EUGENE, Ore. -- (Dec. 9, 2009) – G.Z. Brown, the Knight Professor of Architecture at the University of Oregon, has earned a lifetime achievement award from the Oregon Chapter of the Association of Professional Energy Managers. Brown receives the award Thursday, Dec. 10, in Portland.

The award recognizes his years of service, including his innovative daylighting solution for an energy-efficient educational classroom at Oregon's Mt. Angel Abbey and his work at the UO's Energy Studies in Buildings Lab.

Daylighting is an important strategy for reducing a building's electrical energy use. Brown's concept for the Mt. Angel Abbey started with data drawn from a study funded by Portland-based BetterBricks for a high-performance classroom project with BOORA Architects of Portland and SOLARC Architecture and Engineering of Eugene. The resulting daylighting device, called a reguflector, redirects light levels, using photo-controlled louvers from within a central skylight, to maintain lighting within desired limits and eliminate excess heat gain. The reflector component redirects light to the sides of the room, effectively removing brightness directly under the skylight.

The project with BetterBricks, the commercial building initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, was further developed in partnership with Mt. Angel Abbey, SRG Partnership (Portland office), SOLARC and the UO. Brown credits the success of the project to “the willingness of the designers and owners to do the research and testing of multiple options to find the best, most cost-effective solution.”

The UO’s architecture program ranks first for sustainable design education, according to the journal DesignIntelligence in its 2010 issue of America's Best Architecture and Design Schools.