Led Professor Scott Bucking, the Community Design Lab focuses on developing tools and technologies which enable the development of net-zero energy communities. Net-zero energy communities satisfy a strategic need to reduce energy use intensity, integrate clean energy supplies and mitigate environmental impacts of the new and existing building stock, all while meeting expectations for human well-being and economic growth.

Research interests of the Lab include:

  1. optimization of net-zero community design
  2. development of building integrated photovoltaic technologies
  3. community rendering using video game engines
  4. building information model development to improve the interoperability of tools and better manage community assets throughout the entire building life-cycle.