February 29, 2008—The Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ), a knowledge community within the American Institute of Architects (AIA) that focuses on the planning, design, and delivery of justice architecture, has established a Sustainable Justice Committee. The group will be co-chaired by Susan K. Oldroyd, AIA, LEED AP, committee chair and Ken Ricci, FAIA.
The purpose of the committee is to promote and support sustainability in the planning, design, and construction of law and justice facilities. To this end, the committee plans to publish a guide to sustainable justice and propose a LEED-J (LEED for Justice) rating system to the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
“We would like to see designers, government decision-makers and the USGBC acknowledge the systemic nature of sustainability, especially as it relates to justice facilities,” said Mr. Ricci. “By looking at the larger justice system and by developing innovative interventions that do not require a facility response, but rather a management response, we can begin the quest for sustainable justice. For example, government officials can reduce the building footprint by adopting a new perspective, asking themselves not how large their new jail should be, but how small it can be without compromising public safety.”
