On Monday, the grassroots coalition Architects Advocate, spearheaded by Chicago-based Krueck + Sexton Architects, published an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump asking for his support of the design industry’s commitment to addressing climate change.

Signed by 276 architecture and building-industry firms across 24 states, the letter proposes three actions to tackle climate change: investing in a U.S. economy that is powered by renewable energy; resisting the influence of special-interest money to create a level playing field for renewable energy technologies such that their subsidies are equal to the obscure but significant subsidies that the fossil-fuel and nuclear-energy industries receive—or eliminating all subsidies for any energy source; and re-affirming the United States’ participation in the Paris climate agreement. The letter also invites Trump “to join our commitment to developing healthy and prosperous communities, and to designing and building the great America that future generations deserve.”

“[I]nvesting in a low-carbon U.S. economy…is a win–win for businesses, people, and the environment alike,” said signatory Mark Loeffler, a New Haven, Conn.–based director at environmental design consulting and engineering firm Atelier Ten in Architects Advocate’s press release, adding that it is the best way “to create jobs in urban and rural communities”—touching upon one of Trump’s many pledges made during his campaign. “The consensus about needed action on climate change among design industry professionals is overwhelming,” Loeffler continued, “and the general public supports such actions with significant majorities across party lines as well. We are not being political by speaking out—we are acting in the best interest of every American, present and future, and are inviting the President-elect to join us moving forward.”

Architects Advocate is open to any firm or organization that is interested in “enacting meaningful legislation to mitigate climate change,” said Krueck + Sexton principal Tom Jacobs, AIA, in his December 2016 interview with ARCHITECT. For its next steps, the coalition plans to reach out to local and regional elected officials, and hold public forums to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with climate change.

Read Architects Advocate’s full letter to Trump below.

January 16, 2017

President-elect Trump,

As American architects, we are dedicated to creating healthy, productive, and safe communities for all. We are committed to doing so in a way that is economically viable, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable. In these communities, families and businesses thrive.

Throughout our great history we have always depended on the natural environment. It has nurtured us and has enabled vast freedom, growth, innovation, and profit. Today we are already experiencing the potentially irreversible negative impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. American prosperity is at risk. Our children and grandchildren face the real possibility of our country and world in turmoil.

Because buildings alone account for almost 40% of total U.S. energy use and 72% percent of U.S. electricity use, America’s architects are on the front line addressing climate change in a meaningful way. Action on climate change is supported across party lines by significant majorities of Americans, including the military and leaders of industry, faith, science, and education.

By taking decisive action now we all can be remembered as historic and courageous actors who helped secure humanity’s future. We can turn our climate challenge into an unrivaled economic opportunity that creates desirable and healthy jobs in rural and urban communities alike.

All Americans win if:
We invest in a clean and competitive U.S. economy that is powered by renewable energy through cost-effective and innovative solutions. This creates jobs and lowers the costs of living and doing business.
We stand up to the influence of special interest money in politics to create a truly level playing field. Subsidies for renewable energy technologies should be equal to the many hidden and costly subsidies that support fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Alternatively, all subsidies across all energy sources should be removed in their entirety.
We re-affirm America’s commitment to addressing climate change through the continued participation in the historic Paris Climate Agreement.

We invite you to join our commitment to developing healthy and prosperous communities, and to designing and building the great America that future generations deserve.

Together, we can ensure our children and grandchildren will remember us with pride.

Signed,
229 Architecture Firms
24 Landscape Architecture Firms
21 Design + Consulting Industry Firms
2 Organizations

