In addition to learning about Philadelphia’s green policy the conference also provided a two-day tradeshow which featured many new and innovative products. Below are two products I felt that were particularly innovative and applicable to FXFOWLE’s work.

Green Roof Technology

Optigruen, a Germany company, developed a product that integrates the supports for photovoltaic (PV) panels with a green roof system. By combining these technologies into one system the PV panels don’t require separate anchors to connect them to the roof; instead the weight of the green roof keeps them in place. While I have lots of questions about wind uplift and the stability of the system, just imagine how much simpler this product would make a retrofit project if you can eliminate roof penetrations!

Diagram of how the system works. Click image to see a 3D model of the system features.

Combining PVs and a green roof makes a lot of sense when you consider PVs work best in cool, dust free conditions. Green roofs reduce airborne pollutants and cool ambient temperature of a roof surface therefore improving the performance and reducing maintenance of the PVs.

Diagram explaining SolarGreenRoof.

The "real thing" displayed at the trade show.

Nedlaw Living Walls Indoor Biofilter

Nedlaw’s Indoor Living Walls function as biofilters, breaking down 70-90% of the VOCs in typical indoor environments. Their system features a continuous loop of water introduced at the top and filters down through the plant wall and collected at the bottom. It is then returned to the top to be circulated again. Air is then drawn through the system (around the plants) and into a duct located behind or above the living wall. In some test cases the return air filtered through a living wall was able to be used as fresh air thereby reducing the amount of outside air required to be tempered or conditioned. This helps reduce the energy used to run the mechanical systems. By combing an engaging design element and a functional integral part of a building’s mechanical system together is where Nedlaw living walls standout from their competitors. Here is a link to some of Nedlaw’s installed projects.

While they have installations of various shapes and sizes (even double-sided free standing living walls) the image below is from an installation in a grocery store. Personally, I can’t think of many public places that suffer from poorer indoor air quality than grocery stores. The density of packaging material stored in one place is staggering. I hope my local grocery store invests in green walls.

Living Wall System. Click on the image to view a video describing the installation process.

Cities Alive was a terrific experience and education in the latest trends and technology in green roofing.  Philadelphia was a terrific host displaying their commitment to pushing the envelope with stormwater policies and the greater role green roofs can play in the built environment. It will be great to see which North American Cities raise the bar next.

New York, are you up for the challenge?

Our final “Green April” event was a firm-wide charrette competition entitled “Spring Greening.” We divided into teams, and engaged in a lively ideas session to propose how our own office could be more sustainable. Following the two-hour brainstorming session, each team presented their ideas to the firm using everything from traditional PowerPoint presentations with audience participation, to skits, and even a freestyle poem! Jurors on-hand to select a winning team included Kevin Cannon, FXFOWLE Senior Associate, and Joann Gonchar, AIA, LEED, Senior Editor at Architectural Record and special contributing editor to GreenSource magazine.

Here’s an overview of the ideas presented by the various teams. See if you can select the winning concept…

SPRING GREENING TEAMS

Dream: What if we could work in a garden, under a pool, by a waterfall, or next to a geyser?

Being open to new possibilities beyond the traditional workplace was a critical part of the charrette. No proposal exemplified this better than the “Office Oasis.” The team proposed a rooftop swimming and sailing pool that would actuate wheels to send water cascading down though our workspace into an underfloor catch basin. The power generated by the wheels would in turn power our servers and PC’s. The heat generated by our PC’s would create a geyser effect pushing the water back up to the pool to begin the cycle again. This dream ultimately delivers a destination that we aspire to, rather than a place that we commute to.

Incentives: What if we were rewarded for “Living Green”?

The reward for “Living Green” is a more sustainable future, but on a practical level, we often need incentives to change our behavior and habits. The “FXFOWLE Green Card” would work like a frequent buyer’s program. Every “act” of being green would get a punch, and after completing a pre-determined number of activities in several sustainable categories, employee cardholders would get a prize. For example, biking to work, taking the stairs, and tending a rooftop garden could result in a day off!

Scheduled by Design: What if we transformed our business routine into a creative schedule?

Architects creatively solve design problems within a typical work schedule. “Scheduled by Design” imagines a telecommunting scenario that would allow us to transform our physical workplace and provide more opportunities to refuel our creative juices by working from home one day per week. This hoteling scenario would include unassigned workstations that can be reserved ahead of time, which would reduce the real estate needed for permanently-assigned desks by 20%. In addition, much-needed collaborative design space can be created from consolidating support spaces and eliminating unnecessary storage areas.

