AIA Launches Sustainable Design Assessment Team Program

As part of the SDAT program, a team of volunteers, including architects, urban designers, planners, hydrologists, economists, attorneys, and others, help selected communities envision a sustainable future and develop a framework for making those visions reality. AIA will provide $20,000 toward the assessment of each selected community, in addition to staff and logistical support. Selected communities are expected to match that figure, and many of the consultants will volunteer their time.

Daniel Williams, FAIA, was on the selection committee for the SDAT communities and is participating in the first project, in Cache Valley, Utah. Williams describes the Cache Valley as an extremely scenic, rural landscape experiencing rapid economic development. It is subject to extreme thermal inversions that degrade local air quality. The team for this project made an initial visit to the area to gather impressions and information and then participated in a three-day charrette. Team members are currently finalizing a report summarizing their recommendations, which will be followed in six months by a whole-team conference call, according to Williams.