In the midst of the United Nations climate change conference, Green Hammer announced that it is leading the nation in meeting the goals of the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) 2030 Commitment.
The AIA 2030 Commitment provides a path for firms to voluntarily move toward carbon neutrality. Since 2005, 525 firms have signed on, pledging to work toward the benchmark of the agreement—a 70 percent reduction in predicted energy use intensity (pEUI) across its entire building portfolio. In its 2017 summary of the 2030 Commitment, AIA reported that just 10 firms met the goals of the challenge, and Green Hammer is one of them.
With mounting evidence showing that governments must act with greater urgency to address global warming, initiatives such as the 2030 Commitment show that the building industry must and can be part of the solution. Participants in the 2030 Commitment submit an annual portfolio of all projects in design development during a calendar year—along with statistics, such as average pEUI reduction, building type, area, and baseline energy performance—to an online database. Nearly every project designed and built by Green Hammer in recent years has achieved Passive House and/or Living Building Challenge standards. Whether commercial or residential, the projects aim to produce as much or more energy than they consume through deep energy efficiency measures as well as onsite renewable energy.
"Congratulations to Green Hammer on achieving this milestone of the 2030 Commitment," says Han-Mei Chiang, President of AIA's Portland Chapter. "Achieving zero energy is no small feat. Green Hammer and the other nine firms that achieved this significant milestone have helped prove that zero energy buildings—the key to meeting the 2030 Commitment—are attainable today."
"I am very proud of our entire team and the unified design build approach that helps us achieve zero carbon projects," says Stephen Aiguier, Green Hammer Founder and President. "We appreciate the leadership of AIA in developing the 2030 Commitment and the ongoing efforts of other design firms to report and measure the energy and carbon impact of their buildings, which holds us all accountable."
In 2017, Green Hammer completed a Living Certified™ tasting room for Cowhorn Vineyard & Garden in Jacksonville, Ore., making it the first commercial building in Oregon and the first winery in the world to earn what is regarded as the world's most rigorous green building standard. Green Hammer recently completed Tillamook Row, Portland's first zero energy multi-family residential project for the Portland rental market. The firm is also nearing completion on The Oaks at Rose Villa, Portland's first zero energy senior living community.
"We have proven that buildings can be beautiful, responsibly designed, and contribute to climate solutions," says Erica Dunn, Green Hammer Director of Design. "Every decision we make—from early design through project delivery and building maintenance—is a chance to reduce carbon emissions. AIA's 2030 Commitment has been an invaluable target and helps the industry measure how design decisions impact energy use."
