2024 DC Sustainability Summit

September 18, 2024

Tysons Concourse Conference Center

1595 Spring Hill Road | Vienna, VA

Join us for the 10th Annual DC Sustainability Summit (DCSS) and learn from sustainable design and construction experts and see game-changing innovations at the Green Product Expo. Passionate industry leaders will present the latest green building concepts and discuss the intersection of safety and sustainability.

DCSS seminars, discussions, and speakers will help you learn how to incorporate solutions for sustainability into your work and find creative methods to reduce carbon emissions. You can ask questions about cutting-edge green building technologies and products and see them in action at the Innovative Green Product Expo.

Please join us for this inspiring day-long conference with like-minded professionals to find creative solutions to the world’s environmental realities. One registration provides access to all sessions and includes lunch, beverages and appetizers at the happy hour, networking throughout the day as well as continuing education credit.

SESSIONS

9:00 am – 10:00 am

 

Breakfast / Networking Reception

 

10:00 am

OPENING REMARKS

Kathy Lawson | DCS Design

10:05 am – 10:45 am

VISION TO VERIFICATION: ACHIEVING BUILDING PERFORMANCE GOALS THROUGH SMART BUILDING TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION

With the increasing need for high performing buildings, the design and control strategies for these buildings has had to push the envelope of what’s possible. In this presentation, we will review smart technologies common in high performing buildings and demonstrate strategies to ensure they are installed and monitored to ensure project success. This presentation will provide case studies from 4 different school projects (2 int he DC area) with high energy performance goals including Net Zero Energy.

Session Speakers

Brandon Pieczynski | Baumann Consulting

10:45 am – 11:30 am

ENHANCING SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY CONSERVATION THROUGH DIGITAL TWIN TECHNOLOGY

In the evolving landscape of building management, transitioning from traditional systems of record to systems of insight has become crucial for sustained operational effectiveness and resilience. This presentation explores the innovative application of digital twin technology from both the owner’s and operator’s perspectives, underscoring its pivotal role in advancing sustainability and energy conservation within building operations.

Session Speakers

Raj Setty | SETTY

11:30 am – 12:15 pm

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: HOW TO BUILD AND OPERATE IT MORE SUSTAINABLY

Two of the largest issues facing our region and nation are climate change and a lack of affordable housing options. Is there a way to address both of those issues with one solution? This panel will address how when new affordable housing developments are designed, constructed, and operated with careful thought they can both minimize their environmental impact while creating a much-needed affordable housing supply. Panelists will examine what’s required to achieve more sustainable affordable housing from several different perspectives.

Session Speakers

Justin Schor, Moderator | Wells + Associates

Marie Cox | Wells + Associates

Scott Adams | McGuireWoods

Michael Davis | Fairfax County Land Development Services

Jordi Fabian | APAH

12:15 pm – 1:00 pm

Networking Lunch

 

1:00 pm – 1:45 pm

ENERGY MODELING AND NET ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS

Energy modeling plays a crucial role in the design and operation of Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs). These buildings are designed to produce as much energy as they consume over the course of a year, typically through renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines. Energy modeling involves the use of computer simulations to predict a building’s energy performance under various conditions.

Integrated Project Delivery and Integrated Design Process are key to successful design of NZEBs. Both ensure constant engagement and involvement from all key stakeholders form conceptual design to post construction. Key stakeholders include but are not limited to, Owner, Design team, commissioning team, building occupants and building operators.

Session Speakers

Mohamed Abaza | Allen + Shariff

1:45 pm – 2:30 pm

NATIONAL LANDING: A CASE STUDY IN SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Discover how National Landing is leading the way in sustainable urban development with a session dedicated to exploring how good, long-range planning can build the foundation for a sustainable downtown. This talk will delve into National Landing’s approach to creating a greener, more resilient community. We’ll cover how thoughtful planning for growth, mobility, and greenspaces can deliver the key components to thriving, sustainable neighborhoods. Attendees will gain insights into the challenges and successes of these initiatives and how they contribute to shaping a model for future urban development. Join us to see how National Landing is not just building a place to live but creating a blueprint for sustainable urban living.

Session Speakers

Rob Mandle | National Landing BID

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm

SANSÉ & NAJA: A MODEL OF SUSTAINABLE, QUALITY, COMMUNITY-FOCUSED AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Learn more about the innovative design strategies being implemented at the Sanse and Naja to create a vibrant, eco-friendly living environment that enhances the well-being of residents while addressing housing affordability. Learn from industry experts about the project’s impact on the local community and its role in shaping the future of sustainable urban development.