Paper Suits: What if we tamed our printers and adopted seasonal attire?

Dreaming is a great way to change tomorrow, but what can we do to work more sustainably today? Paper is an architect’s creative blood, even in an office firmly-rooted in the 21^st century. The “Waste Patrol” proposes to conserve paper by loading printers with 1-sided used paper and by eliminating prints inadvertently sent to the wrong printer due to cryptically-named output devices. The Patrol also questioned the compatibility of wearing suits and ties during hot summer days. Air conditioning our workspace consumes a substantial amount of energy during the summer. By subscribing to the suit and tie, we prioritize western business attire over comfort and energy conservation. The team challenged us to consider what a seasonable, yet sustainable professional would look like.

Rhymes: How can we make a pitch for a more sustainable workplace?

The office of the past produced much waste
Styrofoam, paper, and plastics, all used in haste
Productivity of the bottom line
Without considering environmental quality
Yours or mine!…

 Future offices will feature synergistic hubs
That function less like cells and more like clubs.
We’ll tear down walls and redesign the space
Making the office a more collaborative place!…

The office of the past separated inside from out
Sadly, not one living green plant throughout.
Presently we are more aware
That greening helps clean our air.
Finally it’s time for the open outdoors
We’ll carpet our roof with a grass floor.
We’ll even place plants inside
Representing FXFOWLE’s green pride!

– House of Extravaganza

Each team did a great job presenting their ideas. By re-thinking our work schedules and office flow we can transform our workplace into a more sustainable environment and a better place to feed our creativity. Come to think of it, how about a triple-height hydroponics atrium and a green roof terrace planted with edible greens for our mid-day diets?

How else can we work more sustainably?

PS – The winning team was “Scheduled by Design.” Did you guess correctly?

Lions rock. They’re powerful and fearless, and have huge furry paws. They have a roar that can be heard up to 5 miles away. And let’s face it, they’re undeniably cute. But while these big cats may be strong and mighty, the sad truth is they’re in grave danger.

According to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), lions are facing serious challenges: habitat loss, unregulated trophy hunting, a decline in prey animals inside protected areas, and persecution from herders who consider the big cats a threat to their livestock. In order to protect their cattle and sheep, herders will poison prey carcasses and draw in area lions for a final, fateful meal. New poisons are continuously being introduced and the communities living around parks are continuously growing. These two trends threaten almost all remaining lion populations. Over the last half-century, the lion’s range in Africa has collapsed to just a small number of countries and protected areas. Morocco and Algeria have lost all of their lions. So have Congo and Gabon—just in the last decade – and more countries could be next if we don’t do something.

That is why on Saturday, April 28, I participated as part of the FXFOWLE Team in the Wildlife Conservation Society’s annual Run for the Wild at the Bronx Zoo. Preserving nature and wildlife has always been a priority at FXFOWLE. We are committed to minimizing our own environmental impact and carbon footprint in our building projects, office operations, and even in our travel. In keeping with these values, a dozen of my colleagues and I got up early Saturday morning and braved the unseasonably cold temperatures to run – or in some cases walk or stroll – 5 kilometers through the beautiful winding paths of the Bronx Zoo to raise money and awareness in support of our beloved lions. Over 5,000 people participated, and the money we raised will further WCS’s efforts to protect lions and their habitat around the globe.

WCS conservationists work in some of the last lion strongholds across Africa, including Mozambique’s Niassa Reserve, Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, and Nigeria’s Yankari National Park. WCS radio-collars lions in the national parks where they live to learn more about their activities and needs, and formulate conservation plans. They labor tirelessly to reduce persecution of lions by the people who share their turf with the big cats. They help livestock herders benefit from the cats, either through eco-tourism dollars or by providing veterinary care for their animals. In addition, WCS works with herders to find non-violent means to safeguard their livestock from lions. ­­­They also gather long-term information about the lives and habits of lions that guide important decisions on their future. In short, the WCS is an incredible organization doing vital work for a majestic feline.

The Run for the Wild raised thousands of dollars for lions, including over $2,650 raised by the FXFOWLE team. But while year’s run may be over, the plight of the lions continues. You can still donate to help their cause here: 

http://www.wcs.org/

Remember, every $10 helps. And really, can you resist these faces?

Guy Geier (seated) with FXFOWLE colleagues (all architects).

So… Newsweek published the “Top 13 Most Useless College Degrees”–as determined by Georgetown University and Bureau of Labor Statistics data–and Architecture is ranked #5. This of course is based on current economic conditions which have decimated the profession, resulting in one of its highest levels of unemployment ever, and has diminished the prospects for recent graduates to land a good job.

