Dekker/Perich/Sabatini (D/P/S) design firm has signed the AIA 2030 Commitment, a national initiative taking steps to advance the goal of carbon neutral buildings.

“Sustainability has always been an integral part of D/P/S’s design process,” said Dale Dekker, Founding Principal at Dekker/Perich/Sabatini. “Our commitment to AIA 2030 further challenges us to develop and promote strategies that elevate the industry and create responsible and healthy buildings for our communities.”

D/P/S’s initial efforts will focus on expanding use of early energy modeling. Energy models compare energy use of different design scenarios based on basic information – square footage, building type and orientation – and can reduce energy use by 20 percent, according to the AIA’s 2013 Progress Report. AIA 2030 firms participate in energy modeling and reporting to evaluate projects and track energy performance on a national level.

“Establishing firm-wide energy modeling and reporting processes has the potential to increase energy efficiency for all clients, not just those deliberately pursuing sustainability,” said Aimee Smith, a representative of D/P/S’s internal sustainability team. “As the effort progresses, we will step up our firm initiatives to help advance the culture of sustainability. This work is essential to provide the highest value designs to our clients.”

D/P/S has a long history of contributing to sustainable design in the Southwest, designing 47 LEED projects throughout the region. The firm’s headquarters building, Jefferson Green, was one of the first five LEED Gold certified, multi-tenant office buildings in the country. Other recent D/P/S projects making strides in energy savings include the third phase of University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, which will incorporate a chilled beam HVAC system and dynamic electrochromatic glazing, and Fort Yuma Health Center in Winterhaven, CA, which achieved maximum possible points under the LEED optimized energy performance credit.

AIA 2030 is a rapidly growing movement with 350 participants that includes commitments from small, midsize, and national firms. Find more information about the program and successes in the most recent AIA 2030 Report.