Robert Koester
Director of the Center for Energy Research, Education and Service and Professor of Architecture
Ball State Sustainability website
Education:
- M ARCH, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1974
- B ARCH, University of Kentucky, 1969
Robert Koester, AIA NCARB, LEED AP, Professor of Architecture, Director of the Academy for Sustainability and the Center for Energy Research/Education/Service, and Chair of the Council on the Environment; University Liaison for ACUPCC, CLC, IGCN, ISCN, USGBC.
Koester has taught Design-for-Sustainability Studios, Sustainability Seminars, and Vital Signs Courses and co-taught the Daylectric™ Studio – focused on integrating daylighting and electrical lighting strategies in architectural design. He was honored in 2011 by the R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning Alumni Association with the Charles M. Sappenfield Award of Excellence for “outstanding dedication, contribution and commitment to the education of the students of the Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning.
He is the Founding Director of the Center for Energy Research/Education/Service (CERES) providing interdisciplinary academic support focused on issues related to energy and resource use, alternatives and conservation. He serves as Founding Chair of the university-level Council on the Environment (COTE) a clearinghouse for campus-wide sustainability. He also serves as Founding Co-Chair of the Greening of the Campus Conference Series, the 9th of which was held in March of 2012 and featured the dedication of the university’s campus-wide geothermal district heating and cooling system. He is the university liaison to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS).
For the last four years he has been involved in the piloting of a new methodology by which universities can qualify their carbon reductions for transaction in the voluntary carbon market. This work was funded by the Chevrolet Climate Reduction Initiative. This includes building design and campus-wide energy conservation and alternative energy technology implementation.
In addition he is a Founding Member of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and the Formal Education Committee of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
He has presented at international conferences in Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland, and Japan, and at domestic conferences including the national meetings of AASHE, AIA, APPA, ACSA, ASES, SBIC, SCUP and USGBC.
For some five years he collaborated in offering FEMP workshops on “Design Strategies for Low-Energy, Sustainable, and Secure Buildings” throughout the country based on a curriculum model which he structured and more recently, and has provided consultation to the sustainability planning of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology program.
Additional:
Students working under his direction have won or placed in numerous competitions:
In the 2022 TEG Thesis Year Design Prize
Honor Award
Allison Loth
Merit Award
Collin Beresford
In the 2021 TEG Thesis Year Design Prize
Honorable Mention
Noah Smith
Citation
Josh March
In the 2020 TEG Thesis Year Design Prize
Honor Award
Zach McGill
In the 2019 MKM Design Competition (BSU/CAP)
First Place (Individual)
Chris Hamlin
Second Place (Teams)
Chase Holloway and Josh March
In the 2018 MKM Design Competition (BSU/CAP)
First Place (Individual)
Ethan Talbot
First Place (Teams)
Hau Xu and Anthony Medina
In the 2017 MKM Design Competition (BSU/CAP)
First Place (Teams)
Jessica Franke
Nick Marchio
In the 2016 ACSA Steel Design Competition (National)
Third Place (Individual)
Megan Stenftenagel
In the 2016 MKM Design Competition (BSU/CAP)
Second Place (Individual)
Megan Stenftenagel
Third Place (Individual)
Ellie Flaherty
In the 2015 MKM ACSA Steel Design Competition
Honor Award (Teams)
Paul Kitchen and Craig Zehr
Bryce Derhammer and Reva Ogle
Honorable Mention (Teams)
Eric Lawler and Clint Johnson
Alex Minor and Josh Edwards
In the 2014 MKM ACSA Steel Design Competition
First Place (Teams)
Zach Herbst and Sam Pfeifer
Third Place (Teams)
Mike Culler and Lauren McWhorter
Third Place (Individuals)
Bailey Stultz
In the 2010 Leading Edge Design Competition
First Place
Erin Chapman
Jason Klinker
Andrew Hesterman
Honorable Mention
Ben McHugh
Kate Lengacher
Xiorelis Ferrer
In the 2010 ASLA Student Awards Program for NativeSpec™
Communications Honor Award: for developing a custom seed specification tool for landscape architects to create seed mixes adapted to specific project criteria.
Nicholas Serrano
Brittany Harvey
In the 2011 U.S. Green Building Council Multifamily Mid-rise Design Competition
First Place
Wes Stabs
Michela Cupello