How to make Minnesota's buildings more climate-friendly

Chances are climate change was not a top consideration when your office was designed and built.

But architecture that's informed by climate is expanding, and some members of Minnesota's American Institute of Architects chapter have testified to lawmakers this legislative session about how design can help lower buildings' impact on climate change.

Richard Graves, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Sustainable Building Research, joined Climate Cast to discuss the state of climate-friendly architecture.

He said designing for efficiency is among the most important ways architects can account for climate change in their work. And there's no one-size-fits-all solution, either — architects must consider each climate's needs.

"We've had this assumption that we can do the same solution in every place for every different type of building," Graves said, "and as we think about buildings and making them friendly for the climate, we find that each place is unique."

For example, Minnesota's cold winters and hot summers require different designs from architecture in the South.

There are significant opportunities for climate solutions from architecture. Today's technology, Graves said, allows building designs to be as much as 70 percent more effective than they were in the early 2000s.

And given that two-thirds of existing buildings will still be around in 2050, Graves said, redesigning existing buildings will be crucial.

To hear the whole interview with Graves, use the audio player above.