Architecture Firms:
agps architecture, Los Angeles CA
AIM Associates, Petaluma CA
Alchemy Architects, St. Paul MN
Alima Silverman Architect, Santa Rosa CA
AltusWorks, Chicago IL
Anderson Krygier, Inc., Portland OR
Angela Klein Architect, Alameda CA
Ankrom Moisan Architects, Portland OR
Anthony Belluschi FAIA Consulting Architect, Portland OR
Antunovich Associates, Chicago IL
Archimage Architects, Ltd., Chicago IL
archimania, Memphis TN
architect’s office, San Francisco CA
Architecture Is Fun, Inc., Chicago IL
architecture+, Troy NY
ARExA, New York NY
Bailey Edward Design, Inc., Chicago IL
Bassetti Architects, Seattle WA
Bauer Latoza Studio, Chicago IL
beta-field, Charlottesville VA
Bisbee Architecture + Design, Santa Rosa CA
bKL Architecture, Chicago IL
Blue Truck, Inc., San Francisco CA
BNIM, Des Moines IA
Booth Hansen, Chicago IL
Bora Architects, Portland OR
Boyer Architects LLC, Evanston IL
Brewer Studio Architects, Sebastopol CA
Brininstool + Lynch, Ltd., Chicago IL
Brooks + Scarpa, Los Angeles CA
Brubaker Design, Chicago IL
Brush Architects, LLC, Chicago IL
building Lab, Emeryville CA
Burhani Design Architects, Chicago IL
CAMESgibson, Chicago IL
Caples Jefferson Architects, Long Island City NY
Carlo Parente Architect, Chicago IL
CaVA Architects, LLP, Philadelphia PA
Charles Pipal, AIA, Riverside IL
Chen & Associates, A+E, Sebastopol CA
Chris Binger Architect, San Diego CA
Christoper Strom Architects, St Louis Park MN
Circle West Architects, Phoenix AZ
Circo Architects, Inc., Riverside IL
Constantine D. Vasilios & Associates Ltd, Chicago IL
Cook Architectural Design Studio, Chicago IL
Cordogan Clark & Associates, Chicago IL
Dan Miller Architects Ltd., Chicago IL
David Crabbe Architect, San Carlos CA
David Fleener Architects, Chicago IL
Deam + Dine, Sausalito CA
Deanna Berman Design Alternatives, Chicago IL
Deborah Berke Partners, New York NY
Design Smak, Evanston IL
Design Team, LLC, Highland Park IL
Design2 LAST, Inc., Edmonds WA
Dev Architects, Woodside CA
Dilworth Eliot Studio, San Francisco CA
Dirk Denison Architects, Chicago IL
DOES Architecture, San Francisco CA
Dragani Martone Studio, LLP, Philadelphia PA
DRIFT-Design, Oakland CA
DSGN Associates, Dallas TX
Duvivier Architects, Venice CA
Dwyer/Oglesbay, Minneapolis MN
Eastlake Studio, Chicago IL
Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, Chicago IL
Ellipsis Architecture, Chicago IL
emar Studio for Public Architecture, Culver City CA
Environ Architecture, Inc., Long Beach CA
Equinox Design, Sebastopol CA
EQUINOX Design and Development, Windsor CA
Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, New Orleans LA
Farr Associates, Chicago IL
Feldman Architecture, San Francisco CA
Fiona E. O’Neill, Architect, The Sea Ranch CA
Fletcher Studio, San Francisco CA
Fougeron Architecture, San Francisco CA
Frank Zilm & Associates, Inc., Kansas City MO
GEMMILL DESIGN Architectural Studio, San Francisco CA
General Architecture Collaborative, Syracuse NY
Gerhard Zinserling Architects, Chicago IL
Gray Organschi Architecture, New Haven CT
Greater Good Studio, Chicago IL
Green Building Architects, Petaluma CA
Hacker Architects, Portland OR
Handel Architects LLP, New York NY
Harboe Architects, Chicago IL
Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, Chicago IL
Heidrun Hoppe Associates, Evanston IL
Heitzman Architects, Oak Park IL
Herman Coliver Locus Architecture, San Francisco CA
Holbert and Associates, Architects, Chicago IL
HouseHaus, Chicago IL
HPZS, Chicago IL
husARchitecture Inc., Chicago IL
Huth Architects, Newton MA
Ibañez Architecture, Fort Worth TX
Imai Keller Moore Architects, Watertown MA
INVISION planning | architecture | interiors, Waterloo IA
JAHN, LLC, Chicago IL
JAMTGÅRDESIGN, San Francisco CA
JDD-Architects, Chicago IL
JGMA, Chicago IL
Jones Design Studio, PLLC, Tulsa OK
jones | haydu, San Francisco CA
Jones Studio, Tempe AZ
Jurassic Studio, Chicago IL
Kaplan Architects, San Francisco CA
Katherine Austin, AIA, Architect, Bend OR
Kathleen Hallahan, Architect, San Diego CA
Kathryn Quinn Architects, Ltd., Chicago IL
Kipnis Architecture + Planning, Chicago IL
