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AIA Colorado Environmental Stewardship Survey

About the Survey

The Committee on the Environment (COTE) is an AIA Knowledge Community with both national and state level committees working for architects, allied professionals, and the public to achieve climate action and climate justice through design.

In its mission to support AIA Colorado members' efforts in creating a healthier and sustainable future, COTE Colorado has assembled the following survey to assess the needs and attitudes of Colorado’s design professionals in regard to achieving their sustainability goals.

Results from this survey will be published as a report and will be disseminated through (including but not limited to) AIA Colorado’s newsletter website. Information gained from this effort will be used to inform future COTE educational and social events, as well as the development of resources that will best serve our community of building professionals in making every project meet higher sustainability standards.

This survey should take 15-20 minutes to complete depending on your answers. This should be completed from an individual lens. Answer the questions based on your own experiences, not necessarily on behalf of your firm. All personal identifying information will remain separated from survey responses, and will only be used for any ticket drawings and for those who option to contribute further to AIA Colorado volunteer efforts.

Thank you for your participation in this study. Your feedback is valuable for AIA Colorado to more effectively support its membership in creating a healthier and sustainable future. If you have any questions about the survey, please reach out to Nikolaus Remus at the AIA Colorado office.
1.Which of the following best describes your job function? (Please select one)
2.Is the office you primarily work out of, or are associated with, located in Colorado?
3.In which U.S. state or U.S. territory/commonwealth is the majority of your office’s sustainable design work located?
4.Which of the following best describes your organization’s focus? (Please select one)
5.What is the highest level of education you have completed?
6.How many years have you contributed to the practice of sustainable building design in a professional office?
7.What is your role in a typical design project?
8.How many people are currently employed at your firm? (Please include all staff, not just architects.)
9.Of the total number of design professionals in your firm, what percentage of these employees directly contribute to sustainable design-related project work?
10.What is your firm’s area of specialization? (Defined as having 50% or more of your annual firm billings from projects in that sector.)
11.How would you rate the importance of sustainable design to your project teams, i.e. consultants, contractors, clients?
Not at all Important
Somewhat important
Neither important nor unimportant
Important
Very Important
12.How important do you feel sustainable design and construction (including high efficiency buildings, resource efficient infrastructure development, alternative energy sources) is to Colorado’s building design and construction professionals as a whole?
Not at all important
Somewhat important
Neither important nor unimportant
Important
Very important
13.Which of the following credentials do you currently possess?
14.If you are considering earning a professional credential related to sustainable design in the next 18 months, which credential(s) are you interested in?
15.What, if any, professional organizations do you belong to related to sustainable design?
16.What phrase best captures your personal definition of “sustainability?"
17.What words do you most associate with “sustainable design” (select five)
18.How familiar are you with the 2030 Challenge?
Not at all familiar
Slightly familiar
Somewhat familiar
Moderately familiar
Very familiar
19.Is your firm a signatory of the AIA 2030 Commitment program?
20.Does your firm report project/portfolio performance to the 2030 Commitment?
21.What are your personal primary motive(s) for practicing sustainable design and construction? Select up to two answers.
22.How does the following statement best align with your views? "I am very passionate about sustainable design and construction."
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Neither agree or disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
23.How does this statement best align with your views? "My clients are interested in implementing sustainable initiatives in the design of their buildings and projects."
Strongly disagree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree or disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
24.How much do you agree with the following statement? "The State of Colorado has been successful in encouraging and supporting development of sustainable design projects."
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Neither agree or disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
25.How much do you agree with the following statement? "Professional building industry organizations in the State of Colorado have been successful in encouraging and supporting the development of sustainable design projects."