But… does this make the profession useless? Architects don’t become architects to necessarily get rich, although I know many who have and personally, I have been able to do well enough to have a good lifestyle, send my kids to good schools and live in a nice house. I have no regrets. That said, the real reason architects become architects is because we want to change the world. We want to leave the world in a better place than how we found it. This is not easy to accomplish but we are a committed bunch. It is safe to say that the sustainability movement, absolutely critical and essential for the salvation of the planet, would not be where it is today without architects. We have embraced and professed the need to conserve energy and resources through more intelligent design of our buildings and communities. If only our elected leaders could do the same.

Look around. Our infrastructure is in deplorable shape, and many of our cities are crumbling. But things are changing. People are beginning to realize that living in urban environments with the benefits that density brings is a good thing. Cities are growing again. This cannot, and will not happen without architects.

There is so much potential for this profession as the nation continues to grow. As I review portfolios of soon-to-be and recent graduates from architectural schools, I am more confident than ever that we are training our young professionals in ways that will greatly benefit our society. They’re thinking big, audacious ideas. They are not timid to propose solutions to significant problems, and whether they continue in architecture or decide to become developers, financiers, entrepreneurs, lawyers or chefs, they have learned the value of “design thinking” which can be applied to problem solving at every level and in any discipline.

Useless? I don’t think so.

Image Courtesy of SSBx.

The BEST Academy is a nationally-recognized green collar program that teaches marketable skills to mostly low-income residents of the Bronx. Since its formation in 2003, the program has created a green work force of over 300 graduates who have successfully helped our city reverse many of its environmental problems.

Expanding the BEST Academy program even further, the SSBx team created SmartRoofs LLC, which installs and maintains green roofs throughout New York City. They offer competitive pricing and solely employ their BEST alumni. One of their most notable projects is a 10,000 square-foot green roof for ABC Carpet & Home in the Bronx.

Image Courtesy of SSBx.

Another major SSBx program is the Community Greening Initiatives, which was created to play an intermediary role between the South Bronx community and key decision-makers. This program helped form and implement the South Bronx Greenway–11 miles of safe, outdoor recreation space. Additionally, this program plays an invaluable role by ensuring the survival and maintenance of newly planted trees, and indentifying new opportunities for plantings. Neighborhoods that were once underutilized or marginalized are now growing into lush and healthy communities due to efforts by SSBx.

Image Courtesy of SSBx.

Community outreach programs for a green workforce and the environment can improve quality of life and literally change our world. The impressive programs directed by Sustainable South Bronx really push the envelope to how we can make a difference in our own under-served communities. Take their learned advice, “Think big, but go block by block.”

It was tremendous to see academic researchers, landscapers, and roofers all sharing past successes and discussing how to design, install, and maintain more green roofs. While it was great to hear so many fellow industry professionals sharing their optimism for the industry, the most inspiring news came from the conference’s host – the city of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia – www.phillywatersheds.org
Philadelphia’s water department (PWD) website states “We aim to integrate water resources management into the socio-economic fabric of the city by creating amenities for the people who live and work here.”
No sooner did  Philly’s water commissioner Howard Neukrug,  make the same proclamation as part of his welcome address to the conference  did he immediately start outlining his Green City Clean Water plan to achieve it. In short, Philadelphia has pledged to spend $2 billion dollars to create 9,000 “green acres.”  A green acre is 43,560 SF of pervious surface. Howard has pledged to find ways to manage stormwater before it finds its way into the city’s struggling 150 + year old combined sewer stormwater system. If he is successful, in the next 25 years he will convert 1/3 of Philadelphia’s current impermeable surfaces into green spaces that will absorb stormwater. While exciting, this is not exactly a new theory for dealing with aging or overwhelmed public utility infrastructure. In recent history we have seen many electric utility companies responding to increased demand not by building new power plants but instead by distributing energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs to their customers. Here Howard aims to spend the $2 Billion functionally beautifying the city of Philadelphia rather then building water treatment plants. Just think of all the green spaces, public parks, and green roofs that will be installed to reach the city’s goal!  The quality of life just went up in Philadelphia!

This doesn’t appear to be all talk either; Philadelphia recently announced a partnership agreement with the EPA to implement their Green City Clean Water plan.