Klara Valent Interiors, Tucson AZ
Klopf Architecture, San Francisco CA
Klopfer Martin Design Group, Boston MA
Krueck+Sexton Architects, Chicago IL
Kuklinski+Rappe Architects, Chicago IL
Kupiec Architects PC, Santa Barbara CA
Kuth Ranieri Architects, San Francisco CA
lab practices, Syracuse NY
Lake|Flato Architects, San Antonio TX
Lance Jay Brown Architecture + Urban Design, New York NY
Landon Bone Baker Architects Ltd., Chicago IL
Latent Design, Chicago IL
Lawton Stanley Architects, Chicago IL
LEDDY MAYTUM STACY Architects, San Francisco CA
Leers Weinzapfel Associates, Boston MA
Legat Architects, Chicago IL
Liv Companies, Burr Ridge IL
Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects, Los Angeles CA
Lucy C. Williams, Architect, St. Louis MO
Lundberg Design, San Francisco CA
Marble Fairbanks Architects, Brooklyn NY
Marilyn Standley, Architect, Sebastopol CA
Mark English Architects, San Francisco CA
Marlon Blackwell Architects, Fayetteville AR
MAS Studio, Chicago IL
Merryman Barnes Architects, Inc., Portland OR
Michael Hennessey Architecture, San Francisco CA
Mitchell Garman Architects, Dallas TX
Mithun, San Francisco CA
Morgante Wilson Architects, Evanston IL
Morse and Cleaver Architects, Sebastopol CA
moss, Chicago IL
MRSA Architects, Chicago IL
MSR Design, Minneapolis MN
MW Steele Group Inc., San Diego CA
MX3 ARCHITECTS, Chicago IL
NADAAA, Boston MA
NEEDBASED, Santa Fe NM
Nicholas Design Collaborative, Chicago IL
Norman Kelley, Chicago IL
Northlight Architects LLC, Chicago IL
Nushu, LLC, Chicago IL
OKW Architects, Inc., Chicago IL
Opsis Architecture, Portland OR
Page, Austin TX
Pappageorge Haymes Partners, Chicago IL
Patricia K. Emmons Architecture & Fine Art, Seattle WA
Paul Preissner Architects, Chicago IL
Paulett Taggart Architects, San Francisco CA
Payette, Boston MA
PLACE, Portland OR
Propel Studio, Portland OR
Public Design Architects, Oak Park IL
RATIO Architects, Indianapolis IN
(r)evolution architecture, LaGrange IL
Risinger + Associates, Inc., Chicago IL
River Architects, Cold Spring NY
RL Dooley Architect, PLLC, Bremerton WA
RNT Architects, San Diego CA
Rockford Architects Inc., Rockford IL
Rockwell Associates Architects, Evanston IL
Ross Barney Architects, Chicago IL
Rubiostudio, Chicago IL
Ruland Design Group, San Diego CA
S. Conger Architects, Chicago IL
Salus Architecture Inc., Seattle WA
Sam Marts Architects & Planners, Ltd., Chicago IL
Sanders Pace Architecture, Knoxville TN
Sarah Deeds Architect, Berkeley CA
Scott / Edwards Architecture, Portland OR
scrafano architects, Chicago IL
Searl Lamaster Howe Architects, Chicago IL
Serena Sturm Architects, Chicago IL
Shands Studio, San Anselmo CA
SHED Studio, Chicago IL
Siegel & Strain Architects, Emeryville CA
SKJN Architekten Corp., Chicago IL
Smith-Miller+Hawkinson Architects, LLP, New York NY
SMNG A Ltd., Chicago IL
Snøhetta, New York NY
Snow Kreilich Architects, Minneapolis MN
SPACE Architects + Planners, Chicago IL
SRG Partnership, Portland OR
Stefan Helgeson Associates, LLC, Edina MN
Stephen J. Wierzbowski, AIA, Chicago IL
STL Architects, Chicago IL
Strawn + Sierralta, Honolulu HI
Strening Architects, Santa Rosa CA
Studio Dwell Architects, Chicago IL
Studio KDA, Berkeley CA
studio M MERGE, Oakland CA
Studio Ma, Phoenix AZ
Studio Nigro Architecture + Design, Chicago IL
Studio VK, New York NY
Suski Design, Inc. Architects, Chicago IL
TannerHecht Architecture, San Francisco CA
TEF Design, San Francisco CA
Thomas Roszak Architecture, Chicago IL
Tilton, Kelly + Bell, LLC, Chicago IL
Troyer Group, Mishawaka IN
UrbanWorks, Ltd., Chicago IL
Van Meter Williams Pollack LLP, San Francisco CA
Vinci | Hamp Architects, Inc., Chicago IL
Vladimir Radutny Architects, Chicago IL
von Oeyen Architects, Los Angeles CA
von Weise Associates, Chicago IL
Walter Street ARCHITECTURE, Chicago IL
Whitney Inc., Oak Brook IL
Will Bruder Architects, Phoenix AZ
Worn Jerabek Wiltse Architects P.C., Chicago IL
Wrap Architecture, Chicago IL
WRNS Studio, San Francisco CA
ZGF Architects LLP, Portland OR
2 Point Perspective: Architecture + Interiors, Chicago IL
2rz Architecture, Chicago IL
34-Ten, LLC, Chicago IL

