As a profession, we must integrate more broadly Zero Energy and Zero Carbon solutions into projects of all scales and typologies to meet the climate challenges of today. However, as we mitigate and combat the evolving impact of climate change, and expand our understanding of what resilient communities of the future will demand, we ask ourselves – is getting to Zero good enough? This talk will explore Civitas as a case study on how we can practice, think and design differently to get us beyond Zero and be better positioned to adapt to everchanging conditions.
Civitas is the world’s first dual certified Zero Energy and Zero Carbon building by the International Living Future Institute; has an EUI of -2.6; and is certified LEED v4.1 Homes Platinum. Civitas was an AIA 2021 COTE Top Ten winner, the only project in its 25-year history to be certified Zero Carbon. A 2798 sf single-family dwelling located on a small greenfield site on the banks of the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee, the project celebrates the active lifestyle of a family of three while challenging the most basic of conventions, shelter for the occupants, and looks outward to benefit the many. The design team chose the guiding principles from the AIA Committee on the Environment to set goals for equitable solutions, conservation and reclamation, onsite renewables, wellness and health, and change and adaptability. As an immersive tool for experimental thinking and design exploration, Civitas lays the groundwork for ongoing study and future project implications with its broad application of strategies for a wide range of typologies and scales. With ongoing data monitoring, it serves as a living laboratory and marker to how we mitigate and combat climate change. Climate resiliency was central to these strategies, as the site is susceptible to flooding, severe weather, and ongoing activity from the New Madrid Seismic Zone. With a 200-year design life cycle, it will evolve and adapt to the way in which future occupants live and to a changing environment.
