Presentations

2022

Research, Advocacy, Design: It’s All Architecture. Friedman Visiting Professorship, UC Berkeley, February 9, 1-2:00 pm PST. In this live streamed event, Henry Siegel & Larry Strain will explore the intersection of design, research, and advocacy in their practice over the past 30 years. This event will be live streamed and live captioned at: https://vimeo.com/466643421.

2021

Oakland EcoBlock, April 21, ULI San Francisco. How will urban neighborhoods meet some of the most pressing challenges of the 21st Century, including climate change, resilience, and social equity? UC Berkeley and the City of Oakland are pioneering a new model to retrofit existing neighborhoods to do just that. The Oakland EcoBlock is a radical retrofit of existing residential homes that aims to demonstrate the technical, social, legal, and financial methods for creating a block that is more resilient to power outages, has improved indoor air quality, and allows residents to co-own the main means of their energy production. Susi Marzuola and the multi-disciplinary project team discuss the vision for the Oakland EcoBlock and the model’s potential in the fight against climate change.
Architecture Lecture Series, Diablo Valley College, April 15: Lecture by Principal Susi Marzuola presenting sustainable projects including Bishop O’Dowd’s Center for Environmental Studies, Portola Valley Town Center, and Yountville Town Center & Library.

2020

Getting to Net Zero: A Discussion on Low Carbon Construction, February 19, AIA San Francisco. The construction industry, through building construction and building use, contributes roughly 40% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions to the environment. Embodied carbon (emissions from building materials and construction) makes up over 25% of this total. The design decisions we make as structural engineers and architects directly impact these emissions. This gives us a vital role to play in reducing the environmental impact of the built environment. Panelists Brad Jacobson (Principal, EHDD), Bruce King (Founder, Ecological Building Network), Nicholas Miley (KPFF Consulting Engineers), Larry Strain (Principal, Siegel & Strain Architects), Megan String (Associate Principal, Holmes Structures), Vaclav Hasik (LCA Analyst, Urban Fabrick) discuss advances the architecturalengineering profession is making toward net zero embodied carbon structures, discuss the top three actions structural engineers and architects can take to reduce embodied carbon in their projects, and discuss how structural engineers and architects can work better together to effectively reduce the embodied carbon of their projects.

2019

APT International, November 22, 2019, Miami, Florida. The Zero Net Carbon Collaborative (ZNCC) was launched at APT Ottawa 2017, bringing together experts on climate action and historic and existing building conservation, renewal, and transformation. This session presents the perspectives of both long-recognized and emerging leaders in sustainable preservation and will address both the broad theories and nitty-gritty practices that are making the preservation and renovation of existing and historic buildings an essential climate action strategy. Larry Strain’s portion of the session identified the magnitude and sources of emissions from new and existing buildings; provided an overview of building reuse and carbon reduction strategies with case studies that document the reductions achieved; and reviewed the current and proposed programs and incentives that support building reuse, efficiency upgrades and carbon reduction.
Embodied Carbon Benchmarking Initiative, November 20, 2019, Atlanta, Georgia. Sponsored by Kieran Timberlake, Larry Strain attended the kickoff meeting held at the offices of Walter P. Moore.
Getting to Zero Forum, October 9-11, 2019, Oakland, California. Getting to Zero Forum is a solutions-focused event dedicated to zero energy and zero carbon buildings. The 2019 Forum will bring together more than 550 leading policymakers, design professionals, building owners, systems manufacturers, commercial real estate representatives and others working to define a new energy future for the built environment. Some highlights include: October 9—Bishop O’Dowd High School Center for Environmental Studies Tour, 10:45am-1pm; October 11—Session 3 A Global Call to Action for Zero Embodied Carbon: Thinking Small, Not Tall, to Get to Zero Carbon, Ann Edminster (Design AVEnues LLC) & Larry Strain (Siegel & Strain Architects); October 11—Jolt Session 2 Essential Technologies for Getting to Zero: Building Envelope for Net Zero Buildings Lessons Learned Over Twenty Years, Henry Siegel & Nancy Malone (Siegel & Strain Architects. Visit the site for more information about workshops and tours.
University of California, Berkeley, CA, Sustainable Design Seminar, September 25, 2019, “Big Leaps and Baby Steps: Research and Iteration in a Sustainable Design Practice,” Nancy Malone, AIA, LEED Fellow. This presentation explores the role of research and design iteration in addressing contemporary environmental concerns and in advancing sustainable design technologies. Using case studies, Nancy addresses how architecture, as a practice, offers continual opportunity to refine building technology, to shift design approach and over time, to redefine best practice.
Carbon Leadership Forum, Chicago, September 26, 2019, CarbonPositive ’19 Summit, Architecture 2030/Architect/AIA Large Firms Roundtable (AIA LFRT), Larry Strain, FAIA. The Summit is a one-time invitation event that convenes the AIA LFRT and A/E/C firms to establish a collective plan of action for addressing the environmental risks of unprecedented global construction and urbanization.
“Reuse in the Circular Economy,” September 20, 2019: a webinar sponsored by Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment with panelists Miya Kitahara (StopWaste), Larry Strain (Siegel & Strain Architects), Joe Connell (Building Materials Reuse Association) and Andrew Ellsworth (Doors Unhinged).