Landscape Architecture Firms:
Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, San Francisco CA
Coen + Partners, Minneapolis MN
Fieldwork Design Group, Chicago IL
GLS Landscape/Architecture, San Francisco CA
Ground Inc. Landscape Architecture, Somerville MA
Hargreaves Associates, San Francisco CA
Hargreaves Jones, New York NY
Hinterlands Urbanism and Landscape, LLC, Chicago IL
Lenet, Crestani, Tallman Land Design, LLC, Chicago IL
LENS Landscape Architecture, LLC, Bend OR
Mark Tessier Landscape Architecture, Inc., Santa Monica CA
Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, New York NY
Mauro Crestani & Associates, Landscape Architects, Chicago IL
McKay Landscape Architects, Chicago IL
Mia Lehrer + Associates, Los Angeles CA
Prassas Landscape Studio LLC, Chicago IL
Reed Hilderbrand, Cambridge MA
Rinda West Landscape Designs, Chicago IL
site, Chicago IL
Terry Guen Design Associates, Chicago IL
The Organic Garden Coach, Downers Grove IL
Topiarius, Inc., Chicago IL
Ulrich Bachand Landscape Architecture, LLC, Dedham MA
Wenk Associates, Denver CO

Design + Consulting Industry Firms:
Atelier Ten, Environmental Design, New Haven CT
Corey Gaffer Photography, Minneapolis MN
Development Management Associates, LLC, Chicago IL
EHT Traceries, Inc., Washington DC
Green Dinosaur, Inc., Culver City CA
HJKessler Associates, Chicago IL
Interface, Atlanta GA
Jaros, Baum & Bolles Consulting Engineers, New York NY
jozeph forakis…design, Brooklyn NY
Lee Bey Architectural Photography, Chicago IL
Lightswitch Architectural, Chicago IL
Medical Facility Innovations Ltd., Leavenworth WA
New Voodou, Santa Fe NM
Paul Hydzik Photography, Chicago IL
Spirit of Space, Milwaukee WI
Talentstar, Inc., Petaluma CA
The Walker Group NW, Seattle WA
Thirst, Chicago IL
Threshold Acoustics LLC, Chicago IL
Tom Harris Architectural Photography, Chicago IL
visualizedconcepts inc., Chicago IL

Organizations:
Archeworks, Chicago IL
Architects Advocate for Action on Climate Change, Chicago IL