The Evolving Pillars of Green Building

Sustainability, transparency, wellness and resiliency are the pillars of the green building world. Host Daniel Huard, the Godfather of Sustainability, collaborates with the experts around the world focusing on green design.

 

The realm of green building has evolved dramatically in the past 20 years. While sustainability has been a term that dates back further, it wasn’t so long ago that green design wasn’t mainstream, more of an afterthought. To discuss this evolution and its impact on the four pillars of green building, host Daniel Huard welcomed Katie Weeks, a sustainable design expert. She currently serves as the Managing Director, Communications and Development at the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT).

Huard met Weeks when she was the editor of Ecostructure Magazine, a publication of Hanley Wood. In her years at Hanley Wood, she was able to be a part of and start dialogues around green building. Her position at IMT is now more hands-on. So, what’s the evolution she’s seen? “In the past, when people spoke about sustainable design, it was standalone, a silo. Now it’s mainstream, and green design is just good design,” she remarked.

Huard and Weeks then touched on the other pillars of green design, resiliency, transparency, and wellness.

“Resiliency is about more than can a building survive a natural disaster. It’s about is the space flexible for a longer life span. Future-proofing a building is more than just the technology aspect. How will a building’s role evolve in supporting the community?” Weeks said.

Transparency in green building is also critical. Sharing information and knowledge benefits has a greater collective impact. IMT is working with local governments on building performance programs. “With building benchmarking data not publicly available in many jurisdictions, we can understand how that space is actually performing,” Weeks added.

Finally, wellness is a top priority, and the pandemic has changed that discussion. “We’re having conversations with architects, designers, and engineers about what makes a healthy space. Not just for those using it but for all of the community,” Weeks noted.

Listen To Previous Episodes of Build for Impact Right Here!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

symmetry CONNECT
Introducing Symmetry Connect: Automating Physical Identity and Access Management
April 2, 2025

In today’s fast-paced, security-conscious environment, managing who has access to what—and when—is more critical than ever. That’s where Symmetry CONNECT Identity Management by AMAG comes in, offering a powerful, streamlined solution for physical identity and access management (PIAM). With growing compliance demands and increasingly complex workforces, organizations need tools that can automate onboarding, simplify credentialing,…

Read More
data center construction
Data Center Construction Demands Are Surging But Power, Permitting, and Planning Are Holding It Back
April 1, 2025

Explosive demand for artificial intelligence, cloud services, and low-latency connectivity is reshaping the landscape for data center construction in the U.S. With hyperscalers and enterprises alike racing to deploy infrastructure closer to end users, new builds are increasingly challenged by the need for high-capacity power, complex permitting, and skilled labor. According to CBRE, U.S….

Read More
intelligent audio systems
Redefining Security: The Critical Role of Voice in Intelligent Audio Systems
April 1, 2025

In the world of security technology, vision has long taken precedence—cameras, analytics, and access control have dominated the conversation. But what if we’ve been underestimating our oldest, most human sense of communication: voice? The rise of intelligent audio in security systems marks a turning point in how we protect spaces and people, shifting from passive…

Read More
How PSA is Empowering Integrators to Navigate AI, Mobile Credentials, and Modern Business Challenges?
April 1, 2025

As the security integration industry contends with rapid technological advancement and increasing business complexity, many integrators are looking for the tools, training, and guidance to keep pace. At the center of this evolution is AI—transforming not just the products integrators deploy but also the way they operate their businesses. Meanwhile, the shift to mobile credentials…

Read More