AIA Headquarters Renovation
A 180,000 square foot renovation of the historic American Institute of Architects headquarters in Washington, DC, adjacent to the landmark Octagon House. The all-electric retrofit cuts energy use by 58% through envelope upgrades, heat pumps, and a heat pump water heater, with remaining electricity supplied by onsite PV and renewable energy procured through DC Power Connect for fully decarbonized operations. In a novel approach to embodied carbon, the AIA offset all unavoidable construction emissions by donating solar PV to local Habitat for Humanity homes, achieving zero operational and embodied carbon while targeting LEED Platinum and WELL Gold.
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 consumption generated by onsite solar, and the remaining energy purchased from carbon-free sources, this building has fully decarbonized operations.
Gundersen Healthcare: Sparta Campus
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.
Louisiana Office Carbon Retrofit
A 130,000 square foot renovation of a commercial office for a public client in Louisiana. The design team reduced energy use by nearly 70% through the all-electric, energy efficient design. Particular attention was also paid to quantify and minimize embodied carbon by 85% in service of Architecture 2030 goals.
St. Peter’s Residential
A 45,000 square foot, 50-unit multi-family affordable housing building located in New Orleans designed to primarily house veterans, specifically single mothers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. St. Peter’s is a low-cost Zero Net Energy Building that gets 100% of its very low energy demand from onsite solar PV and battery storage, allowing for fully decarbonized operations.
Other Case Studies
We’d be happy to accept teaching materials to the Building Decarbonization Learning Accelerator.
EmpowerEd: Building Decarbonization Faculty Training Workshop 2026
Join faculty from HBCUs across the country for a 3-day immersive workshop focused on clean energy, sustainability, and building decarbonization. This hands-on training, led by Stanford’s Building Decarbonization Learning Accelerator (BDLA) experts, will equip educators with the tools and strategies to integrate sustainability, efficiency, decarbonization, environmental, and renewable energy into their curricula.
Building Decarbonization Potential in 3D Printing and Modular Housing Presented by Experts in the Field
These presentations examine the current state and future trajectory of large-scale additive construction, and cover the advancements and advantages of off-site construction in housing.
The “Unreasonable” Goal: How Infosys Proved Radical Efficiency is Radically Profitable
In 2007, Infosys founders greenlit an “unreasonable goal” to slash energy use by 50%. This is the story of how their vision grew into 50 million sq ft of green buildings, saving over $240 million.
LC3: A Globally Scalable Solution for Low Carbon Concrete
This presentation will give an overview of how cement is made, some of the key decarbonization strategies, and take a deep dive on why LC3 (Limestone Calcined Clay Cement) is a promising solution. It will also describe what the ClimateWorks Foundation and Global Industry Hub are doing to make this change happen.
Policy Challenges to Cost-Effective Building Decarbonization
Director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program, Michael Wara, a lawyer, scholar, and advisor in sustainability policy will discuss the challenges and solutions of wide scale building decarbonization.
Driving Sustainability with Autodesk: Tools for Low-Carbon Design
Autodesk’s sustainability solutions give architects and designers practical tools to reduce carbon emissions through smart design choices.