Carnegie Mellon University

Vivian  Loftness

Vivian Loftness

Paul Mellon Chair and University Professor, Architecture

Address
5000 Forbes Avenue
Margaret Morrison Carnegie Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Bio

 

Vivian Loftness is Paul Mellon Chair and University Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and former Head of the Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture. She is an internationally renowned researcher, author, and educator with over forty years of experience in building science research for industry and government. In addition to editing the 2013 and 2020 Springer Encyclopedia on Sustainable Built Environments, she has authored books, research reports, and chapters on climate and regionalism in architecture, environmental design and sustainability, advanced building systems integration, and design for performance in the workplace of the future to enhance productivity, health, and the triple bottom line.

Vivian has served on over 25 board of directors, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Federal Energy Management Advisory Committee (FEMAC), the National American Institute of Architects (AIA), International Living Future Institute (ILFI), and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) boards, as well as on 14 National Academy of Science (NAS) panels on sustainable built environments. Vivian has been recognized as one of 13 Stars of Building Science by the Building Research Establishment in the UK, received the Award of Distinction from AIA Pennsylvania and the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), holds a National Educator Honor Award from the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), and a USGBC “Sacred Tree” Award. Vivian has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Architecture from MIT.

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Masters in Architecture

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Science 

Rotary International Scholar, Finland 

Research

Loftness's research addresses environmental design, sustainability and climate and regionalism in architecture.