It’s August and if your climate is anything like that here in Washington, DC, it’s probably a good time to take your laptop (or iPad) and a glass of lemonade somewhere nice and cool and browse through the greatest posts on Work+Place. This week’s “best of” includes:
Check back soon for Episode VIII…and stay cool!
You think I have flipped with my new addiction to the ‘open space’ of biomimicry. But below, a FastCompany article/series called ”Case Studies in Sustainability: The Designer’s Accord“ is yet another cool dose, this time with IDEO, an incredible thinking-powerhouse in their effort to redesign the internal structure of the USGBC. My dream is that HOK can muster the courage to look at how we are organized…and how we might become more resilient and organic…more nimble…inclusive…able to adapt and evolve with the speed of this new world economy.
A regenerative HOK would be our greatest contribution to sustainability.
Our clients clearly need this and I know if we listen carefully …
As many of you know, our own Leigh Stringer has been hitting the talk circuit pretty hard to promote sustainability in the office (and her book, The Green Workplace). Last Wednesday, Leigh had the opportunity to speak to the U.S. Green Building Council’s National Capital Region chapter.
Following an introduction and update on the chapter’s activities by Executive Director Tom Mawson, and a thoughtful introduction by Laura Schonfeld (Secretary of the Board of Directors), Leigh took to the stage.
Her presentation discussed the context for the book, AHA! moments she had while writing it, and an analysis of what is coming down the pipeline …
You might remember a few months back when you heard that sometimes people mistake me and my Advance Strategies colleagues for telemarketers. Well, today, they would be spot-on!
A while back, I signed up as a member of the communications committee for the U.S. Green Building Council’s National Capital Region (USGBC-NCR). I haven’t done too much besides go to a couple of meetings and sit in on some conference calls. All that changed last week when the new chair contacted me and got me involved in marketing the RealGreen conference.
RealGreen is the chapter’s conference that fouses on “real progress and solutions to environmental concerns” and highlights “the region’s unique …
Always a leader in sustainable design, today HOK announced development of a new green building rating system (look out USGBC!): Checklist for Gingerbread Green Homes (CGGH).
Developed by an interdisciplinary team of HOK’s finest (John Cantrell, Weronika Cichosz, JoAnn Brookes, Lori Selcer, and Julian Tablada), CGGH helps gingerbread artists create the greenest ginger-person homes. This effort was inspired by Toronto’s LEED Platinum house developed for Habitat for Humanity last year (featured on Treehugger, Inhabitat, and Notcot).
Toronto’s delicious creation followed green building principles found in the USGBC’s LEED rating system. HOK’s new CGGH takes green ginger construction a step further, examining the total process from ingredient …
HOK’s chairman and most vocal sustainable design advocate is blogging Greenbuild 2009 for Contract magazine.
In his first post for Contract, Bill reflects on his journey to Phoenix, writes about seeing the automated people mover designed by HOK being constructed at the Phoenix airport and describes taking the light rail train to his hotel.
In his next post, Bill gets excited about a new LED downlight from the expo and zeroes in on zero carbon and building retrofits as the big themes for Day 1…and much more.
Related: HOK is recording lots of green-ahas!
A couple of weeks ago, as I was prepping myself for taking the LEED exam, one of our sustainable knowledge gurus, Seth Teel, opened me up to a new resource for studying: LEEDvisual.com.
Yes, I still had to use the reference guide and the USGBC Colorado Chapter’s Study Guide and Practice Exam, but this new resource is great for people who think in more visual terms. The producer of the content is unknown and the site could use a little TLC (gramatically and layout-wise), but nonetheless, a good resource. I’m not going to give it all the credit for helping me pass the test, but it’s definitely one of the …
On March 30, Natalia Lombardi and I had the pleasure of representing HOK New York at NJIT’s Women Taking the LEED Panel Discussion. Hosted by the student chapters of NOMA and USGBC at NJIT, the panel focused on highlighting the role of women in the sustainability movement.
Women Taking the LEED Panelists (left to right):
Hillary Brown, FAIA – New Civic Works, Founding Principal
Christine Brunicati, R.A. – NJIT, Center for Architecture and Building Science Research
Kimberly Dowdell, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, LEED AP – HOK New York
Natalia Lombardi, AIA, LEED AP – HOK New York, Senior Associate
Margaret E. Seip, AICP/PP – Community Planner in New Jersey
The audience of over 30 students and staff members appeared engaged throughout …
I know. I promised to try and frequently blog and post pictures from Greenbuild. I failed. Not for lack of effort. More like lack of time. Maybe next year.
As I look back on this trip, the most amazing thing about this event is the people – a people inspired by change. Everyone is cordial, welcoming and friendly. Everyone’s looking for answers to the growing questions surrounding sustainable design. Many answers are provided.
With my first trip to Greenbuild in the books, I’d like to walk you through it from my perspective as an exhibitor and not an attendee.
Monday, November 17, 2008
6:20 am – Flight leaves for Boston via DC. Much coffee needed.
11:15 am – Flight lands in Boston. Tim Gaidis and …