(http://phillywatersheds.org/doc/EPA_Partnership_Agreement.pdf)

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Philadelphia became the first city to achieve a five emerald rating from the Natural Resources Defense Council in their Rooftops to Rivers II report. Below is the chart ranking the 14 cities studied:

NRDC Emerald City Scale

Policy
To achieve their ambitious goal, Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania have been busy creating a “Stormwater Management Incentives Program (SMIP) to help businesses and non-profits green large, impervious properties and unburden the city’s sewer system from high volumes of stormwater runoff.”  Below is a list of incentives and free services provided for both public and private developments to reach the city’s goal:
-          reduced stormwater fees
-          free design assistance
-          low-interest loans to owners of large impervious properties
-          green roof tax credit
-          rain barrel giveaways
-          expedited permit reviews (referred to as “green reviews”)

On the public project side, Philadelphia has started to transition their billing processes from a standard rate to an adjustable system that charges by the amount of impervious surface area each development has. Just think of what would happen if New York did this!
Okay so NYC finished second with a four-emerald rating. Not bad, but let’s compare Philadelphia and New York City’s green roof tax credits. Here is a quick overview of each:

Philadelphia Tax Credit – valued up to 25 percent of the costs incurred to build and maintain a green roof, up to a maximum of $100,000 per year, for up to six years. Green roof must cover at least 50% of the available roof area and the owner must agree to 5-year maintenance commitment.

Philadelphia Business Privilege Tax – Green Roof Tax Credit

New York City Tax Credit – One-year tax abatement, valued at $4.50 per square foot of green roof installed, up to a maximum of $100,000. Green roof must cover at least 50% of the available roof area and the owner must agree to 4-year maintenance commitment.

NYC Green Roof Property Tax Abatement Program

Philadelphia’s tax credit is twice as much!  But that is not the best part. Philadelphia’s tax credit is not just a one-time credit. Philadelphia building owners can write off 25% of the maintenance costs for each of the first 6 years, as long as it doesn’t exceed $100,000.

Sorry New York, but again Philly looks a little greener.

This is Part 1 of a 2 part feature on the Cities Alive conference.

This month, we have scheduled a series of in-house educational programs, lectures, and events aimed at raising awareness of recent trends and innovations in sustainable design. We call the month “Green April,” and this year’s theme is “Living Green.” Last week, we were introduced to New York’s new Bike Share program by Kate Fillin-Yeh, Program Director at the Department of Transportation. Essentially, NYC Bike Share is a new transportation system for the city based on establishing a dense constellation of 10,000 bikes clustered at mini-stations throughout most of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. Users can walk up, insert a membership card, unlock a bike, ride for a short distance, and then park the bike at a new station that’s close to their destination. Enabling users to make these short one-way trips with bikes is critical to filling in the gaps of an already robust transportation network. Stations will be located within an ideal density of one per 1000’ x 1000’ area (Kate described finding a station “as easy as finding a deli”). For many, that last mile of a commute, cross-town connection, or even the ability to bike to an express stop for a train can have significant impacts on reducing travel times in the city. And for the larger community, it improves bicycle safety, promotes healthy exercise and cleaner air, and creates new activity nodes.

Kate and her colleagues at the Department of Transportation (DOT) have studied the accomplishments and lessons-learned from other city programs, such as Washington DC, London, Melbourne, and Paris, which has the largest and densest network (28,000 Bikes), as well as what are the best ways to administer the program’s financing, maintenance, and technical and construction details. Additionally, the DOT is spearheading an ambitious public outreach program; consisting of events, meetings, public input workshops and a dynamic online site where you can help shape the city’s new transit options and suggest a station location. NYC Bike Share will be run by Alta Bicycle Share and funded by private sponsorship and user fees, not taxpayer dollars. Bike Share membership will be inexpensive (less than one monthly MetroCard), and bikes will be available 24/7.

Kate Fillin-Yeh, Program Director, NYC Department of Transportation speaking to our firm.

Following the lecture, our packed audience of architects, planners and allied professionals peppered Kate with dozens of questions on every aspect of the program, and she handled the rapid-fire Q&A session with ease and transparency. It’s likely she’s answered many of the same questions before in numerous public DOT meetings. The lecture ended with a surprise gift – the winner receiving a one-year membership to the bike program (no, unfortunately it wasn’t me).

