Teaching Carbon Neutral Design in North America Twenty Award-Winning Architectural Design Studio Methodologies

Part 1 Community Empowerment

1. The Net-Zero Vertical Design Studio: A Framework for Design Excellence

2. The Building as a Teaching Tool for Science, Technology, Engineering, Architecture and Math

3. Integrated and Interdisciplinary Design Education for Net-Zero Energy Buildings

4. Expanding Equity and Empowering Communities: Lessons from the Field

5. Building Decarbonization: Theory to Practice

6. Integrating Climate-Based Passive Design Strategies into Studio Pedagogy Towards Sustainable Net-Zero Carbon Buildings

7. The Bioclimatic Design Studio

8. A Physical Ambiences Approach to the Assessment and Representation of Carbon Neutral Architecture

9. Environmental Building Design Research Studio: Design Innovation for the Climate Emergency

10. A Radically Transformative Student-Centered Approach to the Design of Net-Zero Buildings

11. Introduction to Conceptual Design Performance Analysis for Carbon Neutrality

12. ReUse Studio: Approaching a Carbon Neutral Future through Extending the Life of Existing Buildings

13. The Ha/f Research Studio & Seminar

14. Boxes and Doxa: Learning from the Solar Decathlon Design Challenge

15. Building on Research: A Hands-On Approach to Architectural Education

16. Leveraging the Solar Decathlon Competition as a Framework for a Comprehensive, Community Engaged, Carbon Neutral Architecture Studio

17. Timber Tectonics in the Digital Age

18. An Industrial-Urban Synthesis: Planning Education for a Carbon Neutral Future

19. Computational Urban Design: A Simulation and Data-driven Approach to Designing a Sustainable Built Environment

20. Decarbonizing Curriculum through Environmental Stewardship and Experiential Learning

Biography

Robin Z. Puttock, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP is an assistant professor at Kennesaw State University and a practicing architect with 20 years of professional, national award-winning, sustainable design experience. Robin’s research focuses on the pedagogy related to the built environment’s role in both carbon neutrality and human well-being, with an emphasis on the connection between academia and the allied professions. She is the project architect of many LEED certified buildings and the first US Department of Education Green Ribbon School recognized by President Barack Obama and the US Department of Education. Robin serves as the 2025 chair of the National AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Leadership Group.

"The rapid decarbonization of American buildings is a formidable task facing the next generation of architects in North America. This thoughtful and comprehensive collection is an indispensable resource for educators seeking to equip architecture students with the knowledge and creativity they need to rise to this challenge, and it represents some of the innovative minds in our field today."

Lindsay Baker, CEO, International Living Future Institute

"Like meeting fire and life safety codes, the next generation of architects will be required to design and construct buildings free of greenhouse gas pollution. Getting there starts with the commitment of professors teaching architecture to change studio culture. This terrific compendium edited by Robin Puttock shows that teaching zero-carbon design is redefining design excellence."

Carl Elefante, FAIA, FAPT, 2018 President American Institute of Architects, Senior Fellow Architecture 2030, Principal Emeritus, Quinn Evans

"We must shift how we teach design to enable the radical changes in building design and construction needed to meet global climate goals. This impressive collection of innovative case studies is a critical resource to help develop, test, and refine curricula that will inspire and empower the next generation of architects and equip them to lead towards carbon neutral and ultimately climate-positive design solutions."

Kate Simonen, Professor of Architecture, University of Washington, and Founder of Carbon Leadership Forum

"Climate crisis is upon us, but academia has been woefully slow to adapt. This lively collection from Prof. Puttock goes a long way towards correcting that, providing both teachers and students a framework for design in a difficult new time. Highly recommended for everyone in architecture."

Bruce King, PE, Director, Ecological Building Network

"Teaching Carbon Neutral Design in North America is a transformative resource featuring contributions from leading educators in the field. Within 20 chapters, it covers essential aspects of sustainable design from exploration of passive design in diverse climates, to championing shared energy paths in communities, to insights on equity and community empowerment – all innovative approaches revealing the importance of partnering with real-world clients and providing students with real hands-on experience in addressing the various sustainability measures. This is a must-read for educators and practitioners dedicated to advancing sustainable architecture and addressing climate change."

Alison Kwok, Professor of Architecture, University of Oregon and Director of the NetZED Laboratory

"Robin Puttock has designed a timely volume of articles that shares innovative didactics for a carbon neutral architectural future. The contributions in this book cast environmentally responsive teaching beyond embodied and operational considerations toward architecture’s complex socio-technical entanglements of carbon, energy, resource circularity, practice, equity, justice, health, and community. This is a valuable reference on teaching pedagogy for 21st-century architectural educators."

Ryan E. Smith, PhD, Director and Professor, University of Arizona, Founding Partner of MOD X

"The climate emergency underscores the importance of teaching sustainable, low-carbon design to architecture students. This book demonstrates how this can be done with a well-selected compilation of teaching experiences taught by award-winning practitioners and educators. It is an excellent reference book that can be used by educators worldwide."

Pablo La Roche, PhD, Professor of Architecture, Cal Poly Pomona University and Principal, Arcadis