2018

2017

Greenbuild 2017 session, November 7, Boston, MA: “The Time Value of Carbon.” This session emphasizes the “time value of carbon,” the critical need to ensure that global emissions peak by 2020 and fossil fuels be phased out by 2055, and highlight actions that architects, engineers and others in the building industry can take now to help us meet these ambitious targets. Research shows that greenhouse gas emissions that occur before we occupy buildings from extracting and manufacturing building materials, often termed “embodied carbon,” are more critical than commonly believed. Efforts to date to mitigate climate change in the building sector have focused on operational energy with the current gold standard being new, zero-net carbon buildings. This is a critical step to realize a carbon neutral built environment, but there is a problem; constructing these new buildings will generate a lot of emissions. Presenters: Frances Yang, Larry Strain, Amy Hattan, Andrew Rosenberg.
Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference, October 17, Sacramento, CA: “Design for People! Inspiration from Urban Planning, Architecture, and Engineering Towards Carbon-Free Living” Design shapes our buildings, our landscapes, and our communities and is instrumental to influencing behavior. The panelists discuss shaping behavior in the urban context (e.g., encouraging walking and use of public transportation) and in buildings (e.g., encouraging use of stairs, a building that teaches, breaking out of conventional HVAC design) as well as the institutions that help drive these changes. Panelists: Susi Marzuola, Principal and LEED BD+C, Siegel & Strain Architects; Professor Louise Mozingo, Chair of the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at University of California, Berkeley; and Kevin Hydes, CEO of Integral Group and former chair of USGBC; moderated by Rick Diamond, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
West Coast Forum on Climate and Materials webinar, October 12, 10:00-11:30 am PST: “Built Environment and Embodied Carbon Emissions.” Often this topic connects climate to building operations with regards to energy and water efficiency and renewable energy. However, significant greenhouse gas emissions also occur before the building is even inhabited, during design, construction and the sourcing of building materials. These ‘embodied’ carbon emissions can be addressed by understanding their sources and designing our built environment to optimize material use. This webinar brings together four industry and government leaders in analyzing and finding solutions through the Embodied Carbon Network and their academic and professional practices: Wes Sullens, Jordan Palmeri, Kate Simonen and Larry Strain. (Register here.)
Build It Green Conference, San Leandro, CA, May 18: Buildings and the Time Value of Carbon. Larry Strain, FAIA, for the past seven years, has focused on ways to reduce the carbon footprint of our buildings. Learn why, over the next 20 years, embodied emissions from new buildings will outweigh the operating emissions from those buildings; so while new buildings need be ZNE, reducing embodied emissions may be even more important. (see Design & Materials Workshops)
Pacific Energy Center: Innovators Evening Lecture Series, San Francisco, CA, April 6: Buildings and the Time Value of Carbon. Larry Strain, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, who has long considered energy performance and embodied energy in his own design work, explores the Time Value of Carbon as a framework for evaluating GHG reduction strategies and engage the audience in using it to evaluate reduction strategies.

