Vivian Loftness

Vivian Loftness is a University Professor, a Paul Mellon Chair at Carnegie Mellon University, and the former head of Carnegie Mellon Architecture. She is an internationally renowned researcher, author, and educator with over 40 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.

Loftness has served on over 25 boards 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. Loftness 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), and holds a National Educator Honor Award from the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and a USGBC “Sacred Tree” Award. She has a bachelor’s of science and a master’s of architecture from MIT.