Session Speakers

Jonathan Frederick | Housing Alexandria

Steve Saff | DCS Design

3:15 pm – 5:30 pm

GREEN PRODUCT EXPO & NETWORKING HAPPY HOUR

 

SPEAKERS

Brandon Pieczynski

Commissioning & Energy Engineer | Baumann Consulting

Brandon is a Commissioning and Energy Engineer at Baumann Consulting. With over seven years in the field, he brings expertise in commissioning, energy benchmarking, operation diagnostics, and data analysis/management. Brandon is also a member of Baumann’s Commissioning Committee, where he contributes his wealth of knowledge and experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Energy Studies from Northern Illinois University. Furthermore, Brandon is an individual member of the Association of Energy Engineers and is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM).

Raj Setty

President | Setty

Raj is President of a Mechanical, electrical and plumbing consulting engineering firm headquartered in Washington DC, with 10 offices.  He is on the ASHRAE epidemic task force for schools , TC 9.13 Space, ASHRAE AI MTG and TC 9.7   He worked overseas for US Space and Defense Command and ZAP e-scooters.  He taught as a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia.

Justin Schor

Vice President | Wells + Associates

Justin is Vice President of Business Development and is a skilled and well-rounded transportation consultant with over two decades of forward-thinking Transportation Demand Management (TDM) experience in communities all over the United States. His skills span planning, developing, and implementing award-winning transportation solutions. He is the co-author of the book Building a Multimodal Future: Connecting Real Estate Development and Transportation Demand Management to Ease Gridlock, published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He is a regular participant on ULI Technical Assistance Panels that have an affordable housing component and are looking for sustainable transportation solutions to help reduce parking construction costs and traffic impacts, while making the project more affordable and profitable.

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Marie Cox

Project Manager | Wells + Associates

Marie is an accomplished project manager and sustainable mobility consultant who helps communities and workplaces shape the future of transportation through empowering individuals with mobility choices. In her role with Wells + Associates, Marie works closely with commercial and residential real estate properties and developments to leverage transportation programs and amenities to enhance sustainability, gain a competitive advantage, and attract tenants. With over a decade of experience in client service, consulting, and transportation demand management (TDM), Marie thinks strategically about commuter programs and transportation options and amenities, leveraging data to develop or enhance campaigns that influence commute behavior to solve challenges and achieve goals that are important to her clients. Having lived without a vehicle for over 10 years, she is able to understand barriers residents and employees may experience when trying a new commute and opportunities to overcome obstacles in order to create sustainable behavior change.

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Scott Adams

Partner | McGuireWoods

Scott leads McGuireWoods’ Northern Virginia land use practice group and serves as co-Chair of the firm’s multidisciplinary Affordable Housing Team.   He is also a member of the firm’s data center industry team.  Most of Scott’s practice focuses on land use and development issues in Northern Virginia, where he assists developers and landowners in navigating the land use entitlement process, including obtaining rezonings, special exceptions, special permits, variances and comprehensive plan amendments. Scott’s varied land use practice runs the gamut from  low density residential to high density mixed-use to industrial and everything in between.  Client’s trust Scott with their highest profile and most complex cases because of his thoughtful approach and deep local knowledge.  In addition to traditional land use, Scott’s practice involves work on affordable housing projects and data center development, in addition to providing counsel to electric utilities and renewable energy providers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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Michael Davis

Parking Program Manager | Fairfax County Land Development Services

Michael has been active for 35 years in transportation, land use, and parking activities for Fairfax County.  He currently serves as the Parking Program Manager with Fairfax County Land Development Services and is the County’s subject matter expert on parking.  He has been the parking manager since April 2018, becoming a resource to resolve parking matters.  The primary goal of his work is implementing solutions that require less parking for land use activities.  His efforts to de-emphasize parking have achieved environmental, aesthetic, and land design goals for projects within the County.  He was the project lead on the recent efforts by Fairfax County to update their parking regulations, known as Parking Reimagined. 

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Jordi Fabian

Project Manager | APAH

Jordi joined APAH in June 2021 as a Project Manager. Jordi is currently managing renovations for Arna Valley View and Marbella, in Arlington, VA. This renovation project consists of 62 units across three Marbella sites and 101 units at Arna Valley View. The project is expected to begin construction in late-2022 and be delivered in late-2023. Jordi is also co-managing the Dominion Square Project located in Tysons, VA. This new development will consist of 516 units and a 30,000 SF community center operated by Fairfax County. The project is expected to break ground in mid-2023 and be delivered in 2026. Prior to joining APAH, Jordi worked as an Assistant Project Manager for McKissack and McKissack, an architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firm located in Washington DC. In this role, Jordi provided construction management and civil engineering services for various multifamily redevelopment projects located in the D.C metro area. Jordi began his career as a Project Engineer working for a Land Development Firm in Virginia.

