Architectural Community on the Environment
The Architectural Community for the Environment (ACOTE) aims to advance and advocate practices that integrate built and natural systems to enhance both the design quality and environmental performance of buildings. Our community aims to make sustainable design more accessible & relatable for all.
If you are interested in learning about green buildings, certifications, sharing your expertise and collaborating to promote meaningful climate action in the building/energy sector, this committee is for you!
ACOTE meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month from 6pm-7:30pm PT. To receive upcoming meeting and event details, subscribe to our mailing list click here. Everyone is welcome to attend! AIA East Bay members, allied members and sponsors are encouraged to join as well as other professionals in the design community.
Community Chairs:
- Ned Reifenstein, AIA
Ned Reifenstein is a licensed architect with over 30 years of experience working on libraries, campus buildings, and urban design projects. Born and raised in New England, Ned received his architecture degree from MIT and worked in the Boston area, Montana, and Seattle before settling in the Bay Area. He has worked for firms on both sides of the Bay and is currently an Associate Principal and Director of Sustainable Design at Noll & Tam Architects in Berkeley. - Shivani Bhalla, Assoc. AIA
Shivani Bhalla has over 10 years of experience in the profession and received her master’s degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. She enjoys collaborating with people and has worked in New Delhi, Boston & Washington DC before settling in the Bay Area. As a licensed Indian Architect, she supervised institutional projects with clients like Ford Foundation & United Nations. Presently she coordinates multi-family housing projects at Lowney Architecture.
Programs/Events:
- (02/06/2024): Sunnyvale 2.0
- (04/16/2024): People Planet Design – A Book Talk by Corey Squire
- (4/15/2020): Virtual DDX Workshop, Getting Across the Finish Line in 2020
- (6/25/2020): Mass Timber: How it can SAVE the World!
- (3/05/2021): Introduction to 2030 Commitment
- (3/24/2021): DDx Hackathon
- (06/08/2021): Embodied Carbon 101
- (10/12/2021): “Visual Delight in Architecture,” a Book Talk with Lisa Heschong
- (11/16/2021): Ins & Outs of Low Carbon Concrete
- (09/07/2023): Embodied Carbon & The BEAM Estimator
- (10/24/2023): Reducing Whole Life Carbon From Buildings – How And Why
State Resources:
- AIA CA Climate Action
- White Paper: The Business Case for Climate Action
- Written by: Henry Siegel, FAIA, Jonathan Feldman, AIA and William Leddy, FAIA
- White Paper: The Business Case for Climate Action
- AIA CA Snapshot
- AIA CA COTE 2020 Agenda