Architecture in 2030

PROBLEM:THE BUILDING SECTOR.

  *Why?
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Buildings Consume More Energy Than Any Other Sector

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the Building Sector consumes nearly half (49%) of all energy produced in the United States. [1] Seventy-seven percent (77%) of all the electricity produced in the U.S. is used just to operate buildings. Globally, these percentages are even greater.


Buildings are the Largest Contributor to Climate Change

With so much attention given to transportation emissions, many people are surprised to learn this fact. In truth, the Building Sector was responsible for nearly half (46.9%) of U.S. CO₂ emissions in 2009. By comparison, transportation accounted for 33.5% of CO₂ emissions and industry just 19.6%.

The Health of the Economy is Tied to the Building Sector

The nation’s economy hinges on a healthy Building Sector. The building sector touches nearly every industry (from steel, insulation, and caulking to mechanical and electrical equipment, glass, wood, metals, tile, fabrics and paint) across all sectors of the U.S. economy (from architecture, planning, design, engineering, banking, and development to manufacturing, construction, wholesale, retail, and distribution).

Today, the Building Sector is in crisis. Foreclosures continue to rise and housing starts plummet. As of June 2010, over two million construction workers have lost their jobs. In the commercial real estate market, we have only just begun to feel the effects of the $1.4 trillion commercial real estate meltdown underway.