What World Are We Building For? Exploring Ecological Boundaries Through Practice 

Join us on March 26th for our first session in the‘ Low Carbon Assemblies’ series to hear from Timothy Lock, Partner of OPAL Architecture, a Maine based firm. He will be presenting about redefining the role of architects in the design process and the importance of considering the designer's influence on the environment. He will explore the impact of passive design choices and how re-framing a building as an ecological system can shift the paradigm. Highlighting the significance of reducing embodied carbon along with improved building performance, Tim will speak to OPAL projects and the firm's expansion into the wood insulation market.OPAL Architects was chosen as one of the 27 firms by the American Institute of Architects nationwide in 2019 that met the current carbon-neutrality goal of its 2030 Commitment program and exceeded the carbon emissions target. Timothy Lock was part of a team that provided support and guidance to the White House Climate Policy Office to set a newly proposed “zero emissions” standard for environmentally responsible buildings in the U.S.The new definition was announced Sept. 28 at U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo 2023, an annual event for green building professionals in Washington, D.C.

Learning Objectives
1. Understand the critical role and importance of reducing embodied carbon in built environment
2. Understand the link between materiality and carbon footprint
3. Learn about approaches and construction construction which can engage regenerative life cycles, and create healthier spaces for living.
4. Learn about approaches to architecture based on circular material logics