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Sustainability isn't just a concept in architecture; it's a guiding principle, one that every designer should lean into, especially as we celebrate Earth Month. As architects, we're tasked with not just designing visually appealing structures but also ensuring they're environmentally friendly, healthy for our occupants, and cost-effective. To achieve this, we must return to the basics of design and integrate holistic sustainable choices from the very beginning.

Skanska, a global leader in sustainable building, has restructured its Sustainability Team to better serve client and company goals. Co-led by Steve Clem and Myrrh Caplan, who together bring decades of experience, the team will allow Skanska to continue to set the bar for the industry.

Kansas City’s new Sobela Ocean Aquarium is a world-class facility home to nearly 8,000 animals in 34 habitats ranging from small tanks to a giant 400,000-gallon shark tank. 

The 65,000-sf facility takes visitors from a shallow tropical shore, following a “warm current into the melting pot of the deep ocean, and is carried via a cold current from the depths, through the ocean’s forests, emerging at a cool Pacific coast,” according to a news release.

In recent years, there has been a sharp focus on creating a more sustainable building industry. Several elements go into this: choosing the right products, prioritizing sustainability, and exceeding regulatory requirements. These elements work together to provide contractors, home builders, and building owners with a more sustainable future. 

The built environment matters. School districts that spend tax dollars to improve their schools can get much more than a new or renovated building. A new study suggests statistically significant connections between school modernization and occupants’ well-being and satisfaction; and that the modernization process enhances community engagement and connectivity. Evidence also indicates that school modernization has a significant positive impact on key educational indicators, including test scores, graduation rates, and enrollment over time.

COOKFOX Architects has completed a luxury apartment building at 378 West End Avenue in New York City. The project restored and renovated the original residence built in 1915, while extending a new structure east on West 78th Street. 

In 2023, mass timber used for construction globally was, by one estimate, valued at $1 billion. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) captured 47 percent of that market, and 51 percent of the mass timber produced was installed for residential projects, according to the market research firm The Brainy Insights. Demand for mass timber is expected to climb to $2.15 billion by 2033.

In today’s healthcare landscape, the optimal medical office goes beyond a surface-level focus on wellness to intentionally supporting emotional well-being and the whole patient. The current mental health crisis impacting patients has influenced the kind of care our communities are seeking out, while exasperating the burden on the medical staff supporting them.

In Santa Monica, Calif., Brunson Terrace is an all-electric, 100% affordable housing project that’s over eight times more energy efficient than similar buildings, according to architect Brooks + Scarpa. Located across the street from Santa Monica College, the net zero building has been certified LEED Platinum.