This year, the National Building Museum will present its 2021 Honor Award to global design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). For the first time in 36 years, and inspired by this year’s honoree, the Museum will transform the annual Honor Award into a Climate Change Call to Action, including weeks of provocative, expert-led online programming open to the public.
Starting on May 19, the Museum and SOM will co-host NBM Climate Action online programming, a weekly series of expert panel discussions exploring the building industry’s role in addressing the climate crisis:
May 19: Getting to Net Zero: Immediate Climate Action in Our Industry. The bold steps the industry needs to take, the potential for an all-electric future, and the opportunities that lie ahead on the path to net zero.
May 27: Climate Justice and Social Equity. How climate change and economic and social inequity are intertwined, and what actions the industry should take to address this.
June 3: “Green Innovation” as Savior? Rethinking Technology. The complex role of technology in achieving net zero and the importance of looking forward and backward for solutions to the climate crisis.
June 10: Investing in Our Future. The opportunities and challenges of green investing and the necessity of government action to spur the creation of green infrastructure.
For the first time since the annual Honor Award was launched, tickets to the event, as well as this year’s associated programming, are available to the general public. Visit NBMVirtual.org for programming information and event tickets and to learn more about sponsorship opportunities. Attendance to the Honor Award event and the NBM Climate Action programs is free for individual Museum members and students.