e.g. Colorado Contractors Association (CCA), AIA, National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), etc.
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Neither agree or disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
26.How impactful do you feel each of the following issues are in affecting sustainable design becoming fully integrated into the daily practice of architecture?
Not at all impactful
Somewhat impactful
Neither impactful nor unaffecting
Impactful
Very impactful
Motivation of design professionals
Public opinion
Market demands
Client motives and expectations
Policy and Governance
Bureaucracy
Professionals inexperience with process
Professionals unfamiliar with sustainability subject matter
Professionals unfamiliar with analysis tools
Limitations of existing analysis tools
Disruption to established project workflow
Training of recent graduates
Training of existing employees
Leadership from local professional organization(s)
Lack of reliable resources supporting sustainable design workflow
Lack of performance based code or disclosure
27.From your experience, in what priority do the following issues need to be addressed for sustainable design to become standard practice for all architecture firms? (From 1 being highest priority, to 9 being lowest priority)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Increased professional awareness and knowledge of subject matter
Design firm organizational inertia
Local, State and National laws, and codes
Industry materials, specifications, and standards
Costs, marketing, and incentives
Examples and measurements of successful projects
Support from stakeholders (i.e. client, financial backers, etc)
Owner interest or requirement
Education, Rehabilitation and Scientific Research
28.What environmental issues do you and/or your design team address when you create a new project?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
Hazardous substance compliance (RoHS, REACH, other)
End of Product Life management (product take-back, design for recycling, WEEE, other)
Energy-efficiency (EuP, ENERGY STAR, other)
Green building standards (LEED, BREEAM, HQE, other)
Part of a company Environmental Management System
Carbon footprint or other specific ecological impacts
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Water efficiency
Onsite water treatment and storage
Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI)
Occupant health and wellbeing (WELL, Fitwel)
29.Why does your office pursue the above sustainable initiatives most frequently? (Select up to 3)
30.If applicable, why is your office not likely to pursue the above sustainable initiatives? (Select up to 3)
31.Which of the following sustainable design measures does your office most often successfully implement in new projects? (Please select up to 3)
32.Why does your office pursue the above sustainable initiatives most frequently? (Select up to 3)
33.Which of the following resources or programs do you and/or your design team most often use as a resource for information related to sustainability and resilience?
34.How amenable to implementing sustainable design initiatives have you found each of the following building market sectors?
Not very amenable
Somewhat amenable
Neutral
Amenable
Very amenable
Uncertain
Multifamily residential
Other residential
Office
Commercial/Industrial other than office
Education (K-12 and/or college/university)
Healthcare
Institutional other than Education and/or Healthcare
35.What market-specific sustainability resources would be helpful to you?
Not very helpful
Slightly helpful
Moderately helpful
Helpful
Very helpful
Live presentations
Video recordings
Case studies
Awards
Top strategies list
Interactive group challenges for applying low-cost impactful strategies
Lessons learned
Performance data (costs, payback periods, impact benefits, etc.)
Pitch practice similar to Toastmaster
Partnering with client type profession organizations like ULI
Professional networking events
36.How often does your current employer provide regular training opportunities on sustainable design and construction topics?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
37.How often does your current employer provide training for new employees to build their sustainable design skills?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
38.How interested are you in learning more about the following subject categories as they relate to sustainable design?
Not at all interested
Slight interest
Moderate interest
Interested
Very interested
Use of simulation and analysis tools
Big picture issues (i.e. Climate change adaptation, Climate change mitigation, Resilience, etc.)
Materials selection, transparency and waste reduction
Changes to building codes, and government green building criteria
Detailed calculations and analysis methods
Sustainability as it relates to health and wellbeing
Net zero energy design
Passive systems
Active systems
Green building rating systems
Integrating sustainable design into existing architecture workflows
Streamlining project documentation and submittal process
Local, regional, and national information resources
Building/site benchmarking systems
2030 Commitment implementation strategies
39.How often do you rely on professional organizations for providing resources and continuing education content relating to sustainable design?
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
40.How effective are professional organizations for meeting your needs for increasing your knowledge and skills as they relate to the practice of sustainable design work?
Very poor
Fair
Good
Very good
Excellent
41.How effective are AIA Colorado and AIA National for meeting your needs for increasing your knowledge and skills as they relate to the practice of sustainable design work?
Very poor
Fair
Good
Very good
Excellent
42.How can AIA help you succeed with sustainability in ways that other organizations cannot?
Not Helpful
Slightly Helpful
Moderately Helpful
Helpful
Very Helpful
Peer insights
Peer support
Award recognition
Legislative influence
Public outreach
Organize educational events for professionals
Strategies for enticing clients’ desires beyond basic sustainable design approaches
43.Would you be interested in participating in a 2030 Challenge support group with AIA Colorado?
44.Please enter your contact information. (This will not be shared and will only be used if we need to get in touch with follow-up questions.)(Required.)
Current Progress,
0 of 44 answered