DesignIDEATE with Adam Meltzer

Circular Construct

The timing on this episode of DesignIDEATE, could not be better, Adam Meltzer— sustainability strategist, LEED Legacy AP, WELL AP, TRUE Zero Waste Advisor—reveals his path to strategy leading with sustainability. Adam flips the script on the impacts that a circular construction perspective has on our future, and he’s proven it with numerous high profile orgs.

What is the tipping point that has arisen causing strategic sustainability to accelerate?  

Population increase, housing and climate change exclusively, all creating change concurrently.

Architects often focus on:

·       New Construction  

·       Structural embodied carbon

·       Investor Returns and Profits

·       Concrete, Steel, Exterior Glazing

Interior designers often focus on:

·       Adaptive Reuse/Remodels

·       Human Health, Function and Wellness

·       Workplace Performance and Organizational Profitability

·       Drywall, Ceilings, Millwork, Interior Glazing

But here’s the tension:

The EPA reports that construction and demolition waste remains the largest waste stream in the U.S. — more than twice household trash — with ~600 million tons generated in 2018. Research from The Greenest Building study indicates it can take decades for new construction to offset its carbon impact through efficiency alone. Forecasts from ConstructConnect suggest renovation spending in the U.S. could rise by nearly 70% by 2030, driven by aging buildings and retrofit demand. Remodeling activity is expected to grow faster than new construction over the next few years, driven by demographic factors, equity in housing, and cost pressures. Architect/Designer-led specification continues to influence the majority of projects. 

“Architects remain deeply involved in product and material specification — with over 80% reporting they lead specification research — but interior design systems are where designers often drive key lifecycle and systems decisions, particularly in interior retrofits, millwork, glazing, and lighting systems.” - AIA

If that’s true…

Shouldn’t every construction project have a strategic edge – lessening carbon through specifications? 

In this episode, we explore the new language of construction:

·       Embodied carbon vs. operational carbon

·       Adaptive reuse vs. churn

·       Deconstruction vs. demolition

·       Circular material economies

·       The uncomfortable truths about “green” materials

Because sustainability is no longer a badge. It is the way forward, and circular. How is your organization using sustainability strategically? This session is dedicated to our clients, future clients, and all those on career paths in architecture, design and sustainability, because we all are the change. 

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