Designing a New Building That Has a Carbon Neutral Footprint Is the Focus of ASHRAE’s 2020 Modeling Competition

Each year, the ASHRAE LowDown Showdown competition asks participating teams to take on a new challenge in building performance analysis, but the 2020 question of “How low can you go?” looks beyond energy use.  Taking a page from New York City’s groundbreaking new Climate Mobilization Act that requires building owners to reduce their carbon footprint, the 2020 LowDown Showdown challenges participants to design a new building that has a low carbon or carbon neutral footprint, according to John Bynum, chair of the LowDown Showdown sub-committee.

The 2020 LowDown Showdown model building will be located in New York City where participating teams will design a 300,000 square foot, 15 story mixed-use building located anywhere in the five boroughs. The building will contain retail space, residential space and a full-service restaurant.  The modeling competition engages teams comprised of building analysts, designers, architects and engineers in a collaborative and fun learning experience that explores new advances in building science, modeling and technology. Participants work as integrated teams to create effective workflows and an outstanding designs to address real-word building efficiency challenges.

Teams will be responsible for creating the architectural design and a performance analysis model based on model building data. They will present their projects and be judged by a panel of industry experts who will select the winners based on seven categories: Creativity, Innovative Approaches, Carbon Emissions, Workflow, Energy Use, Teamwork and Presentation.

Learn more at: http://www.ashrae.org/conferences/topical-conferences/2020-building-performance-analysis-conference-simbuild/2020-lowdown-showdown