As part of the recent AIA New Mexico convention, Edward Mazria, founder of the Architecture 2030 Challenge, delivered  a keynote on “Architecture on the Brink.”

Mazria said in working backward from the 2030 date, which was a data set by the scientific community, coal energy production will peak and phase out, then the world will get to where it needs to be to stabilize climate.

On an even more hopeful note, nearly 3/4 of the top 30 architecture and engineering firms in the world have adopted the 2030 targets, as have 41 percent of U.S. architecture firms.

In citing what would make design move forward with carbon neutral, Mazria offered changes in glazing, use of air conditioners, good construction, more efficient lighting, appliances, passive solar systems and photovoltaics.

It was not clear in his talk how this would take place, as currently building in the U.S. is not very active. Perhaps he was directing this toward retrofits and building in other nations.

The convention featured more than a dozen seminars on topics including Google SketchUp, innovative building systems and sustainable water systems. Tom Kundig, principal and co-owner of Olson Kundig Architects of Seattle, spoke about “kinetic architecture,” which he says refers to “architecture that can respond to whatever the existing conditions are, cultural or environmental.”