Toward A National Academy of Environmental Design
An Interview with Michael Monti
Blueprints Fall 2008
Volume XXVI, No. 4
The National Academies consist of four agencies—the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Research Council (NRC), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM)—whose collective mission is to advise the government and the public on scientific and technical issues. Recently, a coalition of nonprofit organizations representing various architecture and design disciplines formally proposed the creation of a fifth academy—a National Academy of Environmental Design (NAED). Under the leadership of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the coalition is working to build support for the new agency among design professionals, educators, and members of the existing National Academies. For more information, visit NAEDonline.org
Following is an edited transcription of an interview with Michael Monti, Ph.D., executive director of ACSA, about the proposed new academy.
Martin Moeller: When were the National Academies established, and how do they operate?
Michael Monti: The existing National Academies were established in times of crisis for this country. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was created in 1863 during the Civil War; the National Research Council (NRC) was created in 1916, during the First World War; the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) was created in 1964, amid the Space Race; and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) was created in 1970 at the height of the public health movement and the growing war against cancer. These were particular times when the nation needed coordinated efforts on challenging issues, so each academy was created and then expanded as the need for its area of expertise grew.
The academies are private, nonprofit organizations, though most of the research they conduct is done at the request of the government. Each does its own work, although the National Research Council is the operating arm—it gets grants and contracts from the government to do research and produce reports, while members of the other branches serve as expert resources for the NRC.Moeller: How did the idea for a National Academy for Environmental Design arise?
Monti: It was Kim Tanzer [an architect and professor at the University of Florida] who initiated it as she was assuming the presidency of ACSA in 2007. She took the idea to various architectural organizations, and they gave it their support, so then we approached organizations representing other, related disciplines, and their responses were also enthusiastic.
The rationale for the initiative was two-fold: First, there was a desire to compensate for the absence of the environmental design disciplines from the current National Academies; second, there was a perceived need for a multi-disciplinary effort to address climate-change issues.
Moeller: So is it fair to say that the environmental crisis is the root of this initiative?
Monti: We do have to make it clear that this is not only about sustainability, but it is the hook, if you will, to demonstrate the serious need for this effort. I think the design professions provide a valued service to society. That is what makes them professions. The NAED will allow an even higher level of contribution. This initiative is a response to the ethical imperative that comes with the professions.
But yes, it’s fair to say that the concern about the ongoing health of our planet served as the immediate impetus. The built environment produces nearly 75 percent of greenhouse gases; buildings are responsible for nearly 50 percent of all energy consumption. The various environmental design disciplines are all committed to sustainability issues, but there hasn’t been one overarching organization capable of coordinating efforts in that regard. NAED will fill that need.
Another argument we have made about the need for the NAED is that the research and knowledge base for environmental design disciplines is still at an early stage of development. We are in the same position that the engineering disciplines were at the time of the formation of the National Academy of Engineering. Now engineering’s knowledge base has greatly expanded. We think architecture and related disciplines are making progress in developing knowledge-based design. There are great opportunities for growth and improvement.
Moeller: In what ways might the NAED differ from the other academies?
Monti: We will strive to be more nimble than the existing National Academies. I don’t mean that as a criticism of the other groups—it’s just that there is a need for more immediate solutions on environmental issues. We have heard complaints that many things [at the existing academies] are held up in peer review. We are going to try to have a sleek operating structure and to focus our efforts on providing unbiased, accurate
recommendations on policy issues and professional practice issues—things that governments can use and things that our constituents in the design disciplines can use.
Moeller: Why an academy of environmental design, rather than just architecture?
Monti: I think it reflects a trend happening in academic and professional circles. No single discipline “owns” the complete knowledge base to support the kinds of solutions that are needed to stem global warming and address similar challenges. Greenhouse gas issues and sustainable development problems are increasingly complex. We need good thinkers from various areas of expertise to solve them.
Moeller: What direct benefits might the NAED offer to the design and construction industries?
Monti: Over a period of five to ten years, we hope to develop a knowledge base similar to that used by medicine or engineering—a base that design professionals can draw from as they implement their projects. Design professionals and firms can look to the NAED for summary reports
and analytic information that connects existing research and knowledge that is already out there, making it available
for their use.
Moeller: What steps is the group taking now to ensure steady progress toward the formal establishment of the NAED?
Monti: We are in the process of incorporating as a nonprofit organization and starting our work. One of our first tasks is to create a set of research sections, organized by subject area rather than by discipline.
We are also putting together five research symposia this fall at universities across the country. For these, we are gathering people working at the highest levels of research to present relevant findings and to begin making connections across disciplines. We have also begun work on an advocacy agenda, but that is less of a priority until we get a governance structure and research sections going.
So as you can see, we are moving ahead. We are not going to wait around and knock politely to be let in. The environmental crisis is at such a point that we simply cannot wait. •