What is perhaps most remarkable and refreshing about this program is how it offers a truly affirmative approach to planning and sustainability. We often think that public planning process is one which tends to only enable citizens to stymie, delay or shut down a project. Can you imagine a website or public workshop with the residents clamoring to have a sewage treatment plant built on their block the way they are for these bike stations? As a means of advancing a more environmentally balanced city, this is not about banning, prohibiting or reduction. It’s easy to think that all we need to do to curb threats to our planet’s health is to say “no”. The pessimistic forecast for global warming and the need to face these challenges with a stern vigilance is sobering. Yet NYC Bike Share is about offering more, expanding services, and promoting freedoms and access. The city is catching up with a movement that is all about affirming the optimism of sustainability. I, for one, can’t wait to go along for the ride.

We kind of expect paint, carpet, millwork, cleaning products, etc., that we touch and use every day to be safe. Isn’t that what the government, codes, LEED, UL, and Material Safety Data Sheet are supposed to take care of for us?

The truth is, architects don’t know very much about the safety of the materials we specify. Thousands of chemicals are not covered by laws that would require their disclosure or their testing for human health and safety. Others are considered “proprietary” and therefore are not clearly spelled out on products’ Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Substances such as endocrine disrupting chemicals, halogenated flame retardants, phthalates in vinyl, cutting-edge bio and nanomaterials are all potentially toxic chemicals in the materials that, as architects, we specify and should understand. Fortunately, professionals from various parts of the design and construction industry are addressing these issues.

Recently, I attended the seminar “Healing the Materials Supply Chain: The Google Story” at the Center for Architecture. Organized by the AIA New York Committee on the Environment (COTE) and introduced by FXFOWLE’s Director of Sustainability Ilana Judah, the seminar delved into various issues surrounding the health and safety of construction materials, including toxicity, waste in the manufacturing process and disposal/recycling. The format of the presentation was well-conceived in providing the perspective of three different professionals – the advocate/policy maker, the owner/operator and the designer/specifier:

Advocate/Policy Maker

Bill Walsh, policy maker, advocacy lawyer, and founder of Executive Director of the Healthy Building Network, is pushing for maximum transparency of construction material’s chemical composition, manufacturing processes, impact on health and safety when installed and impact on waste/recycling stream. It is difficult to know all the chemicals that are in the materials we specify because it is not required by law or code, or concealed by manufactures as “proprietary” (Bill displayed a MSDS with such a claim). Through the Healthy Building Network, Bill is consolidating all of the disparate resources and “red lists” that currently cite the composition and toxicity of building materials into a comprehensive industry standard format. 

Owner/Operator

Employee health and safety is a top priority at Google. As the leader of the company’s Real Estate and Workplace Services Green Team, Anthony Ravitz is responsible for building healthy workspaces for thousands of Google employees. Utilizing Anthony’s extensive research of building materials and toxicity, Google created the “Google Healthy Building Materials Program”, which is a working list of acceptable building materials that are free of red list toxins and whose contents are transparent to consumers. Beyond the immediate concern of employee health and safety and through market leverage, forward-thinking companies like Google will influence suppliers of building materials to reconsider their manufacturing process and remove potentially toxic chemicals.

Designer/Specifier

As the Director of Specifications and Sustainability at HLW International, Susan Kaplan works with Google and other companies to design with, and specify materials that are safe for the work environment. Susan provided valuable insight into the safety of materials from the perspective of the designer, including tips of where to research materials and how to properly specify them so the owner receives a product that has the properties deemed most important (whether it’s health and safety, durability, or aesthetic).

Some websites that provide further information on the issues and initiatives surrounding healthy building materials:

Healthy Building Network

Pharos

Health Product Declaration Forum

Environmental Health Perspectives article by Linda Birnbaum – Environmental Chemicals: Evaluating Low-Dose Effects

EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP)

“Living Green” is a month-long series of Blog posts that will discuss and promote the firm’s activities and programs for “Green April.” We hope the dialogue enlightens and inspires you to live green.

(L to R) The Lorax (DANNY DEVITO) argues with the Once-ler (ED HELMS) in “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”, a 3D-CG adventure from the creators of “Despicable Me” and the imagination of Dr. Seuss. Credit: Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment.

The Lorax is one of my favorite books by Dr. Seuss. I like to think the idea of environmental protection was important to me as a child even if it was subconscious. Of course, it could be that I just thought the Lorax was cute. Either way, when I saw the book at a Greenbuild conference a few years ago, I had to buy it (I also bought The Solar Cat Book, which is hysterical and informative just in case you need a distraction from depressing environmental discussions, but I digress).

When I read The Lorax again as a “pre-mom” adult it strongly resonated with me as a clear illustration of why environmental protection is so critical. It did not appear to me to have a political agenda. The book’s colorful illustrations and cute creatures simply showed how completely destroying a resource does not benefit anyone. Where is the controversy in that?

