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OPINION
Building sustainability into an AEC firm requires passion, patience, collaboration, and a focus on business value and long-term impact. Sustainability as a new business line
W hen I joined Cushing Terrell in 2006, I was excited that sustainability was already part of the company’s values. Since then, the firm has expanded its commitments in this area. We’re part of an industry-wide movement pushing for all new buildings and major renovations to be carbon neutral by 2030. Along the way, I’ve expanded my knowledge as well. In 2012, I earned a master’s degree in sustainable design from the University of Texas, School of Architecture.
Ashleigh Powell LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP
Our firm’s sustainable design initiative, aligned with the AIA Design Excellence Framework, provides our teams with baseline best practices for application to our projects. It includes 10 measures that cover integration, community, ecology, water, economy, energy, wellness, resources, change, and discovery. We also expanded our commitment with a new sustainability business line, which I’m proud to have helped develop and launch in 2022. Here’s some of what I’ve learned in the past few years about the challenges and opportunities that this path poses: 1. It helps to spend time establishing a firm-wide team and buy-in for sustainability. At my firm,
much of this concentrated effort began when a grassroots group of multidisciplinary designers got together several years ago and formed a Green Advocacy Council. This really set us up to engage with leadership and point to the ways we were making a difference and how our teams were engaged in moving the needle forward on sustainability. In the last few years with so much growth and change, it was really important to research and present on the industry imperatives and business opportunities for sustainable and carbon-neutral building design. 2. There is no clear roadmap for building sustainability into your firm’s structure. The AEC industry is not alone in that we will need to be
See ASHLEIGH POWELL, page 8
THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 3, 2025, ISSUE 1571
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