The DaS Symposium at COFES 2009
April 17-18, 2009
Scottsdale, Arizona
The Design and Sustainability Symposium: Exploring the intersection of design, simulation, and sustainability for the built (AEC) and manufactured environment.
COFES is a unique gathering of individuals from companies representing a wide variety of industry sectors, each with significant interest in software used to design the world around us. The DaS Symposium exists within that community to focus on how design software can facilitate the visibility of sustainability issues at the design stage. The goal of the DaS Symposium is to raise the issues that need to be addressed and to identify areas of common ground that may be best served by collaborative, rather than competitive solutions.
The DaS Symposium will explore how different sectors are facing the sustainability challenge and discuss areas of common ground. The urgency of compliance and certification in the AEC world (LEED, 2030 Challenge, etc.) and manufacturing world (ELV, REACH, etc.) are two of the drivers behind an increasing need for a tight feedback loop between software and designers at the earliest stages of design.
Founding members of The DaS Symposium include Autodesk, Building Smart Alliance, CIFE, Cyon Research, Gensler, Phoenix Integration, PTC, Siemens, SolidWorks, and Sustainable Minds.
The DaS Symposium includes the following discussion segments, imbedded in the COFES agenda cofes.com/2009/agenda
Kickoff; "Compression"
Opening presentation and introduction of the concept of "Compression," followed by an interactive discussion. Attendees are requested to view Ken Hall's presentation from COFES 2008: cofes.com/2008/kenhall prior to the symposium.
Integrating Sustainability into the Design Process
Starting with presentations on tools for integrating sustainability into the design process, we follow with an exploratory discussion about the emerging "sustainability performance software" sector and opportunities for joint action.
The Role of the Engineering Software Provider in Sustainability
Starting with two brief presentations on software vendors' sustainability programs, we follow with a brainstorming session on the opportunities for action.
Simulation for Sustainability
Presentations on both building energy and city-scale simulations, followed by exploratory discussion on how to scale-up solutions worldwide, and opportunities for action.
Common Ground
Brainstorming discussion. Exploration of oppotunites for collaboration among vendors. Opportunities for leadership in expanding customer awareness and removal of roadblocks.
The Sustainability Challenge
Brainstorming roundtable exploring the systemic issues and challenges we face in achieving sustainability.
Common Ground for Leadership in Sustainability
Brainstorming. Goal 1: Synthesizing opportunities for common ground. How can the software community work together to deliver tools that entice customers to design in a more consciously sustainable manner? Goal 2: Identify specific actions we might choose to take, either as individuals, as firms, or jointly among firms, with particular attention paid to opportunities for leadership. Brainstorming to synthesize the opportunities for common ground for the software community to work towards delivering to its customers, tools that entice them to design in a more consciously sustainable manner; a vision of a sustainable future, and the specific actions we might choose to engage in.