Why I Stopped Treating Passive and Active Design Like Enemies
Man, I was such an idealistic mess when I first started consulting on sustainable projects back in 2015. I’d march into client meetings with this evangelical fervor about either passive…
Why Most “Green” Buildings Are Just Expensive Theater
I was standing in this client’s kitchen last Tuesday, looking at these bamboo cabinets that probably cost more than what I paid for my Honda Civic ten years ago, and…
Why Most “Green” Buildings Are Actually Terrible (And What Actually Works)
Last week I was walking through a new subdivision with a client, looking at what the developer proudly called their “sustainable community.” Every house had solar panels, drought-tolerant plants (read:…
Five Sustainable Design Projects That Actually Work (And What I Learned From Visiting Them)
You want to know what really gets me going? It’s not reading about sustainable design in journals or seeing award-winning projects in magazines. It’s walking through actual buildings that work…
Why Most New Developments Are Climate Disasters (And How a Few Cities Are Finally Getting It Right)
You want to see something that’ll make your blood boil? I was walking through this massive new subdivision outside Denver last week – 300 homes, all identical, all facing whatever…
Why School Buildings Are Basically Jails (And How Small Changes Could Fix That)
I volunteered at a local elementary school last week to help with their after-school program, and honestly? Walking into that building felt like entering a low-security prison. Buzzing fluorescent lights…
I Spent a Day at Stanford’s Sustainable Design Program—Here’s What They’re Actually Teaching
I keep getting these emails from architecture students who are basically having the same crisis I had fifteen years ago—they’re sitting in studios making weird sculptural buildings that would never…
Why I Started Following Real Families Making Sustainable Changes (And What Actually Works)
Standing in Maria’s backyard in Scottsdale yesterday, I watched her practically beam with pride as she showed off her rain barrel setup. “Jennifer, you’ve got to see this,” she said,…
Why I Had to Stop Designing Green Buildings That Nobody Could Actually Live In
I’ve been staring at this rendering on my desk for the past week, and I can’t shake this sick feeling in my stomach. It’s a beautiful mixed-use development – sleek…
Why I Changed My Mind About Office Furniture After Fifteen Years in Building Supply
You know what hit me last month? I was walking through this co-working space in downtown Seattle – one of those trendy places with exposed brick and too much kombucha…