Teaching Carbon Neutral Design in North America : Twenty Award-winning Architectural Design Studio Methodologies

This book brings to light a diverse range of innovative architectural design studio methodologies formulated to educate future graduates to combat the climate crisis through carbon neutral design.

Award-winning professors detail tried-and-tested studio methodologies, outlining their philosophical rationale, the role of precedent study, design concept and professional partnerships, the approach to analytics and software design development, required readings, assignment and student work examples, and anticipated future innovation. Chapters are grouped under varying focal points including community empowerment, bioclimatic response, performance analytics, design build, and urban scale, all adopting a holistic view of sustainable design that incorporates technical challenges as well as those of equity and social justice.

This heterogeneous compilation of strategies encourages wide accessibility to and acceptance by studio professors, as well as administrators and faculty developing architecture curricula. This will, in turn, maximize the impact on curtailing carbon emissions resulting from the construction and operations of our built environment.

Robin Z. Puttock, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP is an assistant professor at Kennesaw State University and a practicing architect with 20 years of professional, national award-winning, sustainable design experience. Robin’s research focuses on the pedagogy related to the built environment’s role in both carbon neutrality and human well-being, with an emphasis on the connection between academia and the allied professions. She is the project architect of many LEED certified buildings and the first US Department of Education Green Ribbon School recognized by President Barack Obama and the US Department of Education. Robin serves as the 2025 chair of the National AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Leadership Group.