Sustainable Design Advisor

Perkins&Will • Bainbridge Island, WA

3d

About The Position

This role involves assisting in predesign and all design phases, implementing and managing sustainability across a range of building performance projects. This includes optimizing water and energy usage, incorporating high-quality daylight, reducing embodied carbon, and researching material health trends for occupant well-being in various facility types. The position requires conducting weather data analysis for passive design optimization, researching decarbonization strategies, performing Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) analysis, and presenting findings using data visualization tools. The advisor will also prepare technical content, advocate for sustainable strategies, collaborate with leadership to enhance design practices, and support sustainable design platforms. Key responsibilities include preparing building energy models, conducting Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), performing daylight and hygrothermal analyses, developing automated parametric optimization workflows, and conducting Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The role also involves internal QA/QC, modifying BIM models, providing expertise on energy efficiency measures, and guiding project teams in green-building certification systems like LEED, ILFI, LBC, WELL, Fitwel, and Net Zero Energy standards. Additionally, the position entails conducting benchmarking studies on embodied carbon and Energy Use Intensity (EUI), developing interactive platforms for data visualization, publishing educational research, and using data analytics to explore correlations between efficiency measures and energy/carbon reductions. A design strategy framework for high-performance and regenerative design goals will also be developed.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Architecture (5 year) or foreign equivalent plus 1 year of experience.
• Assisting in design phases to improve building performance resulting in low energy usage, high quality daylight incorporation, and reduced Embodied Carbon levels.
• Conducting weather data analysis to optimize passive design potential based on climate and building use to minimize building energy needs and maximize energy savings.
• Conducting research and outreach on decarbonization strategies using data from government and research institutions.
• Presenting data findings and recommendations using high-level data visualization tools.
• Assisting in advocating sustainable, regenerative, and energy efficient strategies through drawings and written documentation.
• Working closely with sustainable design leadership to enhance high-performance design practices and improve the quality and consistency of sustainable design deliverables.
• Guiding the transition from traditional sustainable design process and standalone environmental analysis practices into integrated design and analysis processes in collaborative work environments.
• Preparing building energy models using energy simulation software including OpenStudio or equivalents to evaluate heating loads, cooling loads and the building’s overall energy performance and prepare report for operational carbon footprints and help projects optimize their energy usage and become high-performing.
• Conducting whole building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis using programs including TallyLCA, or equivalents.
• Executing daylight analysis using Climate Studio and Honeybee to evaluate spatial daylight autonomy, annual sunlight exposure, and glare, and present findings to design teams.
• Providing design guidance for building envelop design like thermal resistance requirements for optimal performance, material assembly specification to reduce moisture transfer and collection and avoid mold generation inside the building envelop through performing hygrothermal analyses using tools like WUFI and THERM.
• Developing automated parametric optimization workflows in Grasshopper, integrating 3D modeling, environmental analysis, and evolutionary optimization algorithms.
• Conducting Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to assess indoor and outdoor comfort levels and ventilation strategies.
• Performing necessary modifications to Rhino models as energy modeling progresses, including facade alterations that improve energy performance and reduce carbon footprints.
• Providing expertise on energy efficiency measures across various domains, including lighting, HVAC, building envelopes, Plug & Process Loads (PPL).
• Preparing interactive platforms to visualize benchmarking results and enable design teams to explore efficiency metrics and data correlations in design strategies and project carbon footprint.
• Publishing educational research and knowledge articles that explain critical building science topics and providing easy implementable solution for improved building performance.
• Using data analytics methods and tools including data analytic packages to explore correlations between efficiency measures and energy and carbon reductions and generate data analytic reports.
• Developing design strategy framework to guide projects from early design stages to construction stages in achieving high-performance and regenerative design goals.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with scripting languages libraries including Matplotlib, Numpy, and Seaborn for data visualization.
• Experience with energy simulation software including IESVE, eQuest, Design Builder.
• Experience with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) programs including One Click, Athena, and EC3 tool.
• Experience with daylight analysis tools like Diva.
• Experience with hygrothermal analysis tools like THERM.
• Experience with Python, SQL, or C++ for automated parametric optimization workflows.
• Experience with Revit BIM models.
• Expertise on energy efficiency measures across service hot water, data centers, automation control systems, refrigeration, industrial processes, motors, and VFDs.
• Experience with third-party green-building certification and rating systems including ILFI, LBC, WELL, Fitwel, and Net Zero Energy standards.
• Experience with data analytics methods and tools including R, Tableau, or PowerBI.
• Experience with data analytic packages on Python.