2024 Speaker Pics

Mohamed Seif Abaza

Vice President of Commissioning and Sustainability Services | Allen + Shariff

Mohamed is the Vice President of Commissioning and Sustainability Services at Allen + Shariff. He has 26 years of experience in HVAC design, Sustainable Design, Energy Modeling and Energy Audits and Deep Energy Retrofits, Commissioning, Retro-Commissioning, and Re-Commissioning.

His expertise ranges from Facility Energy Audits and Inspections that included Physical inspections, technical evaluation, visual inspections, exigent health and safety standards, and physical inspection report  generation Central Plant design, Central Plant optimization, Central plant gut retrofit/renovation, Central Plant O&M, Energy Modeling, LEED Admin, Energy Auditing (ASHRAE Level I, II, III), Energy Retrofits and Facility Condition Assessments, Sustainable development and Energy Master plan development and implementation, Equipment Inventory Identification and Deficiency Generation, construction project management and cost estimating, Quality Control Management, Post construction Measurement and Verification and equipment Commissioning, BMS and EMS troubleshooting. Projects vary from commercial buildings and schools to multi-family residential buildings, private residences, hospitals/healthcare, and hotels as well as government and federal buildings.

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Rob Mandle

Deputy Executive Director | National Landing BID

Since 2007, Rob has played a leading role int he successful transformation of the National Landing area into a vibrant downtown community that is attracting residents, new businesses, and a wave of new investment by the private sector. His background in urban planning and economics combined with his passion for placemaking and collaboratively building communities for people, not just buildings, drives his perspective and vision. Rob’s work envisioning and championing a new pedestrian connection to Washington National Airport, the CC2DCA Intermodal Connector, helped propel a unique, differentiating idea into an important infrastructure investment included in the Commonwealth’s winning Amazon proposal. Additionally, Rob’s framing of the Greater Crystal City area as a downtown of scale and substance as the largest, walkable downtown in Virginia helped propel the BID’s efforts to extend its boundaries to Pentagon City and Potomac Yard.

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Jonathan Frederick

President & CEO | Housing Alexandria

Jon has served as the President/CEO of Housing Alexandria since 2015.  During his tenure the organization has grown from a small team of one staff member with under 200 units of rental housing to a team of sixteen with approximately 900 units owned with an additional 500 units under construction.  During this time, he has overseen the development and implementation of two strategic plan initiatives.  The most recent plan, Beyond Units, shifted Housing Alexandria’s mission as one focused solely on the provision of affordable rental housing to one of a full-scale community development organization working at the intersection housing, services, community partnerships, and equity building.

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Steve Saff

Senior Designer | DCS Design

Steve brings over 36 years of experience to the Davis Carter Scott team.  His portfolio of work includes projects in restoration to new designs for corporate, government / institutional, and multi-family projects.  His roles for these projects included but were not limited to management and design of projects construction administration in both base building and interior architecture.

A participant in numerous design competitions including the WWII Memorial, Viet Nam Memorial and the Pentagon Memorial, Steve’s creativity has netted him the coveted GSA’s Award of Design Excellence for his role in the Pittsburgh Post Office & Courthouse project.

 

MODERATOR

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Kathy Lawson

Director of Sustainability
DCS Design

As Director of Sustainability, Kathy guides project teams through the green building process, including preliminary building analyses and energy studies, design coordination, construction phase management, credit tracking and certification documentation submission. Kathy’s expertise and experience on a multitude of LEED, Green Globes, NGBS, and EarthCraft projects allow her to optimize green buildings and allow clients to realize the triple bottom line. Kathy leads DCS Design’s Green Team, manages sustainability initiatives, and hosts the annual DC Sustainability Summit.

SPONSORS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

EE Reed East Cost

Since 1976, the E.E. Reed family of companies has steadily grown to become a national brand recognized for steadfast performance, unparalleled professionalism, and exceptional results in the construction industry. The E.E. Reed East Coast team includes the most experienced, skilled, and dedicated men and women in the construction industry. Working as a cohesive unit with our clients and consultants, our talented professionals assure that the highest standards of quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness are met on every project we complete.

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

SUPPORTER SPONSORS

Gorove Slade

Budova Engineering

VIKA VIRGINIA, LLC

EXHIBITORS

HOST