International Living Future Institute’s (ILFI’s) JUST program provides socially just and equitable organizations with voluntary disclosure tool, resulting in a two-year certification and ‘nutrition’ label.  Since 2017, SDC has participated in the JUST program to both disclose and optimize its policies that improve social equity, while enhancing employee engagement. 

After four consecutive JUST labels, three of which utilizing JUST v2.0, SDC has now been labeled under JUST v3.0, reflecting the program’s updated criteria and SDC’s updated performance measured against those criteria.

Green building rating systems recognize the contribution of JUST labeling toward earning the Social Equity within the Project Team Pilot Credit under LEED v4, the Social Responsibility Report Project Priority Credit under LEED v5 and Imperative 18 Inclusion under ILFI’s own Living Building Challenge program.

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our new officemate, Viridiant, at our Richmond location!

Through more than 23 years in practice, SDC has been known as a leader in green building consulting for commercial-scale projects across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond, including a strong portfolio in multi-unit residential development using LEED, Green Globes, ENERGY STAR, Enterprise Green Communities, and other green building certification systems.

Between 2006 and 2014, SDC’s founder, Sandra Leibowitz, served also as a founding Board of Directors member for the Richmond-based not-for-profit organization known then as EarthCraft Virginia.  Rebranded since then as Viridiant, and having evolved from its certification roots into a broader building science and technical services organization, this organization specializes in creating healthy, energy-efficient, and resilient homes and buildings, focusing on single-family as well as, low-and mid-rise residential construction in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

The co-location of our distinct yet complementary entities under one roof opens up exciting opportunities for collaboration, including SDC relaunching EarthCraft certification process management services!  We look forward to more areas of alignment with Viridiant as we work together towards our shared mission of enhancing the sustainability of our built environment.

On November 7, at Architecture Exchange East in Richmond, SDC’s Luis Huertas presents ‘Fort Bradshaw LBC Certification – Challenges and Lessons’ and SDC co-sponsors the building tours!  SDC projects on tour include SMBW‘s Virginia Public Media Headquarters and Baskervill’s two new Richmond community centers: Luck’s Field and T.B. Smith. Will we see you there?

All images copyright Sustainable Design Consulting, LLC

Earlier this month, SDC’s Kara Strong and Brendan Collier presented ‘Designing for Low-Carbon Buildings’ at DesignDC. Miss it? They’ve now distilled it down to this summary on using life-cycle assessments (LCAs) . . .

. . . to reduce embodied carbon
As buildings become more energy-efficient, embodied carbon plays an increasingly significant role in how buildings contribute to climate change. Embodied carbon refers to greenhouse gases associated with the production and use of building materials. By 2030, experts project that embodied carbon will be responsible for the majority of the carbon emissions associated with global new building and infrastructure.

Re-using existing buildings is the best strategy for reducing the embodied carbon inherent in construction. When new construction is necessary, LCAs allow design teams to determine the potential environmental impacts of the materials used in building construction.

LCAs begin by identifying the quantity of each material used in the project. For each material, its total quantity or weight is multiplied by its environmental impacts. The sum of these impacts determines the building’s overall LCA. While LCAs include the impacts across multiple categories of concern, most project teams focus on global warming potential (GWP), also known as embodied carbon.

. . . to reduce the embodied carbon of structural materials
LCAs demonstrate that the structural system is responsible for the greatest environmental impact, as they represent the greatest quantity (by mass) of materials in the project. Therefore, to significantly reduce the embodied carbon in new construction, teams should focus on low-carbon structural systems. When specifying steel, concrete, or wood, focus on construction processes with the lowest carbon impacts.

In the Washington, DC area, concrete is the greatest single contributor to the embodied carbon of buildings. Clinker, the main component of cement, is produced by heating limestone at high temperatures and produces large amounts of CO₂ per ton. Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are added to concrete to partially replace Portland cement in ready-mix concrete, enhancing its properties and reducing its carbon footprint. Common SCMs include Type 1L, or raw limestone, fly ash, a waste byproduct of coal power plans, blast furnace slag, a waste byproduct of steelmaking, and ground glass pozzolan, created from recycled glass.

