Integrative design looks at a project as a system rather than a collection of parts. Whereas in a traditional building project, for example, separate teams might work in isolation to tackle different aspects of a building (walls, heating and cooling, etc.), the integrative design framework requires multidisciplinary teams to collaborate from the start to identify connections between the parts in order to achieve massive — “radical” — gains in efficiency.

In this talk cosponsored by the Irving Institute and Dartmouth Sustainability, Amory Lovins, physicist and cofounder and chair emeritus of RMI, will complement a discussion of integrative design with his vision of “applied hope,” offering twin strategies for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change and sustaining our individual and collective motivation to act.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Lovins has served as an energy advisor to major firms and governments in 70+ countries for 45+ years; has authored 31 books and more than 850 papers; and has been an integrative designer of superefficient buildings, factories, and vehicles.