2016

Living Products Expo, Pittsburgh, PA, September 14. Principal Larry Strain joined Dirk Kestner (Director of Sustainability, Walter P. Moore), Kate Simonen (Associate Profession, Carbon Leadership Forum Director, U. of Washington), Stacy H. Smedley (Director of Sustainability, Skanska) on September 14, at 12:30 pm for a session entitled “The Time Value of Carbon: Getting to Zero by 2050.” This session looks at embodied carbon emissions in relationship to total building emissions and show designers and builders how to use tools to estimate embodied carbon and make materials choices that will reduce embodied carbon in their buildings.
Thursday, June 9: Sustainable Design Excellence, a monthly program at AIAEB. Only ten projects are selected each year for the Cote Top Ten Green Awards. Marsha Maytum, FAIA joins 2016 jurors Anne Fougeron, FAIA and Larry Strain, FAIA to discuss the methods for selecting these exceptional designs. A wine and cheese reception follows the discussion. 1.5 CES LUs. Visit the website for registration details…
Larry Strain & Mary Hardy will speak at the National Forest Homeowners Conference, Santa Clara, April 29-30: In a breakout session on Saturday, April 30, Larry and Mary will address sustainable design strategies for remote historic cabins subject to review by the State Office of Historic Preservation and National Park Service. The conference will be held at the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Clara on Friday afternoon, April 29 and all day Saturday, April 30.
Larry Strain moderates two sessions at BuildWell 2016 in San Francisco on February 12: “Reducing Embodied Carbon in Buildings and Materials” at 9:45 am and “Build Well – Rebuild Better” at 1:30 pm.

2015

The Total Carbon Study, in collaboration with Integral Group, DPR, Ecological Building Network, StopWaste.org and Siegel & Strain, is now available:
We are pleased to announce the publication of “The Total Carbon Study” with partners StopWaste.org, Ecological Building Network, Integral Group, DPR Construction and Siegel & Strain. The white paper can now be downloaded on the Ecological Building Network project page: http://www.ecobuildnetwork.org/projects/total-carbon-study.
Greenbuild, November 18-19, Washington, DC:“Reuse Matters, Doubling Down on Carbon Savings:” Back by popular demand, this session examines the synergies and trades-offs of total carbon savings (embodied + operating) from reuse and energy retrofit projects compared to building new, energy efficient buildings. Session presenters: Larry Strain, Principal at Siegel & Strain; Megan White, Senior Sustainability Consultant at Integral Group; and Ted van der Linden, Sustainability Director at DPR. Session: November 19, 1:30-2:30pm.
Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) Low Carbon Building Summit, University of Washington, September 10-11, Seattle, WA:Presentations by industry experts clarify the science behind carbon accounting and provide tools to put the knowledge into practice. Larry Strain led the CLF Embodied Carbon Network Planning at the Friday workshop.
Living Future 15, April 1-3, Seattle, WA:”Reuse Matters: Doubling Down on Carbon Savings:” Over the next 25 critical years, carbon emissions from construction materials will outweigh emissions from building operations. This session examines the synergies and trades-offs of total carbon savings (embodied + operating) from reuse and energy retrofit projects compared to building new, energy efficient buildings. We will look at when reuse makes sense and when it makes sense to build new. Reusing buildings also provides continuity and connections to place and community. Session presenters: Larry Strain, Siegel & Strain; Megan White and Stet Sanborn, Integral Group; Wes Sullens, StopWaste; and Ted van der Linden, DPR.
AIA National Convention, May 14-16, Atlanta, GA:Larry Strain will be giving two presentations at the upcoming convention: “Materials Matter” and “Dream Materials Workshop” with Building Green’s Nadav Malin. Details will follow.

