BIM Chapters: EDRA Here We Come (again) - 2025 Nova Scotia

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

EDRA Here We Come (again) - 2025 Nova Scotia - Design for Climate Change

I am excited to share that Lake|Flato will be presenting (again) at the Environmental Design and Research Association (EDRA) conference. We will be sharing recently published work on designing for climate change.

keep reading to learn more...

This is the 56th event and will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, this year. Lake|Flato is a corporate member/sponsor alongside several other great design firms that actively engage in research.

What is EDRA:

"The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) is an international, interdisciplinary organization founded in 1968 by design professionals, social scientists, students, educators, and facility managers. EDRA came into being in the 1960s, during a period of social awareness and social unrest, but also new horizons and new visions. True to its origins, EDRA continues to believe in an agenda of social responsibility that has grown from a barely perceptible idea to a more fully-formed vision for healthier, more democratic human environments."

Matt Cooper will present his latest published paper: The Future Ain't What it Used To Be - Designing for a Changed Climate. Click here to read it.

Matt, Kate Sector, and Ben Hartigan developed this paper through Lake|Flato's Investigations program, which I lead. Click image to enlarge.

The paper includes case studies, tips on communicating climate risks with clients, and preventative and passive survivability design strategies for various regional disasters. You will also find a plethora of linked resources, including the AIA Resilience Design Toolkit (which I am listed in the credits as a reviewer:)).

Here is a small expert from the Wildfires section, which includes many of the tactics being discussed, shared, and promoted by design professionals online after the catastrophic wildfires in California.

Here are a couple photos of the team presenting their work to the office (Matt and Kate are in-person, and Ben is remote and lives in Boston).

Below are two photos from the EDRA54 event in Mexico City two years ago. If you have never attended EDRA, and are generally interested in architectural-focused research and design, I highly recommend you check it out!