Sponsored by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the American Institute of Architects Foundation (AIAF) in partnership with the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), the Architecture at Zero competition was conceived as a response to the zero net energy targets set out by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) in the 2008 report, California’s Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan. In this report, the CPUC set out four “Big Bold Energy Efficiency Strategies” for California that include the goals that all new residential construction in California be ZNE by 2020 and that all new commercial construction be ZNE by 2030.

Architecture at Zero seeks creative and feasible approaches to ZNE building. By encouraging innovative design solutions to site-specific design challenges, the competition aims to broaden thinking about the technical and aesthetic possibilities of zero net energy projects. Further, it seeks to raise the profile of ZNE among built-environment professionals, students, and the general public in California and beyond.

Publications:

Bay Area Firm Takes Top Honors in Green Architecture Contest

Architecture At Zero Design Competition Winners Announced