Photo: The MIT Maclaurin Buildings (William Welles Bosworth, 1913-16),*
Cambridge, MA, March 17, 2026. (photo credit: Meral Ekincioglu, Ph.D.)
1. Guiding Climate Action Initiatives
Following the February 2026 online meeting, Meral Ekincioglu, Ph.D., Architecture Group founding leader shared a set of 5–6 targeted questions with each participant to clarify and begin the Group’s climate action initiatives. These questions reflected topics raised during the February meeting, including: passive house design, energy-efficient buildings, advance building codes, bridging gaps between technical experts, the public, and local governments, addressing policy gaps, community-level climate mitigation initiatives, next-generation building automation for climate-resilient architecture, disaster management strategies, climate-proof infrastructure, identifying country-specific challenges, and using documentary filmmaking and visual storytelling to translate architectural issues into public action and global impact.
2. Engagement with MIT SA+P Leaders and Alumni
The Architecture Group began actively engaging with leaders and alumni of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning (MIT SA+P). Meral sincerely thanks to Professor Tehrani, former MIT Architecture Head of Department for recommending that she/Architecture Group reach out to Professor Fernandez. On March 17, 2026, she met with Professor Fernandez, Director of the MIT Building Technology Program, on MIT’s campus. She shared that the Group aims to develop action-based initiatives guided by MIT SA+P leaders and experts, and emphasized openness to engage with alumni who have worked in sustainable design strategies, advanced materials and construction systems, computational design, simulation and analysis, and urban and environmental systems analysis—whether as practitioners or academics. The Architecture Group is very pleased Professor Fernandez's supportive approach.
3. Meetings with MIT SA+P Alumni
In March 2026, Meral also held Zoom and in-person meetings with MIT SA+P alumni from diverse geographies. Their areas of work include: climate-related disaster responses, environmental justice, technocratic norms of climate planning, material innovation, AI and building performance, energy efficiency via drones, adaptive reuse practices, sustainability and food systems, flood infrastructure resilience, and participatory urban design with a focus on climate change and its risks for the built environment and (underserved) communities. Discussions and emails focused on identifying potential climate action initiatives to develop collaboratively.
4. Architecture Group Passive House Action Initiative
On February 23, 2026, during the Architecture Group meeting, Mike Duclos emphasized the importance and benefits of Passive House in addressing the impacts of climate change. Criticizing Net Zero 2050 goals as disconnected from physical reality, he underscored the role of Passive House as a comprehensive approach to minimizing operational energy while ensuring resilience against environmental threats such as wildfires. As one of the leading members of our Architecture Group, Mike is a principal and founder of DEAP Energy Group, LLC; a founder and board member of Energy Raters of Massachusetts, Inc.; and Director of Education for the organization, a RESNET-certified HERS Provider (1). He also served as a member of Governor Baker’s Commission on Clean Heat, which recommended the adoption of a Clean Heat Standard. Following the meeting, in March, he shared his comprehensive perspectives on Passive House in a detailed 14-page document with Meral, outlining potential areas of action for the Architecture Group. In response, she shared an initial five-page draft proposing how the Architecture Group might develop an action-oriented initiative for 2026. They are currently working together to further refine and clarify actionable strategies for this initiative.
1. See: https://stuart-bernstein-xc4h.squarespace.com/michael-duclos, last accessed on March 23, 2026.
5. MACA Collaboration on Next-Gen Building Automation for Climate-Resilient Architecture
At the suggestion of Glenn Weinreb, MIT EE Class of 1986 and the leader of the MACA-Climate Moonshot Group, MACA-Climate Moonshot and Architecture Groups initiated a collaborative process to explore how the “next-generation building automation and control systems” developed by him could be integrated into climate-resilient architecture. Within this scope, a general architectural framework was prepared by Meral including references, based on his written documents, and submitted to him via email for review. The Architecture Group considers that a subject-matter expert review in the field of building automation and control systems for climate-resilient architecture is necessary and has clearly communicated this position.
This general architectural framework is archived within the records of the Architecture Group-MACA.
6. Global Climate Action in Architecture
The Architecture Group aims to sustain climate action initiatives in architecture and the built environment on a global scale. Climate change is a worldwide challenge, and organizations with relevant objectives must adopt a global perspective. In this spirit, the Group is in communication with Ahmad Khalouf, BA in Architecture; EESL – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; admitted to the MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford, who is an expert in Syrian architecture. Moving forward, with Ahmad Khalouf’s support and by establishing connections with the MIT Aga Khan Program, the Group plans to identify urgent climate change challenges facing Syrian architecture and society, and to develop joint action initiatives addressing these issues, which it has included in its 2026 program.
7. Outreach and Communications
The Group initiated steps to introduce its founding, purpose, and mission by connecting with communication team members within MIT SA+P programs, and by initiating outreach through news letters and publications. As the group, we are very pleased to receive a positive response from Tessa Haynes, MIT Architecture Assistant Director of Academic Programs, on March 19, 2026. As confirmed in her correspondence, the department will include the Architecture Group’s mission and initiatives in its weekly newsletter. This integration marks a significant milestone in aligning our Group’s climate action goals with the communication platforms of the MIT Department of Architecture. With the same objective, the Architecture Group visited the MIT School of Architecture and Planning Dean’s Office in March and met with Nick Marmor, Assistant Dean for External Relations and Strategic Initiatives. An introductory text outlining the Group’s core mission and objectives was sent to both of them via email. These communications are currently being followed up on.
8. COP 31 Participation
As part of preparations for COP 31 via an online presentation, the Group contacted the MIT Alumni Association to seek guidance on eligibility and submission procedures to comply with UNFCCC requirements. The MIT Alumni Association confirmed receipt of the inquiry and indicated they would follow up. The Architecture Group continues to seek MIT support to meet eligibility requirements.
Reference: “An observer organization duly admitted by the Conference of the Parties is eligible to apply for one side event slot and/or onhttps:fccc.int/process-and-meetings/conferences/side-events-and-exhibits#eligibility-criteria, last accessed on March 20, 2026.
All emails and correspondence related to these activities are maintained in the Architecture Group-MACA archives.