2023 DCSS Registration Page - DC Sustainability Summit

2023 DC Sustainability Summit

September 12 – 14, 2023

DC Sustainability Summit

From the comfort of your home or office, learn from sustainable design and construction experts and see game-changing innovations at the 9th Annual DC Sustainability Summit (DCSS). Passionate industry leaders will present the latest green building concepts and discuss the intersection of safety and sustainability in a pandemic driven world.

Daily 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 our IN PERSON Innovative Green Product Expo.

Please join us for this inspiring week with like-minded professionals to find creative solutions to the world’s environmental realities. One registration provides access to all sessions.

General Registration - $40
Student/Faculty Registration - $20
For student/faculty discount code, please email us from your valid school email at summit@dcsustainability.org

All events are eligible for continuing education credits.

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

10:00 am – 11:00 am

GETTING TO ZERO

We know the construction industry is a major contributor to climate change, and we hear a lot about ways we can make it better – energy reduction, lower embodied carbon, electrifying the building, and more. In this session, learn about real-life project examples where highly sustainable practices were applied and the process it took for each unique solution.

Session Speakers

Steven Torre | CMTA, Inc.

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

11:00 am – 12:00 pm

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION + INCREASED DENSITY = WALKABLE COMMUNITIES

Take a look at the influential research project conducted in 2022 by Wells + Associates analyzing long-term data from their portfolio of residential and office properties in Fairfax County that had implemented sustainable transportation programs. The findings of the research revealed that all the properties examined exceeded the expected reductions in peak hour auto traffic. Notably, sustainable transportation played a crucial role in enabling these sites to achieve such reductions. This discovery prompts the question of whether there exists an opportunity to harness the reduction in peak hour auto traffic to foster the development of more sustainable real estate projects.

Session Speakers

Justin Schor, Moderator | Wells + Associates

Andrea Crossett | LandDesign

Courtney Menjivar | Wells + Associates

Sara Mariska | Odin, Feldman, Pittleman

Kevin Fellin | Wells + Associates

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

10:00 am – 11:00 am

DECARBONIZATION IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT: A PRACTICAL APPROACH

Decarbonization of the built environment has taken center stage in many segments of the AEC industry in recent years. Many in the sector have come to recognize the significant and symbolic role that designers can play in reducing the carbon emissions, or greenhouse gases, introduced by the built environment. This session will guide you through the steps necessary to put your building on the right course for carbon reduction.

Session Speakers

Adam McMillen | IMEG

Laura Hagan | IMEG

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

11:00 am – 12:00 pm

TRANSFORMING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT: LEVERAGING DIGITALIZATION, AI, AND BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND OPERATIONS

The utilization of digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) in building performance has revolutionized the field of sustainable design and operations. By harnessing data from various sources, including sensors, energy meters, and building management systems, and employing advanced AI algorithms, building performance analysis has become more precise, efficient, and effective. This session will highlight the advantages of employing digitalization and AI in building performance analysis, including financial effectiveness and benefits to all stakeholders.

Session Speakers

Arash Zarmehr | AECOM

Thursday, September 14, 2023

10:00 am – 11:00 am

WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE: TALENT RETENTION AND FUTURE RECRUITMENT THROUGH ESG STRATEGY AND WELLNESS FOCUSED DESIGN

Wellness in the Workplace, along with an ESG strategy and wellness-focused design, is crucial for organizations aiming to retain talented employees and attract future recruits. By prioritizing employee well-being and creating a supportive work environment, companies can enhance productivity, satisfaction, and overall performance. Incorporating elements such as physical activity, natural light, biophilic design, ergonomic furniture, healthy food options, and spaces for relaxation can contribute to a balanced and fulfilling workplace. Learn how demonstrating a commitment to ESG principles and wellness-focused design gives organizations a competitive edge in recruiting and retaining top talent, reducing turnover costs, and fostering long-term success.

