Same Reactions, Different Platform
The notion of change management is critical to incorporating research into practice; and the previously described emotions are a direct result of human nature being confronted with change. Whether it’s a new tool (like the EC3 tool or our own SPEED tool), a process (like the Design Space Construction framework), or knowledge collateral (like our Transparency portal), there is always going to be initial uncertainty on when it makes sense for a project team to incorporate it into the design process. The question of “how to incorporate THIS” will always remain. The EC3 tool, much like other products of our various research labs, have a diverse group of end users with the potential to reach across all our different practice areas. Whether it’s applying thought leadership, incorporating new knowledge, or employing a tool that’s meant to help quantify embodied carbon, the business of simplification is ironically very complex.
What drew me to the EC3 tool is the amount of academic rigor that has gone into the development of the tool’s credibility. The Carbon Leadership Forum has done an exceptional job of casting a wide net of lead collaborators and industry partners and reached out to experts in various University of Washington departments for input to ensure the tool’s methodology is credible. The tool’s data sources are verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPD’s), but the methodology to uniformly address data uncertainty and variability is the heartbeat that gives the tool life (in addition to the user interface). I’m not only inspired by this collaborative approach, but I believe in this tool because of its rigor. This is not unlike the feeling I have with our own Perkins&Will Research Labs. We rely on a combination of evidence-based research, literature reviews, iterative processes, and peer-review validation which comprise the rigor behind our research ecosystem.
Oftentimes, tools created with the intent of making things easier are perceived as hurdles. Questions arise such as, ‘How do you incorporate your research hours into your workplan?’ Or, ‘How do you raise these questions, tools and process with your project teams and clients?’ And most importantly, there is often a fear that including research steps in your process will prolong or delay your schedule. On the flipside, there’s also an eagerness to include these tools to improve our designs, and exhibit thought leadership. I see people grappling with how to execute new research effectively; and I get the sense that the launch of the EC3 tool won’t be any different. The beauty of discovering that we’re all struggling together, is that it makes for a great team building scenario. For an effort that is truly breaking down silos in our AEC industry and fostering partnerships amongst companies that are often seen as competitors, it is great to see this type of effort for the greater good. The complete carbon story needs to be understood and told by our design teams, collaborators, and clients. People are used to doing things in their own way, but now is the time to embrace change and disrupt the status quo.
