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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.

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* 1. Which of the following best describes your job function? (Please select one)

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* 2. Is the office you primarily work out of, or are associated with, located in Colorado?

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* 4. Which of the following best describes your organization’s focus? (Please select one)

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* 5. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

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* 6. How many years have you contributed to the practice of sustainable building design in a professional office?

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* 7. What is your role in a typical design project?

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* 8. How many people are currently employed at your firm? (Please include all staff, not just architects.)

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* 9. Of the total number of design professionals in your firm, what percentage of these employees directly contribute to sustainable design-related project work?

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* 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.)

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* 11. How would you rate the importance of sustainable design to your project teams, i.e. consultants, contractors, clients?

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* 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?

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* 13. Which of the following credentials do you currently possess?

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* 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?

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* 15. What, if any, professional organizations do you belong to related to sustainable design?

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* 16. What phrase best captures your personal definition of “sustainability?"

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* 17. What words do you most associate with “sustainable design” (select five)

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* 18. How familiar are you with the 2030 Challenge?

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* 19. Is your firm a signatory of the AIA 2030 Commitment program?

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* 20. Does your firm report project/portfolio performance to the 2030 Commitment?

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* 21. What are your personal primary motive(s) for practicing sustainable design and construction? Select up to two answers.

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* 22. How does the following statement best align with your views? "I am very passionate about sustainable design and construction."

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* 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."

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* 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."

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* 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.

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* 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

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* 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

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* 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)

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* 29. Why does your office pursue the above sustainable initiatives most frequently? (Select up to 3)

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* 30. If applicable, why is your office not likely to pursue the above sustainable initiatives? (Select up to 3)

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* 31. Which of the following sustainable design measures does your office most often successfully implement in new projects? (Please select up to 3)

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* 32. Why does your office pursue the above sustainable initiatives most frequently? (Select up to 3)

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* 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?

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* 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

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* 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

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* 36. How often does your current employer provide regular training opportunities on sustainable design and construction topics?

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* 37. How often does your current employer provide training for new employees to build their sustainable design skills?

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* 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.)