Luke Lombardi was recently honored with the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOC) 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. This 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,” according to Buro Happold.
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 also through his volunteer efforts with the SE 2050 Program leadership team.
Lombardi excels in building life cycle assessment (LCA) 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 to discuss the influence of policy on shaping the role of structural engineers into the future.
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 have also 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.