2014

California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC) 2014, San Diego, CA:Principal Nancy Malone gave three presentations at the conference: “UC Berkeley Green Renovations Checklist – Developing Institution-specific Green Guidelines,” “Net Zero Energy Projects in Higher Education featuring the Jess Jackson Sustainable Winery Building at UC Davis,” and “Best Practices in Overall Sustainable Design also featuring the Jess Jackson Sustainable Winery Building.” Nancy also accepted an Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Best Practice Award for Overall Sustainable Design for the Jess Jackson Sustainable Winery Building.
Buildwell 2014, Cavallo Point, Sausalito, CA: Innovative Materials for a Greener Planet:”How We Build: Why Method Matters” (Larry Strain, Moderator and Conference Co-organizer) Whether site built, pre-fab, modular, or some combination, how we build affects what we build, our material choices, and our environmental impacts. We are looking at the pros and cons of each approach to building, the effect of each on sustainability, craft and cost; and how they can be combined to suit specific projects.
Southern California Edison, Orange County, CA: “Zero-Net Energy” (Nancy Malone)
Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR)’s Better Envelope Solutions Showcase, San Francisco, CA: “Choosing Exterior Assemblies and Insulation Materials” (Larry Strain)
BE14 Conference, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), Boston, MA:Workshop: “Introduction to Life Cycle Design and Assessment;” Session: “The Clock is Ticking” (Larry Strain) Some of the presentations can be downloaded from the NESEA website.
AIA+2030 Professional Series, AIA Middle Tennessee, Nashville, TN:
“Passively Aggressive: Employing Passive Systems for Load Reduction” (Henry Siegel)
Healthy Product Declaration (HPD) Forum, Bay Area Leaders in Sustainable Architecture (BALSA), San Francisco, CA: The group works to better understand building product contents and their associated health hazards. Among other things, the HPD Forum will investigate the human health reasons for product transparency, explore reasons for supporting the HPD, and have an open conversation about how manufacturing and design professionals can partner in the endeavor for healthy building materials. (Larry Strain)

2013

Passive House California Spring Symposium: Building Carbon Zero California, March 20, 2013, San Francisco,
CA: “The California Net Zero Experience” (Henry Siegel, panelist)

2012

David Brower Center, Berkeley, CA:PGE Forum 2 – “Zero Net Energy in Context: Achieving the ZNE Targets for California New Construction” (Henry Siegel)
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) 2012, Oakland,
CA:”Dissolving the Walls: Beyond the Classroom in the Living Lab” (Susi Marzuola)
Energy Education Center, Tulare, CA:”Zero Net Energy Homes – Design Fundamentals” (Nancy Malone)
AIA+2030 Professional Series, AIA Middle Tennessee, Nashville, TN:”Passively Aggressive: Employing Passive Systems for Load Reduction” (Henry Siegel)
Architecture.Energy.Japan.2012 Symposium, UC Berkeley, CA:”Professional Incentives” and COTE Top Ten Green Projects (Henry Siegel)
True Market Solutions, Oakland, CA:”Sustainable Building Design & Rating Systems” (Henry Siegel & Stet Sanborn)
Perkins+Will Architects, San Francisco, CA:”Living Building Challenge: Materials Transparency” (Larry Strain)
Pacific Energy Center, San Francisco, CA:”SketchUp Software for Solar Geometry Analysis” (Stet Sanborn)
University of California, Berkeley, Architecture 140:Case studies of recent winners of the AIA Committee on Environment Awards
(Henry Siegel)
Reuse Alliance: Northern Calfornia Reuse Summit, Oakland, CA:”Incorporating Reused Materials from Original Buildings into New Construction”
(Larry Strain)
Pacific Energy Center, San Francisco, CA:”Zero Net Energy Homes – Design Fundamentals” (Nancy Malone)

2011

GreenBuild 2011, Toronto, “Meet the Green Experts” Education Session:”Towards Low Carbon Buildings and Cities: Energy Benchmarking and High
Performance Building Envelopes” (Henry Siegel & Stet Sanborn)
Energy Education Centers, Tulare, Irwindale, and Stockton, CA:”Zero Net Energy Homes – Design Fundamentals” (Nancy Malone)
California Preservation Foundation:”Environmental Benefits of Reuse” (Larry Strain, moderated by Burton Peek
Edwards)
Living Future, Vancouver, BC:”Time Value of CO₂e Savings – Why Embodied Carbon Matters” (Larry Strain)
San Francisco AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE):”Reducing Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment” (Larry Strain)

