WASHINGTON –The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is releasing new and updated AIA contract documents today that support businesses with reaching their sustainability goals and programming.

With the AIA’s focus on environmental stewardship, the new and updated AIA Sustainable Project documents provide a roadmap to integrate sustainability into design and construction projects, as well as ensure less confusion when green project discussions begin. While there are already four versions of AIA sustainable project exhibits that attach to standard contracts, this update includes the new C204™-2020, Sustainability Consultant Scope of Services and the updated D503™-2020, Guide for Sustainable Projects. 

The new C204 introduces a sustainability consultant, who can be an architect or non-architect, and streamlines the process for identifying, developing, and assigning responsibility for a project’s sustainable design and construction elements. As a facilitator, the sustainability consultant implements the many stages of the sustainability process, including conducting the sustainability workshop, preparing the sustainability plan, gathering information and coordinating with the parties, submitting documents to and obtaining approval from the certifying authority, and handling fees. The new Sustainability Consultant Scope of Services is not a stand-alone agreement but must pair with a document to provide key contract terms, such as the C103™-2015 Owner-Consultant Agreement without a Predefined Scope of Services. The C204 presumes that an owner pursuing a sustainable project has, or will, execute an E204™-2017 Sustainable Projects Exhibit with the architect of record. When both C204 and E204 are used on a project, the owner must edit E204 to address the consultant’s role and eliminate overlap with the architect’s role. E204 defines key sustainable terms, and C204 references these definitions.