John Quale Research

Carbon Neutral Design Initiative

2008-present
John Quale with Jim Wasley, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Mary Guzowski, University of Minnesota; Terri Boake Meyer, University of Waterloo
The Carbon Neutral Initiative is a research project to gather and disseminate best practices and strategies for practitioners and design educators to pursue carbon neutral design. It has been funded by the American Institute of Architects and others.

Comparing Environmental Impacts of On-Site Versus Off-Site Construction

2008-present
John Quale with Julie Zimmenman, Yale University?s School of Forestry and Environment; Paxton Marshall, of the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science; and Greg Sloditskie, Principal with MBS Consulting, Inc
This is phase one of a long-term research project to assess the comparative environmental impacts of on-site and off-site construction. The primary hypothesis for phase one is that the construction phase embodied energy and embodied water for a modular building will be lower than a comparable building constructed on-site. The research team will investigate the energy and water impacts for all aspects of the construction phase of the test buildings, including transportation for laborers and materials; energy used for lighting, heating, equipment and tools; and transportation of the modules to their permanent site. In addition to the primary hypothesis, the research team will formulate several others about potential differences in environmental impact for on-site and off-site construction. The team will use the interviews and data collection aspects of phase one process to clarify and refine these hypotheses, and establish methodologies for later phases.

ecoMOD

2004-present
John Quale with Paxton Marshall, School of Engineering and Applied Science
ecoMOD is an interdisciplinary research and design / build / evaluate project focused on sustainable, prefab housing for affordable housing organizations. Teams of UVA architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, planning, environmental science and business students and faculty are creating a series of prototypical housing units for low-income individuals.

UVA Solar Decathlon Project

2000-2002
John Quale with Paxton Marshall, School of Engineering and Applied Science
A national design/build house competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The UVA team won 1st Place in the Design & Livability and Energy Balance categories of the 2002 Decathlon and 2nd Place overall.