Responsibilities

• Assist in predesign and all design phases, implementing and managing sustainability across expanding range of projects that relate to building high performance.
• Conduct weather data analysis to optimize passive design potential based on climate and building use to minimize building energy needs and maximize the energy savings.
• Conduct research and outreach on decarbonization strategies using data from government and research institutions.
• Perform Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) comparative analysis to support the selection of low-embodied carbon materials.
• Present data findings and recommendations to clients and design teams using high-level data visualization tools such as Power BI or preferably with scripting languages libraries including Matplotlib, Numpy, and Seaborn.
• Prepare technical content for sustainable design presentations, reports, and other client deliverables.
• Assist in advocating sustainable, regenerative, and energy efficient strategies through drawings and written documentation.
• Work closely with sustainable and regenerative design leadership to enhance high-performance design practices and improve the quality and consistency of sustainable design deliverables.
• Provide ongoing development and support for all sustainable design platforms and work closely with design and delivery leadership to guide the transition from traditional sustainable design process and standalone environmental analysis practices into integrated design and analysis processes in collaborative work environments.
• Prepare building energy models using energy simulation software including IESVE, eQuest, Design Builder, OpenStudio or equivalents to evaluate heating loads, cooling loads and the building’s overall energy performance and prepare report for operational carbon footprints and help projects optimize their energy usage and become high-performing.
• Conduct whole building Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis using programs including TallyLCA, One Click, Athena, or equivalents with addition of EC3 tool and present detailed reports and findings on embodied carbon of projects.
• Conduct building material research based on its environmental impacts and human health impacts to support design teams in selecting materials responsibly.
• Execute daylight analysis using Climate Studio, Honeybee, or Diva to evaluate spatial daylight autonomy, annual sunlight exposure, and glare, and present findings to design teams.
• Provide design guidance for building envelop design like thermal resistance requirements for optimal performance, material assembly specification to reduce moisture transfer and collection and avoid mold generation inside the building envelop through performing hygrothermal analyses using tools like WUFI and THERM.
• Develop automated parametric optimization workflows using Python, SQL, or C++ in Grasshopper, integrating 3D modeling, environmental analysis, and evolutionary optimization algorithms.
• Conduct Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to assess indoor and outdoor comfort levels and ventilation strategies.
• Provide internal QA/QC to ensure sustainability measures are effectively incorporated into projects and specifications.
• Perform necessary modifications to Revit BIM or Rhino models as energy modeling progresses, including facade alterations and updating material specifications that improve energy performance and reduce carbon footprints.
• Provide expertise on energy efficiency measures across various domains, including lighting, HVAC, service hot water, data centers, building envelopes, automation control systems, refrigeration, industrial processes, Plug & Process Loads (PPL), motors, and VFDs.
• Work with project managers and guide project teams in the compliance and delivery of third-party green-building certification and rating systems including LEED, ILFI, LBC, WELL, Fitwel, and Net Zero Energy standards.
• Conduct benchmarking studies on embodied carbon data across firm-wide projects and develop a structured framework to enhance future project performance in embodied carbon (EC) parameters.
• Develop a firm-wide, implementable Energy Use Intensity (EUI) matrix to optimize building performance across the firm’s project portfolio.
• Prepare interactive platforms to visualize benchmarking results and enable design teams to explore efficiency metrics and data correlations in design strategies and project carbon footprint.
• Publish firmwide educational research and knowledge articles that explain critical building science topics and provide easy implementable solution for improved building performance.
• Work with firm-wide projects' energy data repositories and use data analytics methods and tools including R, Tableau, or PowerBI or equivalent data analytic packages on Python to explore correlations between efficiency measures and energy and carbon reductions in the portfolio and generate data analytic reports.
• Develop design strategy framework to guide projects from early design stages to construction stages in achieving high-performance and regenerative design goals.

Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with qualifications.
• Culture that is diverse and inclusive.
• Fair, and competitive pay practices.
• Commitment to pay equity.
• Performance considerations for merit increases, job promotions, and transfer opportunities.
• Annual review of pay practices and pay equity audits.
• Manager training in pay practices.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level