When my daughter was born, The Lorax went into the pile of things for ‘when she is older’. In the crazy whirlwind of life with a small child, I forgot about the book. Fortunately, the movie’s release reminded me of its existence so it didn’t have to move into the pile ‘she’s too old for this’ without being read.

When I first saw the TV ads for the new movie “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”, I was cautiously optimistic that it might be worth seeing since the trailer wasn’t half-bad. However, taking a book that can be read in 15 minutes and expanding it to 90 minutes requires a lot of filler. A previous attempt to turn a Dr. Seuss book into a movie was nearly unwatchable. Maybe The Cat in the Hat will forgive Hollywood someday.

So the movie opened, and my daughter and I went. It was definitely watchable, mostly enjoyable, but could have been much better. I guess there’s a theory that kids need lots of loud music to enjoy a movie. After experiencing endless repetitions of “I Like to Move It” from “Madagascar” to my daughter’s delight, I can’t deny the theory has some merit. “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” has plenty of music, including a massive choral opening number. It also has an electric guitar featured in most of the songs by the Once-ler, one of the main characters. 

Let’s just say electric guitar accompaniment did not enhance either the music or the overall viewing experience for me. I found it so distracting that I was concerned my daughter would miss the meaning of the movie in the cacophony. I should never have doubted her incredible intelligence. There is a particularly busy production number with flashes of decimated landscape and the Once-ler repeatedly stating “How bad can I be?” while describing all of his excesses. After his song ended, my daughter turned to me and said, “But he is bad!”. I was so proud.

What I found most interesting about the movie was the ending. Like the book, the Once-ler gives a young boy the last Truffula tree seed. But then the movie goes entirely in a different direction as the boy goes back to his town, and asks all of the townspeople whether or not the seed should be planted. Of course everyone agrees to plant the seed, and that is all good, but it’s done as yet another big musical number. Even though I liked the song, the pace was frantic, there was singing, dancing, and a car chase (yes, you heard me right, a car chase); all of which seemed to overshadow the strong sense of personal responsibility that the book imparts in its last pages. 

“UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing’s going to get better: it’s not.”

That night, the bedtime story was The Lorax. It’s possible I enjoyed the book more than my daughter, but I figure if I have to watch endless repetitions of her favorite movies she can endure reading my favorite books a few times. I’m sure after a few dozen repetitions it will grow on her.

This is the latest post in a series about the balance (or lack thereof) between being an architect and being a mother. It’s not always easy, but it is always interesting.

FXFOWLE was founded over 34 years ago and is deeply rooted in conservationist values. Today, our projects continue to set new standards in environmentally-responsible design, and even though buildings are the largest contributor of greenhouse gases and a major consumer of materials, they are also an important part of the solution. By rethinking how we design–from individual structures to entire communities–we can make a significant impact to repair and restore the state of the environment. But we must also rethink how we “live green.”

Each spring, the firm holds a month-long series of in-house educational programs, lectures, and events aimed at raising awareness of recent trends and innovations in sustainable design. We call the month “Green April,” and this year’s theme is “Living Green.” The title is meant to present a broad range of issues and topics that describe–or question–what it means to work and live sustainably.

As architects and designers, we are constantly absorbing knowledge and new ideas of how to design and build sustainably. Throughout this month, we will learn how to decipher technical information to select the right type of green materials for a building or interior, discover the latest innovative strategies to design “net-zero” buildings, as well as implement best practices for green roofs.

As urban citizens, we will be exploring ways that community groups and government agencies are contributing to a greener urban lifestyle. Guest speakers will include Kate Fillin-Yeh, Program Director at the Department of Transportation, who will be talking with us about New York City’s new Bike Share Program; and Michael Brotchner, Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx, who will discuss how innovative environmental programs have strengthened the local economy through green job training, community greening programs and education.

Additional programs throughout the month will get us out of the office and see our ideas in practice!  We will put on our hardhats and visit the Javits Convention Center to check-out the latest progress on the green retrofitting and revitalization of this iconic mega-structure; and we will visit our project at 250 Hudson Street, a prairie-like 8,000 square foot extensive and intensive green roof.

These are just a few programs and events we have planned this month for “Green April” that will help us contribute more positively to the environment, improve our office practices and operations, and our daily lives.

How are you “Living Green”?

“Living Green” is a month-long series of Blog posts that will discuss and promote the firm’s activities and programs for “Green April.” We hope the dialogue enlightens and inspires you to live green.