Buildings and their construction account for nearly half of all U.S. energy consumption. As the nation grows by over 100 million by 2050, we will need more buildings that are designed to use less resources. There is nothing novel now about the “green building.”  LEED Certification is not new in Central Ohio.  The larger issue is how we make this the norm and not the exception but keep costs competitive.  What new technologies are redefining what makes a building “smart”?

Jonathan Barnes, Principal at Jonathan Barnes Architecture and Design and ULI Columbus District Council Chairman, answers the key questions for Whole Buildings in Columbus.

1) How are buildings being shaped by infrastructure and what must infrastructure do to respond to new building technologies?

Changes in the infrastructure of our cities is creating the effect of making building less tethered to their sites for the services they  need (power, communications, water and sanitation) and, at the same time, more dependent on their sitting relative to transportation, community services and amenities.  The traditional dependent  relationship buildings have had on electricity infrastructures may begin to reverse, with the electric grid becoming more dependent on buildings for the generation of electricity by more dispersed and sustainable means (solar and wind).  And as transportation infrastructures become both more advanced and more sustainable, the construction of new buildings and the adaptive re-use of existing buildings will tend to plug into those transportation systems, creating more dense, sustainable, and transportation-oriented development (TOD).
2) Making Buildings that can Adapt – We know land uses will change – how can we create adaptable buildings for both new uses and new technologies?

The prefabrication and modularization of the construction industry has
made much more real the possibility of a truly flexible, adaptive and
responsive built environment.  Imagine an autonomous office module than can be plugged into a building’s skeletal structure and replaced years later with a residential module designed with all of the amenities of its new owner.  And in a different way sustainable technologies are already allowing buildings to adapt to their environment, with breathable skins that allow cooler air to enter and warmer air to exhaust.

3) What are the new Carrots & Sticks – What tools are necessary to reaching our community’s goals?

Heres’ a few:

Make it easy and attractive for residential and commercial electric consumers to sell power back to the grid.

Consider an “energy guzzler” tax for new and existing buildings.

Make robust and efficient rail transportation a priority, even if it requires a developmental process to reach economic,   community accessibility and convenience goals.

Identify TOD corridors and incentivize their development prior to the introduction of rail service.

Expand public programs to help make existing homes more energy efficient.