Luke Lombardi was recently honored with the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California Emerging Leader Award, recognizing his leadership on sustainability and innovation in California.

A senior sustainability consultant with Buro Happold, Lombardi is one of the inaugural recipients of the SEAOC Emerging Leader Award. The prestigious recognition celebrates his outstanding contributions as the chair of the group’s Sustainable Design Committee, which has been pivotal in encouraging SEAOC to adopt a position statement on carbon reduction. He has also helped create educational resources to support members in their sustainability efforts, particularly as the industry adapts to emerging embodied carbon policies, like CALGreen.

“Luke Lombardi’s visionary approach and dedication have significantly advanced SEAOC’s mission, making a lasting impact on the organization’s commitment to sustainable design and environmental responsibility,” Buro Happold said.

“I am very grateful to accept this honor from SEAOC,” Lombardi said. “This award really recognizes the efforts of those contributing in each of the local member organizations, as well as groups like Carbon Leadership Forum. Embodied carbon is a growing topic highlighted by the SE 2050 Commitment Program and catalyzed by policy, like the CALGreen code requirements. Through SEAOC’s adoption of a Sustainable Design Policy, support for CALGreen, and everyone’s active effort to develop and share resources, the organization is supporting a changing paradigm, empowering structural engineers to shape a safe and sustainable future.”

Lombardi’s Embodied Carbon Strategies at Buro Happold

At Buro Happold, Lombardi leverages his structural engineering expertise to drive advancements in construction and embodied carbon. His technical knowledge is showcased through his internal work and his volunteer efforts with the SE 2050 Program leadership team.

Lombardi excels in building life cycle assessment and leverages computational design to seamlessly integrate carbon considerations into construction projects. He is also dedicated to education, developing webinars for AIA-CA and SEAOC that focus on CALGreen Embodied Carbon Requirements. As a liaison between development teams and practicing engineers, he frequently presents and instructs on embodied carbon calculations, sharing his expertise widely.

At the SEAOC Convention, Lombardi presented alongside thought leaders Webly Bowles, AIA, of WAP Sustainability; Chris Chatto of ZGF Architects; and John O’Hagan, PE, of Forell/Elsesser Engineers. They discussed the influence of policy on shaping the role of structural engineers into the future.

The panel on CalGreen highlighted a significant shift in the mindset of designers, moving from questioning “why” to focusing on “how” to meet embodied carbon requirements. Instead of justifying why a project should adhere to certain performance criteria, practitioners now have clear thresholds mandated by code. CalGreen not only sets the bar for current projects, but also paves the way for future innovations in sustainable design, providing a clear road map for designers to follow, ensuring that the built environment evolves towards greater sustainability and reduced carbon footprints, according to Lombardi and Buro Happold.

Lombardi’s recognition as an inaugural recipient of the SEAOC Emerging Leader Award is a testament to his unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation in structural engineering. His leadership and expertise have not only advanced SEAOC’s mission, but also have inspired a new generation of engineers to prioritize environmental responsibility. Lombardi’s work exemplifies the transformative impact that dedicated professionals can have on the industry, paving the way for a more sustainable future.