COTE Leadership Team
AIA Cincinnati’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) is pleased to announce a new leadership team!
Andrew Glass, AIA, architect at drawing dept, has chaired the committee since he and Chris Bartell resurrected the Cincinnati COTE committee in 2023. He’s now joined by Ally Balmer, Assoc. AIA, a Sustainability Specialist and Project Captain with MA Design, and Jennifer Karbula, AIA, a Project Architect at Tessere.
COTE is planning several tours for spring and summer, as well as exploring drawing details and project page turns.
What does COTE do? The Committee on the Environment works to advance sustainability through education, advocacy, and collaboration. We provide learning opportunities that keep local architects and designers informed on sustainable design, build relationships with elected officials to advocate for sustainable building, and host community-based events that turn ideas into action. We also partner with industry experts to share knowledge and strengthen our collective impact.
How can AIA Cincinnati members get involved with your committee? We meet the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30pm. We are currently hosting meetings at KZF's office and would love to have new people join us!
Meet the COTE Leadership Team
Ally Balmer, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BC+C, LFA
Sustainability Specialist, Project Captain
MA Design
What inspires you? I'm inspired by the buildings that are beautiful and respond to their environment by supporting human well-being, and leaving a lighter footprint on the planet. Sustainability is not meant to be a constraint on projects but a design driver that pushes creativity and innovation to the next level. I'm also equally inspired by the chance to share knowledge with others, whether through collaboration on a project, mentorship, or education. The more we learn from each other, the more impact we can have, and that collectiveness keeps me excited about the work I'm doing every day.
Andrew Glass, AIA, CHPD
Architect
drawing dept
Jennifer Karbula, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Project Architect
Tessere
What equally excites and challenges me about sustainability is the incredible opportunity the field of architecture has right now to lead meaningful change. We are at a pivotal moment – the tools, materials, and resources we have available to us today are better than ever before, and the conversation around sustainability in the built environment has never been more urgent or more alive.
With my work in zoo and aquarium design, I feel that challenge and opportunity greatly. These spaces exist to foster connection between people and the natural world – to inspire wonder, curiosity and ultimately a desire to protect it. When a building can reinforce that mission not just through its programming but in every aspect of its design, that’s when architecture transforms from a protective shell into a powerful instrument that can change conservation and well-being on a local and global scale.
The greatest challenge we face as designers is the integration of these ideas holistically into our projects. Water, energy, materials, habitats and the long-term life of the building are all systems that are interconnected, just like ecosystems are. I believe architects are uniquely positioned to not only contribute but lead conversations about sustainability that can create real positive change. Sustainability and great design are not in tension but are deeply complementary and, when combined, challenge the profession of architecture to keep raising the bar for what is expected of us and the world we are creating for generations to come.
