COP26 Communiqué Signatory:
Conceived more than 35 years ago by Harold Adams of RTKL, the Large Firm Roundtable (LFRT) is an independent organization currently comprised of 60 members who are architectural firms. Its purpose is to create a forum for member firm CEO’s and other firm leaders to develop and share best practices for large design firms. Currently, minimum criteria for membership are total employment of 150 including 50 registered architects who are members of the AIA. The initial topics of the LFRT focused on the national and global practice of architecture including reciprocal registration for architects among the states and territories, contracts for design services for large firms, and international treaties regarding the global practice of architecture among countries. There is a significant level of collegial comradery among the LFRT member firms’ CEO’s who have historically met twice each year.
The LFRT is affiliated with AIA and in 2019 its members employed more than 240,000 professionals world-wide. Accordingly, the initiatives that LFRT develops coupled with the resulting policy and practice change within the firms of the LFRT, have made a significant impact on design and the built environment.
Designing to limit Climate Change is one of the LFRT’s top priorities. Its members were among the first to be signatories to the 2030 Challenge in 2006 and its Sustainability Subcommittee a contributor to the development of the AIA DDx reporting platform. In 2019 LFRT adopted as policy for its member firms “Countdown on Carbon” which is a set of agreed actions by member firms to design in such a way as to limit Climate Change. This policy was presented at the Carbon Positive ‘20 conference in Los Angeles. Later in 2020, the LFRT adopted its “Sustainability Playbook” for its member firms. This document provides a pathway for all firms to create, enhance and be accountable for our design practices that fully embrace the principles of Architecture 2030 and Sustainable Design. These documents have been made available to the profession with the goal of the LFRT being a catalyst for positive change.