(G09) Decarbonization and Resiliency in Affordable Multi-Family Housing: Emerging Practices, Research and Case Studies

Policy and economic factors are contributing to a persistent housing shortage, and creating challenges for urgently needed affordable housing. These shifts in industry, policy, public funding and the environment itself are motivating design professionals, tenant advocates and other stakeholders to build a new generation of multi-family housing that tackles climate change mitigation and regenerative design through an equity lens, and which provides meaningful, long-term adaptation.
This session will feature leaders from industry and academia who are deeply engaged in the design, construction and/or study of low-carbon affordable housing. They will present emerging design strategies, insights from recent research and case studies, with completed projects and work ‘on-the-boards’ that represent the leading edge in this rapidly evolving area — including projects targeting LEED-Platinum certification and/or net-zero energy performance. Finally, the presenters will discuss key overarching themes and approaches for overcoming barriers to success.
Katie Ackerly is a principal at David Baker Architects and an advocate for building decarbonization and housing resilience. Her presentation will describe an approach to decarbonization that leads with social and community concerns like health, wellbeing, climate change adaptation and providing residents with access to transit, nature and economic opportunity. Christian J. Agulles offers the unique perspective as the president and CEO of PAE who is leading several affordable projects that target carbon neutrality using enhanced passive house concepts, electrification, on-site energy storage, low GHG emission building systems and other technologies. Fiona Greer is a post-doctoral researcher at UC Berkeley who will present new research that applies life-cycle assessment to study the potential carbon emissions savings that prefabrication may bring compared to conventional housing construction. She will also discuss whether prefabricated projects have net positive community benefits. The moderator, David Lehrer, is an architect who leads industry/university research collaborations, and is an experienced panel facilitator.