. . . as a design tool
To reduce the embodied carbon of building materials beyond selecting ‘better’ materials, LCAs can be used to study the potential environmental benefits of design and structural decisions. The earlier the studies, the more opportunities to greatly reduce the embodied carbon of the project. When new construction is necessary, architects should coordinate with the owner to reduce the size of the project as much as possible: by looking for redundancies in the program, including multi-functional spaces, etc.

After reducing the new construction requirements, structural engineers are key for further embodied carbon reductions. They can both develop structural systems that incorporate alternative building materials and can also consider systems that reduce the overall amount of material needed, often by strengthening design components. In both cases, LCAs will confirm which strategy will provide the project with the lowest carbon footprint.

Earlier this year, SDC soft-launched its Sustainable Asset Management service line. Complementing our proven track record of LEED for Operations + Maintenance certification and related guidance, these new and expanded services focus on identifying, optimizing, and measuring sustainable operations within existing buildings and draw upon the experience brought in by our newest team members. SDC’s Sustainable Asset Management services currently center around the following:

• ASHRAE Level I & II Energy Audits
• ESG & GHG Emission Assessments
• Climate Risk & Mitigation Assessments
• Renewable Energy Feasibility Studies
• Sustainable Operations Assessments
• Utility Analysis & Related Services
• Waste Audits & Zero Waste Strategies

SDC understands that existing building owners face mounting pressure to improve economic and environmental performance. Our Sustainable Asset Management services not only optimize operational costs; they also demonstrate environmental and social responsibility to offer organizations long-term, competitive advantages.

SDC’s interdisciplinary team of professionals offers decades of combined experience and passion for sustainable built environments. We increased these capabilities in early 2025 through the strategic hires of the following new members of our Richmond, Virginia team to lead the delivery of the new Sustainable Asset Management service line:

• Emmanuel Hales, Senior Associate, Business Operations: Emmanuel is a sustainability business leader with more than 25 years of experience in operations management, corporate sustainability, and energy services. With a passion for driving organizational growth and implementing impactful ESG strategies, Emmanuel oversees business operations for SDC, while also spearheading our Sustainable Asset Management services.
• Tamara Rykal, Senior Consultant, Energy Engineering: Tamara is a dedicated environmental scientist and systems engineer who is passionate about sustainability, energy efficiency, and leveraging technology to create measurable improvements in environmental practices. A Certified Energy Manager, Tamara’s expertise includes conducting energy audits and sustainability assessments.
• Brandon Bate, Senior Consultant, Building Performance: Brandon’s expertise spans project management, business development, and energy and sustainability consulting. His sharp analytical skills and ability to identify utility-saving opportunities have consistently translated into measurable results.

Learn more about SDC’s evolving Sustainable Asset Management services here.

SDC is honored to be featured by USGBC+ in an article entitled Community Impact: Organizations Making a Difference!

Writes author Rebecca Emanuelsen, “The U.S. Local Market Leadership Awards at USGBC recognize projects, people and partners for excellence in creating better buildings and improving their local communities. Determined by members of the volunteer local Market Leadership Advisory Boards, organizations recognized with Community Impact Awards are selected for their green leadership and how they support USGBC’s mission of advancing goals like sustainability, resilience, human impact and well-being. . . . Organizations honored with 2024 Community Impact Awards include . . . Sustainable Design Consulting, LLC. All award recipients are making a tangible difference in their communities.” 

Included in this article are stories about SDC’s USGBC award-winning LEED projects GWU Thurston Hall Renovation in Washington, DC, VIMS Acuff Center for Aquaculture in Gloucester Point, Virginia, and Rock Creek School in Frederick County, Maryland.  Also included are descriptions of some SDC community-based activities along with quotes by SDC Team members, Brendan Collier, Sandra Leibowitz, and Celeste Garrett.  SDC thanks USGBC+ for the opportunity to share our community impact story!

Read the full USGBC+ article here.