Getting to Greener Outcomes: How to Understand and Influence Decision Makers without Losing your Resolve
Associate Principal Ben Willis recently joined a panel hosted by Green Building United at Temple University to explore how design professionals can better advocate for sustainability in building projects.
“Excellent, succinct takeaways from Ben – this is the best sustainable design advice I’ve heard in a while! ” —Andrew Wagner, Director of Sustainability / Senior Project Manager at NK Architects
- Learn how to talk about “sustainability” without saying “sustainability”: look for places that the values and goals of the decision makers (eg. employee retention, building durability & weather resistance, maintenance costs) intersect with sustainable goals and align better building science with those values and goals.
- Make the “greenest” decisions until you encounter resistance.
- Specifications have power, and are often overlooked by clients and project teams alike.
- Doesn’t matter what you (or any government administration) calls it, climate change is like gravity and is coming regardless. Let’s keep running towards the best ways to adapt
Associate Principal Ben Willis was part of a panel hosted by Green Building United at Temple University in Philadelphia to discuss practical strategies for advocating sustainability in building projects. Architects, developers, and sustainability experts contributed to a lively discussion about overcoming common hurdles and making sustainability integral to project success.
“Thanks again to Green Building United for throwing a terrific symposium last week. Grateful for the chance to hear four very smart (Kristen Suzda, Shawn Hesse, Rachel De Angelo, Leslie Billhymer,) people talk about how to influence more sustainable decisions on projects”
– Ben Willis, Associate Principal