Sara Goenner Curlee Presenting at AIA Minnesota A’26 MN

Thursday, November 5th, 2026

Sara Goenner Curlee, Senior Project Architect and Sustainability Manager at Pope Design Group, with Benjamin Bahr, Mechanical Engineer and Director of Sustainability at Emanuelson-Podas, will present, “Lifting the Floor, Tightening the Envelope: Lessons Learned in Compliance Pathways” to a sold-out crowd at the annual AIA Minnesota Conference on Architecture.  

The presentation will focus on practical application, common challenges, and lessons learned to support designers, owners, commissioning providers, and jurisdictions in adapting to the evolving 2024 Minnesota Commercial Energy Code landscape.  

Special attention will be given to how commissioning and verification processes are becoming increasingly central to compliance, from envelope testing and documentation requirements and final performance validation. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of what changed, why it matters, and how to gain confidence to develop strategies for compliance testing.

The AIA Minnesota Conference on Architecture will be held at the Depot Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, Minneapolis, MN, on November 9-11, 2026.  

Sara Goenner Curlee, AIA, LEED AP BD+C is a senior project architect and sustainability manager at Pope Design Group, where she leads the integration of sustainable practices across the firm and its market sectors. With more than 20 years of experience, Sara translates ambitious sustainability goals and evolving regulatory requirements into successful project outcomes. Her expertise includes integrative design, energy codes, healthy materials and environments, and embodied carbon reduction. Sara is a past co-chair of AIA Minnesota COTE and serves on the AIA 2030 Commitment Working Group and as a technical reviewer for the COTE Top Ten Awards. 

Benjamin Bahr, PE is a mechanical engineer and director of sustainability at Emanuelson-Podas and brings more than a decade of experience in mechanical engineering and building energy modeling. A LEED-accredited professional and one of Minnesota’s first BEMP-certified engineers, Ben leads the firm’s energy modeling practice and specializes in high-performance, energy-conscious design across a wide range of sectors. He is widely recognized for his expertise in energy codes, sustainability programs, and net zero strategies, and regularly presents on building performance and energy compliance topics throughout the industry.