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The Stanford Building Decarbonization Learning Accelerator

Teaching tools for university and college educators to prepare the next generation of building professionals.

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Building Decarbonization Virtual Teaching Workshop for HBCU Professors
On June 4-5 2025, the BDLA will host a workshop for HBCU professors. Attendees will receive $250 for attending both days. Learn about building decarbonization, energy equity, and enhance your curriculum from experts in the field.
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BDLA Webinar: Teaching Carbon Neutral Design in North America
In an effort to increase the adoption of building decarbonization content into curricula across the continent, Robin Puttock crafted this book to highlight the many existing diverse and innovative methodologies, each detailed in a chapter written by an international award-winning professor in this field. She will speak about the process and the outcomes of this effort to date.
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BDLA Webinar: EcoBlock
On June 26, the BDLA will host a webinar discussing EcoBlock, a pilot research project that explores decarbonizing buildings at the neighborhood block level with the aim to lift up all neighbors.
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New Presentation for High School Students
This video is geared towards high school students and explores topics such as environmental racism, redlining and its impacts on communities located near pollution sources, inequitable responses to climate disasters, and the high energy costs faced by people of color—also known as energy burden.
Watch Now
Introducing the BDLA Listserv
Join the BDLA listserv now! Ask questions and share news about building decarbonization and decarbonization education with the BDLA Community.
Click Here to Join
BDLA-Inspired Stanford/Howard University Collaborative Course
The BDLA inspired this unprecedented Stanford/Howard University partnership to create a unique, collaborative, cross-campus architecture course focusing on building decarbonization.
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New Content!
In residential buildings and restaurants, water heating is generally the largest single energy use, and gas water heaters are currently the norm in most areas. Understanding how to electrify domestic hot water systems is critical in decarbonizing our buildings, and there is new technology available to make this easier than ever. This deck provides detailed calculations suitable for engineering students, but a large portion of the content is applicable to anyone interested in decarbonization.
Download Slide Deck

What is the BDLA?

Users can access case studies, slide decks, videos, exercises, reading materials and other resources to seamlessly build decarbonization into their existing courses about sustainable buildings, or create a brand new course focused on this topic.

See the Available Resources

Why BDLA?

Building decarbonization is the single most important paradigm shift in construction since the introduction of LED lighting or the LEED rating system.  Teaching is the key to unlocking this transformation.

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Professor Testimonials

“I had the great pleasure of working with the BDLA team the summer of 2021, in the course Building Decarbonization . We planned the summer course to teach the students using the AIA Headquarters building as an implementation project. Working with the BDLA team who with their expertise brought the students different perspectives in teaching and learning. I learned a lot from this collaboration and the students have been enriched towards the action of decarbonization. The collaboration of BDLA and Howard, has fostered sharing of knowledge, created new research, and moved to create equity and climate justice for all. Looking forward to many more years of collaboration with Peter Rumsey, BDLA and Stanford University.”
Nea Maloo
Nea MalooLecturer of Architecture, Howard University
"On behalf of the Architectural Engineering degree program in the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Department at NC A&T State University, we want to thank BDLA for the valuable guidance, partnership, and materials you provided on building decarbonization. I highly recommend the detailed educational materials on the website. The BDLA team is very knowledgeable and responsive to the needs of higher education instruction."
Raymond C. Tesiero, PhD
Raymond C. Tesiero, PhDAssistant Professor, North Carolina A & T State University

The Stanford BDLA teaching resources include detailed write-ups of some of the country’s best examples of building decarbonization.

Exelixis - 1951 HBP
A 220,000 square foot commercial office building located in Alameda, CA. This all-electric building uses energy efficiency to target LEED Gold. With almost 50% of its energy use generated by onsite solar, and the remaining energy coming from carbon-free sources, this building has fully decarbonized operations.
All Case Studies
Gundersen Healthcare: Sparta Clinic
A 35,000 square foot medical clinic that achieved LEED Gold through the use of energy efficient design. The Sparta Clinic’s energy consumption is offset by 30% with onsite rooftop solar, and the remainder of its electrical demand is purchased from the nearby Xcel Energy community solar garden. These energy sources, combined with the all electric design, make all of its operations 100% carbon free.
All Case Studies