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With more than 7,200 members and 49 regional chapters, the
Committee on the Environment (COTE) has jumped to the forefront as
a provider of quality sustainable design resources to designers in
the United States and abroad.
The AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects program continues to grow in
the quality and quantity of competitors, with more than 60
entrants in 2005. Selected projects were honored at the National
Building Museum and at the AIA national convention. AIA Top 10
winners received media coverage in widely distributed
publications, including Sierra Magazine, Metropolis,
Architecture and Architectural Record.
COTE has also been involved in assessing the state of environmental
education in an effort to enhance both professional and post
professional environmental learning. With a grant from the Tides
Foundation, a national curricular competition was launched in 2005
with awards to California Polytechnic, University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of Tennessee. The three dozen
entries revealed a breadth and level of innovation in environmental
education that was documented in a forthcoming publication,
Ecology and Design: Ecological Literacy in Architecture
Education Report. The report also suggests opportunities for
strengthening environmental curriculum, benchmarking the schools,
and creating new accreditation goals—important lessons for
schools of architecture and the National Architectural Accrediting
Board.
COTE also distributes a quarterly eNewsletter to its members,
COTENotes, and its Web site is rich with information,
including a growing COTE library, the Guide to Greening
RFPs, chapter news, and more from around the country. Newly
launched is the AIA COTE Network Forum, an e-mail discussion forum
for chapter chairs and other COTE leaders.
Click here to visit the COTE Web site. For
more information about COTE, contact Marsha Garcia, AIA project
manager, or James Binkley, FAIA, 2006 COTE
chair.
Joining COTE and other knowledge communities is now easier
than ever! The AIA has updated its Web site to allow members to
join knowledge communities through their member profile. We
hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to sign up for the
knowledge communities of your choice. Remember, membership in a
knowledge community is a free benefit of AIA membership! Click here to join.
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