Bob Fowler: A Codes and Sustainability Champion

EBN has often touched on building regulation, but we’ve never done a feature article on building codes. Given the influence of building codes on the environmental performance of building, the topic is overdue. For this month’s feature, we team up with long-time

EBN friend and supporter, David Eisenberg, who recently joined our Advisory Board. Through the Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT), David has worked to expand the context of building regulation—to address the environmental consequences of code requirements.

One of DCAT’s strengths has been developing relationships with key organizations and leaders in the building regulation field. Standing out among those leaders was Bob Fowler, FAIA, P.E. and the Chief Building Official for the City of Pasadena, California. Bob was a former Chairman of the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) and founding Chairman of the International Code Council (ICC). One of the most highly respected building officials in the U.S., Bob had teamed with David several years ago in championing the cause of sustainability in building regulation. We are deeply saddened to report that while we were preparing this feature, Bob was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident while on vacation in Montana.

Bob Fowler set a great example of how building officials and their departments can serve their communities, not just by ensuring that buildings are safely constructed but also by facilitating creative solutions that are more economical and environmentally responsible. The Paseo Colorado mall redevelopment in Pasadena (see profile, Sustainability and Building Codes) demonstrates what is possible when a building department led by a visionary like Fowler serves as a true resource to its community—including the design, construction, and development sectors.

In an interview with Fowler and Eisenberg entitled “An Alternative Future for Building Regulation” in the January/February 2000 issue of

Building Standards (ICBO’s magazine), Fowler shared his vision and willingness to rethink his ideas and provide leadership based on his changing convictions. He began by describing how exposure to DCAT’s message forced him to reconsider many of his assumptions about building codes and regulations: “Safety is very important, but we need to think about the responsibilities for our collective safety; especially the welfare of future generations who, it’s worth noting, are unable to represent their interests.… At some point, we will have to develop criteria for the environmental performance of buildings, similar to energy-efficiency requirements.… Our great-grandchildren will thank us.” (The complete interview can be found at www.dcat.net.)

We still have a long way to go in making building regulation more supportive of sustainability. Moving forward with these efforts will be harder without Bob Fowler’s help, but buoyed by his spirit—and with David’s hard work and commitment—we can collectively accomplish a great deal.

– Alex Wilson