Session Speakers

Wendy Feldman Block | Savills North America

Thursday, September 14, 2023

11:00 am – 12:00 pm

CARBON NEUTRAL ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO SHOWCASE

This session will showcase the innovative design solutions created in The Catholic University of America’s Net Zero Design Studio course. In this 4^th year architecture studio, the students partnered with the DC Office of Planning to evaluate a city block in the Shaw neighborhood for adaptive reuse. Practicing iterative design through a series of design charrettes attended by industry-leading professionals as well as DC Office of Planning representatives, students used analytic software to make design decisions to achieve carbon neutral design as well as incorporating water reuse and storm water management strategies, sustainable material selection and design innovations supporting human health and wellbeing.

Session Speakers

Robin Puttock | Kennesaw State University

Katherine Kaderabek | Student

Rachel Searle | Student

Thursday, September 14, 2023

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

GREEN PRODUCT EXPO

Join us in person for our innovative green product expo

8614 Westwood Center Drive | Tysons, VA

SPEAKERS

Steve Torre

Principal, Partner
CMTA, Inc.

Steve is a Principal on CMTA’s Mid Atlantic team, where he oversees the DC and Maryland offices’ operations and provides high-level project management for various projects. Before joining CMTA, Steve spent six years in construction management, overseeing a wide variety of construction projects. His experiences on the industry owner/client side have brought an invaluable understanding of the design and construction process from various perspectives.

Steve graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Maryland and Virginia. He has 18 years of diverse experience in the Commercial, Industrial, Healthcare, Science & Technology, K-12, Government/Federal, Data Center, and Higher Education sectors.

Justin Schor

Vice President of Business Development
Wells + Associates

Justin is a skilled transportation consultant with over two decades of forward-thinking Transportation Demand Management (TDM) experience in communities throughout the United States. He has been privileged to lead transportation and mobility practices from startup through stabilization / maturity in a variety of contexts from non-profit public-private partnerships to regional government and private sector consulting firms.

Justin is deeply passionate about advising developers, property managers and other real estate executives on how to leverage transportation to attract and retain tenants as well as reduce construction and operational costs. 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), and a regular speaker on the topic of development related TDM policies.

Andrea Crossett

Senior Associate / Studio Leader
LandDesign

Andrea is a Senior Associate and Studio Leader in LandDesign’s Washington DC office. With a strong urban planning background, Andrea approaches her projects comprehensively with the goal to transform the public realm into a legible, safe and engaging environment. She works with design teams and municipal staff to convey a sense of place through underlying details that make big ideas work. Andrea’s familiarity and ease with navigating the entitlements process makes her an invaluable asset to ambitious projects such as this one. She leads teams in the design of large, complex master plans, bringing a deep understanding of design elements that make spaces engaging, enduring and, above all, successful.

Courtney Menjivar

Vice President, Mobility Management + TDM
Wells + Associates

Courtney has 20 years of experience in designing mobility-oriented developments and transportation demand management, where she helps businesses and communities reduce their reliance on single-occupancy vehicles and build more multimodal transportation systems. As an expert in the field, she guides businesses through changing regulatory frameworks, identifies and implements new transportation sources, and works towards improving tenant experience. Courtney’s team helps optimize business models by integrating technology-based solutions, improving access, and providing practical commute assistance. She also actively participates and speaks at industry gatherings to promote new solutions to transportation and parking challenges.

Sara Mariska

Shareholder
Odin, Feldman & Pittman, P.C.

An experienced land use and zoning attorney, Sara guides and advises clients through all phases of the land use and development process, including rezoning, special permits, special exception, and variance applications. Sara gained invaluable experience while working for former Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Member, Sharon Bulova, and brings broad knowledge across jurisdictions and industries throughout northern Virginia, having represented landowners, developers, businesses, and community non-profits in the counties of Fairfax, Arlington, and Loudoun, as well as in the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna and the Town of Herndon. Recent projects have included transit-oriented mixed-use developments, infill residential, affordable housing, and institutional uses.

Kevin Fellin

Principal
Wells + Associates

Kevin is a 1998 graduate of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where he earned a B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering. He has over 20 years experience working for Wells+Associates in traffic, parking, and transportation planning and engineering. He is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) registered in Virginia. His experience includes site traffic impact studies, shared parking and design studies, feasibility analyses and site assessments, pedestrian and bicycle analyses, and transportation analyses of large-scale mixed-use developments. He has testified at public hearings and presented before various neighborhood communities and land use committees. He has worked for both private developers and public sector clients including the Federal Government and County level projects. This experience includes capacity analyses, directional distribution analyses, parking analyses and design, data collection activities, and report preparation.

