected to nature, where buildings produce more resources than they use, and their sites support surrounding ecosystems. This vision led to the creation of our Research Studio which explores questions about how the built environment can improve human and ecological wellness.

HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS LIVE UP TO THEIR POTENTIAL? By comparing a building’s operational energy consumption to simulated or historic data we evaluate the effectiveness of design and operational energy efficiency strategies. This enables us to identify opportunities for additional savings as well as generate lessons learned that can inform energy conservation programs and design practice.

ESTIMATED MINNESOTA ENERGY USE IN 2013 1860 TRILLION BTU ELECT. IMPORTS

184.2

SOLAR

0.6

WIND

78.8

HYDRO

4.9

GEOTHERMAL

1.1

BIOMASS

ELECTRICITY

148.4 ETHANOL

NUCLEAR

111.9

NATURAL GAS

478.8

COAL

267.7

PETROLEUM

583.4

81

509

HOW CAN STATES LEVERAGE CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION TO PLAN FOR A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE? While they vary in scale from a single building to an entire state, each of our projects contributes to achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. For Minnesota’s 2025 Energy Action Plan, we visualized the state’s existing energy landscape and helped synthesize ideas from a diverse group of stakeholders into a set of actionable steps to advance clean energy adoption in Minnesota.

REJECTED

RESIDENTIAL

417

COMMERCIAL

358

USEFUL

INDUSTRIAL

581

TRANSPORTATION

504

Estimated Minnesota Energy Use in 2013 (in trillion BTU) Diagram by LHB

1074

786

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CREATE A REGENERATIVE COMMUNITY? We utilize our experience in building and site design in our ongoing advisory role to the State of Minnesota’s B3 program as well as partnerships with local governments and developers to inform policies, guidelines, and programs that are moving the built environment beyond “sustainable” toward a net-positive impact.

HOW DOES THERMAL COMFORT IMPACT OCCUPANT HAPPINESS AND PRODUCTIVITY? Through post-occupancy evaluation and user feedback, we analyze how to improve the built environment’s impact on human experience factors including well-being, satisfaction, and productivity. The results can be used to identify specific operational issues and inform future design decisions.

HOW CAN DATA HELP CITIES MEET THEIR CLIMATE, RESILIENCE, AND EQUITY GOALS? Using tools such as our Regional Indicators Initiative data visualizations, we help communities understand their baseline conditions, set targets, and identify high-impact strategies to achieve their climate, resilience, and equity goals.

ARE BEHAVIOR CHANGE CAMPAIGNS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE OFFICE ENERGY USE? Through studies such as The Impacts of Office Plug Load Reduction Strategies, we help conduct research projects that identify ways to improve the built environment’s impact on natural resources and greenhouse gas emissions.

Maureen Colburn, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Research Studio Leader 612.752.6954 Maureen.Colburn@LHBcorp.com

Becky Alexander, AIA, WELL AP Researcher 612.752.6933 Becky.Alexander@LHBcorp.com

Rick Carter, FAIA, LEED Fellow Integrative Design Team Leader 612.385.5182 Rick.Carter@LHBcorp.com