The summer evening was idyllic. Not too hot, with a slight breeze from the northwest and white fluffy clouds. Over 30 participants stood at the highest point in Allegheny County, absorbing the fresh air and abundant sunlight, experiencing the inception of tomorrow’s college campus: Chatham University’s Eden Hall. The college was the host of AIA Pittsburgh’s third session of the AIA+2030 Professional Series, focusing on “Climate Responsive Design,” and the venue was perfect. We would start with a baseline, including terminology, strategies, climatology, technical applications, and case studies, presented by Christine Mondor, AIA of evolveEA. Next, a very informative history lesson from Charles Rosenblum of Carnegie Mellon University was presented. He would explain through local and regional cases how people have adapted their built environment to the climate. He would also give intriguing examples of how even the masters, such as Vitruvius and Alberti, encouraged climate responsive design. Then we would get a fascinating presentation by Sandy Mendler, AIA of Mithūn, Architect for the campus, which expounded on the work completed, such as the solar panels, Aquaculture Lab, on-site wastewater treatment, super-efficient student center, repurposed Dairy Barn Café, and outdoor amphitheater. Work on the site was performed by Sota Construction, who also sponsored the session, and is well known for its green focus. The culmination of the evening was a tour led by Dr. Peter Walker Ph.D., Dean and Professor of the Falk School of Sustainability at Chatham. He brought our education into focus with a spirited review of the campus environs, and made us all want to enroll in the fall.
[cycloneslider id=”aia2030-climate-responsive-design-at-chatham-universitys-eden-hall”]Read another recap, penned by Marc Mondor, AIA, moderator of the session, and then learn more about the upcoming AIA+2030 Sessions.