Small Firm Sustainable Design Leaders –
I find it hard to believe calls for session proposals are already out for next year’s AIA Conference on Architecture. I feel like I just got back!
At my firm, we try to have all principals and associates to submit a proposal each year. I had a couple of take-aways from this year’s conference (and the Small Firm SDL Summit) and some reading that has set up my idea. The first was COTE’s Habits of High Performing Firms where the Lake|Flato firm spotlight emphasized how they had made a conscious decision to transition their firm towards a more sustainable practice. Perhaps it was because our firm is actively working on this, but I heard several people say their firms were in similar positions at the Small Firm Sustainable Design Leaders Summit and throughout the week of the conference.
Second, one of the sessions I attended at A’19 (which was really great for a number of reasons) was a moderated panel called ‘How to Build a Successful Research-Minded Practice’. One thing that struck me was that even with their sincere attempt to vary the firm sizes represented (Gould Evans – 160p, HKS – 1300p, HDR – 9,966p) I still felt that much of the discussion wasn’t relevant to my 30-person firm. There was a level of resources and ability to dedicate staff roles and OH time that simply isn’t available to small firms. And while this session was talking about research, sustainability is analogous.
It got me thinking that a moderated panel on small firms actively pivoting to a sustainable-focused practice would be beneficial. I talked with Nadav about moderating and he suggested reaching out to this group to gauge interest, get reactions and advice, and look for potential panelists. Please feel free to respond to me directly (jroseberry@trivers.com) with any thoughts/advice you may have – or if you may be interested in joining our panel. Also wondering if I should cross-post to the umbrella Green Gurus forum...
I look forward to talking with you!
Thanks,
James
