The mission of the Zofnass Program is to develop and promote methods, processes, and tools that quantify sustainability for infrastructure. Its goal is to facilitate the adoption of sustainable solutions for infrastructure projects, and expand the body of knowledge for sustainable infrastructure.

The Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure was founded in 2008 by a generous donation by siblings Paul and Joan Zofnass, and is housed at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. The Zofnass Program extends its activities throughout Harvard including the School of Public Health, Kennedy School of Government, Business School, and the Center for the Environment. The Zofnass Program is supported by the industry through an Industry Advisory Board.

The Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure prides itself on the collaborative nature of its research efforts. In addition to providing the generous gift that founded the program Paul and Joan Zofnass have been integral in guiding the program’s research. Though housed at the Graduate School of Design, the Zofnass Program has worked with students and faculty advisors from across Harvard. The research team includes a core group of academic faculty from across the university and student research associates from undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. However, what makes the Zofnass Program truly unique is the strong support provided by the industry through the Industry Advisory Board. These collaborations with academic experts and industry specialists have been instrumental in the development of the Zofnass Rating System.

The Program aims to provide a series of resources, tools, and events that facilitate better project planning, design, and rating for sustainable infrastructure projects. The Zofnass Program hopes to serve as a clearing house for information collected from projects, both in the preliminary pilot phase and after the system is launched and utilized. We hope to continue to improve upon the system and resources as new information becomes available.