Sustainable Justice Workshop: Turning Green Guide to Justice Principles into Practice

TORONTO — The interactive Sustainable Justice (SJ) workshop at the upcoming Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ) 2012 Fall Conference in Toronto will be held on Oct. 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at HDR Architecture, 255 West Adelaide Street, Toronto.

We had a fantastic turnout in Los Angeles last year and we’re looking forward to expanded involvement with our Canadian partners this year! Join us for coffee and snacks while we explore the advancement and application of Green Guide to Justice (GGJ) sustainable principles for justice facilities. Meeting together at the AAJ conference always presents the opportunity to engage new people, ideas, and perspectives for our committee’s goals: continued development of a rating system specific to justice facilities and its application; commitment to client outreach and stakeholder education; public relations/advocacy for the future of sustainable justice.

Workshop Learning Objectives for 3.0 CES Learning Units
• Learn a holistic approach to application of sustainable principles within the justice system and a broader role of sustainability in our society.
• Learn how a rating system can be used to evaluate sustainable justice projects by measuring the impact on individuals, facilities, communities and society.
• Learn how to educate our clients and the general public about sustainable justice with the implementation of principles, metrics, and measurable outcomes for design and operational solutions.
• Help to define SJ goals for 2013 and learn about opportunities to engage in the continued development of the SJ advocacy.

Workshop Agenda
8:30-9:00 Meet-and-Greet w/ coffee and sustenance
9:00-9:15 Welcome, Introductions of Sustainable Justice Committee members by the Chairs
9:15-10:00 Current events and reports from sub-sub committee groups:
• Ratings/Checklist draft
• Client Education, Case study video
• Mobility
• Review of the AIA 2013 PAW Sustainable Justice Track
• JFR publication of ratings guide
• EPA intern project
• Other updates
10:00-11:30 Breakout sessions:
• Ratings/Checklist advancement: case studies, application, development resources, precedent, implementation
• Client Education/O&M/LEED detail
• Mobility
11:30-12:00 Look ahead for 2013:
• Breakout sessions report back to group, next steps
• Rate the workshop

Sustainable Justice Ratings/Checklist
The SJ Committee has been working on a custom methodology or scoring system to specifically evaluate justice facilities within the context of sustainable principles that uniquely expands the definition of leadership for sustainable environments, communities, and society at-large. The rating system is based on four scales: the societal scale; the community scale; the facility scale; and the human scale.
• It is intended to encourage a broader role of sustainability for our justice facilities in our society as well as their impact on communities and individuals.
• Goals are defined based on Sustainable Justice principles that reach far beyond materials, methods, and the physical and earth energy resource conservation of physical plant construction and performance standards.
• Desired outcomes are defined by metrics and reference standards and resources that provide reinforce the unique link public facilities have with, and contribution to a successfully sustainable community and society.

Client Outreach
The Committee is also developing real “nuts-and-bolts” educational material specifically geared toward facility owners and operators and their concerns. The outreach focuses on viable implementation of specific sustainable principles, metrics, and measurable outcomes for design and operational solutions using precedent gleaned from successful justice facility design and operation across the country. The tools will include brochures and videos that can go viral and reach even beyond our current clients.
• Education topics will include site, water, energy, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and life cycle costing.
• The group will explore the best methods of assessing facilities.
• The discussion will also include the best formats for communicating the material to clients and AAJ members.

The committee is gathering case study stories to integrate into videos to increase industry and facility owner and operator awareness of successful sustainable principles and outcomes. We’ll be facilitating a “Share Your Sustainability Story” video booth at the Toronto AAJ conference to capture short three-minute anecdotes participants want to share about photovoltaics, recycling or daylighting or other project features and experiences. Potential topics of discussion include: siting and public transit; green roofs; heat island effect; low-flow plumbing fixtures; water harvesting; photovoltaics; alternative energy; net-zero energy; recycling; daylighting; and healthy buildings.

For more information, contact Melissa Farling, AIA, at Melissa@jonesstudioinc.com

Julia Hughes is an associate principal at HMC Architects, San Diego office, and co-chairs the AIA AAJ Sustainable Justice Committee with Larry Hartman, vice president at HDR Architecture, Chicago office.