CLF DC: DC Policy Impacts on Whole Building Carbon

As we work toward a more sustainable future, we need to better understand the total carbon impact of our buildings, particularly in ‘commodity’ commercial building design where the impact of simple decisions can be repeated over multiple stories and whole cities. Further, as cities start to plan for a fully renewable grid (DC targets 100% renewable by 2032) the embodied carbon of the building will become an even more critical metric. This presentation aims to 1) provide insight into structure’s carbon contribution to the overall carbon of our buildings, 2) analyze the impacts of those changes to building envelope and operational carbon, and 3) examine the effects of ‘benign’ zoning limitations that may have unforeseen carbon impacts.

Jordan Woodson, PE is an Associate at Arup in Washington, DC. Over the last decade, Jordan has worked as a structural engineer in steel, timber, and concrete to provide innovative structural solutions for design-focused projects. Within Arup, Jordan has been leading efforts to find design focused solutions for lower carbon structures.