Adam McMillen

Director of Sustainability
IMEG

As Director of Sustainability for IMEG, Adam leads the firm’s high-performance building design and project sustainability efforts. In addition to implementing technical design strategies that improve building performance, reduce energy use, and preserve natural resources, Adam leads IMEG’s energy modeling team and builds industry relationships that positively impact the built environment. Adam is a licensed professional mechanical engineer with extensive knowledge of energy and life-cycle cost analysis. His past experience includes the design, energy modeling, and commissioning of higher education and science and technology projects. He also has served as director of energy consulting for a non-profit organization, where his work included a national initiative with the Department of Energy that promoted performance-based procurement and offered a path to zero energy design.

Laura Hagan

Senior Building Performance Consultant
IMEG

Laura has 11 years of professional experience comprised of structural engineering and sustainable design, continuously striving for buildings that are proven to have fewer environmental effects on their surroundings. She brings a broad spectrum of experience to the client, including design of multi-family residential buildings, mixed-use residential, commercial, K-12 education, municipal, and institutional projects, and has led several whole building life cycle analyses to achieve lower embodied carbon emissions on projects. In her current role as a senior sustainability and energy consultant, Laura has a passion for leading and advancing sustainability initiatives within and beyond IMEG, including a focus on reducing both embodied and operational carbon in buildings. Laura also serves on multiple sustainable design committees, including serving as Vice Chair of the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations Sustainable Design Committee.

Arash Zarmehr

High Performance Building Specialist / Senior Energy Modeler
AECOM

Arash is an experienced professional specializing in modeling and simulation techniques for effective decarbonization strategies and improved building and city performance. As a valued member of AECOM’s high-performance design team, he conducts sustainability analysis for diverse projects and brings international expertise, including the landmark net-zero energy renovation project in Washington, D.C. Arash’s proficiency spans decarbonization modeling, energy and water master plans, net-zero energy and carbon analysis, advanced energy simulation, machine learning, and CFD. His dedication to sustainability and informed design decisions contributes to the successful implementation of decarbonization strategies.

Wendy Feldman Block

Executive Managing Director
Savills North America

Powered by tenacity, Wendy brings extensive experience working on a broad range of transactions in the Washington DC Metro area and beyond. She is an award-winning commercial real estate executive serving as an Executive Managing Director at Savills. Wendy is passionate about wellness in the workplace and was the first broker in the world to advise a client on achieving both WELL and LEED Platinum certifications. She is actively sought for her knowledge on the role of wellness in the workplace, all the more critical in the future post COVID world.

In her over her 30+ year career, Wendy has completed sales and leasing transactions totaling in excess of 12 million square feet. Wendy has received numerous professional accolades and has represented many of the region’s premier associations and corporations, and more than 10 percent of the nation’s leading 200 law firms. Notable recent clients include Pillsbury, FINRA, Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the City of Alexandria. She has been an active mentor to countless people in the commercial real estate industry and taken leadership roles at many organizations including CREW DC, Iona Senior Services, Higher Achievement and the Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation.

Robin Puttock

Assistant Professor
Kennesaw State University

Robin is a practicing architect with over twenty years of sustainable design experience. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, Georgia and a former Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and an Assistant Professor of Practice at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where her students won the 2021 AIA/ACSA COTE Top Ten for Students Award. Robin is a contributing author of “Programming for Health and Wellbeing in Architecture,” Routledge 2022 and a co-Investigator of a $240k research grant, her portion focusing on biometric analysis. She is the project architect of eleven LEED certified buildings, including six Gold, including the first US Department of Education Green Ribbon School recognized by President Barack Obama and the US Department of Education. Robin serves on the National AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Leadership Group and the National AIA Higher Education Advisory Team (HEAT).

Rachel Searle

Student

University of Washington College of Built Environments

Master of Architecture – MArch

The Catholic University of America

Bachelor of Science – BS, Architecture

Katherine Kaderabek

Student

The Catholic University of America

Master of Architecture – MArch

Master of Net Zero Design, Architecture

The Catholic University of America

Bachelor of Science, Architecture

MODERATOR

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.