COTE - Committee on the Environment

About us

The AIANH Committee on the Environment (COTE) mission is to advance, advocate and empower excellent and thoughtful design that creates sustainable, resilient, healthy and equitable buildings and communities.  

We advance, disseminate, and advocate to the architecture profession, the building industry, the academy, and the public. We focus on design practices that integrate built and natural systems to enhance both the design quality and environmental performance of the built environment. 

COTE serves as the community and voice of AIANH regarding sustainable design through spearheading workshops and lectures with design professionals; advocacy with government and civic organizations; and broadening outreach to affiliated trades and the general public. Our activities include: 

  • Supporting AIA COTE National and the 2030 Commitment towards a carbon-free built environment. 
  • Furthering knowledge and uptake of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, a deep green framework for creating better buildings. 
  • Supporting the environmental emphasis of the AIA Code of Ethics.
  • Creating synergies between AIANH committees towards a fully integrated approach to sustainability. 
  • Advocating for a progressive and sustainable NH through associated local programs. 
  • Educating architects and other built environment professionals, as well as the public, on sustainability, resiliency and equity.
 

News

 

Outreach & Education 


River House Tour
A Tranquil Transformation

 
 
 
 
 

Online learning (COTE recommended self-paced courses):

1.     Healthy materials webinars: 

2.      Embodied Carbon webinars:


Resources for Practitioners

A guide to many excellent resources on sustainability in building design.

Including these: 

AIA Tool Kit (COTE TOP 10)

10 areas of focus for Sustainable design

https://www.aia.org/resources/6077668-framework-for-design-excellence

A good resource to share with clients at the start of a project.

BEAM estimator

Carbon calculator geared toward small-scale builders

https://www.buildersforclimateaction.org/beam-estimator.html

Beta site launching in May, appropreate to scale of most NH builders

CLF AIA Embodied Carbon Toolkit

Brief intro guides on Introduction, Measuring, and Reduction Strategies

https://carbonleadershipforum.org/clf-architect-toolkit/

Excellent intros - should be required reading for everyone so maybe we promote these prominently - or even develop a program around walking through them

EC3

embodied carbon calculator for materials

https://www.buildingtransparency.org/

Means to find + compare materials based on EPDs - industry leader

 

Archives (coming soon)

  • Past COTE Summits 
  • White papers 

 

Join The COTE!

This is an open invitation for those with a passion for responsible design to join the COTE. The COTE welcomes input from a wide spectrum of professionals.  Our meetings include serious discussions of pressing environmental issues, and informal musings of current events. The COTE meets virtually on third Thursdays from 5:15-6:00.  If you are involved in any way with building planning, construction or renovations and are interested in promoting environmentally responsible practices, please consider attending.  To get involved or for further information, please contact chairperson, Tracy Kozak, AIA tracy.kozak@arcove.com.