The Zofnass Rating System

The Zofnass Rating System for infrastructure sustainability and decision making is a program for determining the sustainability of a project.  The Zofnass system defines the dimensions of environmental sustainability along four lines - - (1.) Allocation of resources, (2.) Impact on the natural world, (3.) Climate change, and (4.) Quality of life.

The program was developed at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.  The goal of the Zofnass Rating System should be clear to most engineers - - the system aims to impact the infrastructure and built environment industries at a time critical for our civilization and environment.  We have entered a unique period in human history - - as the world's resources are diminishing and countries tackle massive demographic challenges, infrastructure will be a key determinant of the viability and sustainability of our cities and nations.

Engineering needs to get this (and quickly) - - whether the requirement is refurbishment and upgrade or new infrastructure to sustain newly constructed cites, the core function and value of infrastructure can never be distant from a sustainability mandate.  This mandate will require rating systems to guide and judge the sustainability of individual projects.

A sustainability mandate is also a engineering mandate - - where engineering strategies will emerge for coping with new constraints and opportunities.  Engineering will need to change as it molds to the new mandate and rating systems.  People will need to sharpen their thinking skills - - questioning old assumptions and looking at new problems from multiple and holistic points of view.  Engineers wanting to think critically and analytically about the big problems in the world will be in very high demand.