Welcome to the AIA NM COTE BLOG!
We are excited to introduce a new platform for sharing ideas, research, knowledge, and practical resources with our committee, New Mexico’s design community, and anyone interested in creating a more sustainable and resilient built environment.
In the coming months, we will explore issues and ideas connected to COTE NM’s core values and the AIA Framework for Design Excellence. Our goal is to make relevant information more accessible and create a resource that helps connect research, design, and action. We hope this blog becomes a place where ideas can be shared, explored, and applied to the unique challenges and opportunities we face in New Mexico.
Why a Blog?
There is no shortage of information related to sustainability, architecture, design, and environmental policy. Research, technologies, rating systems, regulations, and recommendations are constantly evolving. For design professionals and others interested in the built environment, the challenge is often not finding information, it is determining what is relevant, credible, and actually useful.
How do we sort through the overwhelming amount of information available? How do we identify what truly matters? And how do we translate research and data into practical strategies that can be applied to our work?
That is the purpose of this blog.
No single person can be an expert in every aspect of sustainable and environmental design. Instead, COTE NM will draw upon the breadth of knowledge, experience, and perspectives represented within our committee, while building upon research already being conducted by COTE NM and other trusted sources.
We will do the work of identifying relevant topics, reviewing available research, and helping organize complex information into a format that is accessible and useful. Each post will also provide additional resources and links for readers who want to explore a topic in greater depth.
Our goal is to provide information you can trust and apply to your work, your career, and the communities you serve.
How does this relate to New Mexico?
Every blog post we share will maintain a connection to New Mexico and the unique environmental, cultural, and design conditions of our region.
There is an incredible amount of research and information out there, but not all of it directly translates to the realities of the desert Southwest. Climate, water, energy, materials, culture, communities, and economic conditions all influence how we design and build in New Mexico. Our goal is to explore these broader issues while considering what they mean here.
Our topics will be guided by the 10 principles of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, providing a comprehensive framework for examining the relationship between design, environmental performance, resilience, health, equity, and community. These principles move beyond individual sustainability strategies and reinforce the broader responsibility of good
design in the 21st century.
Our work will also reflect the core values of COTE NM:
Learning and Knowledge
Environment Focused
Accessible
Design Excellence
COTE NM values shared knowledge and practical strategies that can help improve the environment in which we live. We strive to make this information accessible while always considering how knowledge can inform better design, build stronger communities, and provide a more resilient built environment throughout New Mexico.
What you can do!
As design professionals, it is our responsibility to remain informed and understand the implications of the decisions we make. Every project influences the people who occupy our buildings and the broader environment that surrounds them.
These decisions extend far beyond the appearance of a building. They include how we shape the outdoor environment, manage water and natural resources, select materials, reduce energy use, support occupant health and well-being, and design buildings that can perform under increasingly challenging climate conditions.
From landscaping and water management to building envelopes, energy systems, and resilience, design professionals must understand both current standards and emerging research. More importantly, we must understand how to apply that knowledge to create better outcomes. The built environment has a significant impact on our communities and our natural environment. While no project can solve every challenge, informed design decisions can collectively make a meaningful difference.
This blog is intended to support that effort by helping connect information to implementation. Our goal is not simply to discuss sustainability and environmental design, but to explore practical ideas and strategies that can be understood, evaluated, and applied.
By continuing to learn, share knowledge, and question how we approach design, we can continue moving toward better outcomes.
AIA NM COTE Perspective
We hope this blog becomes a living and evolving resource for New Mexico’s design community and beyond.
Research, technology, standards, and best practices are constantly changing. COTE NM’s goal is to provide relevant, accurate, and useful information in a single accessible place while maintaining a clear connection to the conditions and challenges that shape our work in New Mexico.
This blog will be developed through the collective efforts of COTE NM members representing a range of backgrounds, experiences, and areas of expertise. That diversity of perspective is one of our greatest strengths.
We hope you find this resource informative, accessible, and useful, and that it encourages new conversations about how we can continue improving the places and communities we design.
Join Us!
COTE NM is excited to create a space for sharing practical, accessible, and New Mexico-focused information about sustainability, environmental design, and the built environment. We look forward to exploring ideas that can be applied to everyday work while continuing to elevate the importance of thoughtful and responsible design.
But we cannot do this alone.
If you are conducting research, exploring an important topic, or have an article or idea you would like to share, we want to hear from you. This is a collaborative effort to elevate design in New Mexico, and we invite you to be part of the conversation. Membership to the AIA NM COTE is always free!
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