2010

GreenBuild 2010, Chicago, Education Session:”Reducing Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment” (Larry Strain)
University of California, Berkeley, Sustainability Colloquium:”What Makes a Material Green” (Larry Strain)
California Preservation Foundation, Nevada City, CA:”Sustainable Preservation Design: Details Matter” (Larry Strain)
Pacific Energy Center, San Francisco:”Two Aspects of Energy in Buildings” (Henry Siegel & Larry Strain)
Pacific Energy Center, San Francisco:”Evolution of a Green Design Practice” traces the development of the firm
since the early 1990s (Henry Siegel & Larry Strain)
Buildwell 2010, Sausalito, CA:”Innovative Materials for a Greener Perspective: A Practitioners Perspective”
(Larry Strain)

2009

AIA Convention, San Francisco:Henry Siegel, Bob Berkebile and Jim Binkley presented a session entitled
“True Sustainability.”
AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects Awards: “The Architecture of Sustainability”
(Henry Siegel)

2008

American Institute of Architects, Denver, Colorado: “The How of Green
Design” (Henry Siegel)
Savings By Design Energy Efficiency Integration Awards (Nancy Malone)
National AIA Convention, Boston, The Architecture of Sustainability: The
2008 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects Awards (Henry Siegel); The COTE Open
Forum (Henry Siegel)

2007

AIA Omaha: Green by Design: “The Work of Siegel & Strain Architects”
(Henry Siegel)
Assemblywoman Loni Hancock’s Town Hall Meeting on Solutions to the Global
Warming Crisis: “The Temperature’s Rising!” (Henry Siegel)
National AIA Convention
1. Public Green Guideline Specifications: Bringing Your Green Vision to Fruition
  on the Job Site with Nadav Malin, Scott Horst and Victor Canseco (Larry
  Strain)
2. Strategies for Finding and Creating the Structures of Place with Donlyn
  Lyndon and Louise Mozingo (Larry Strain)
3. The Architecture of Sustainability: The 2007 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Project
  Awards(Henry Siegel)
4. Sustainable Design Past, Present, Future with Lance Hosey and Susan Szenasy
  (Henry Siegel)
5. The Walter Wagner Forum (Henry Siegel)
USGBC GreenBuild Green Guideline Specifications: Taking it Public, Making
it Real with Jim Newman & John Boecker (Larry Strain)
West Coast Green – Residential Building Conference
1. Collaboration: Designing More Than the Client Asks (Nancy Malone)
2. The Design of Green Design (Larry Strain & Henry Siegel)
3. The Architecture of Sustainability – The 2007 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects
  (Henry Siegel)
4. Green Firms Great Projects: Presentation with Anni Tilt & Cate Leger
  (Henry Siegel)

2006

West Coast Green – Residential Building Conference:Redefining Green (Henry Siegel & Larry Strain)
National Building Museum Presentation, The Architecture of Sustainability:The 2006 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects (Henry Siegel)
National AIA Convention
1. The Architecture of Sustainability: The 2006 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects
  (Henry Siegel)
2. Defining Sustainable Design with Vivian Loftness, Kira Gould & Dan
  Williams (Henry Siegel)
Western Interiors Design + Home Show Siegel & Strain Green Building
Design (Henry Siegel)

2005

California College of the Arts, Extended Education Interior Design Forum:”Beyond Green” (Henry Siegel)

2004

AIA Nevada COTE Siegel & Strain Green Building Design (Henry Siegel
& Larry Strain)
City of Santa Rosa Keynote: Green Building Program Launch (Henry Siegel)
Environmental Forum of Marin Green Building Presentation at Sonoma State
with Don Aitken (Larry Strain)

2003

Environmental Forum of Marin: “Green Building Presentation” (Larry Strain)