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Design With
Conscience Recognizing how great a responsibility this is, the design community has taken a leadership role and is taking collective action to create places that have a positive impact on people and the planet. Read how six firms are using the power of design to help create better futures. ARP Astrance Offices, Paris, France Designers and architects know the places they build have an impact on the people who live and work in them, as well as their communities.

“Our vision
goes beyond the
simple idea of risk
reduction to creating
places which are
beneficial to us —
regenerative places.” Gwennaële Chabroullet
Deputy Managing Director
Sustainable Strategies + Environment
Transition Division ARP Astrance French design firm ARP Astrance has a bold raison d’être: “To create real estate and cities with a positive impact.” As the first design and architectural firm to become B-Corp certified in France, ARP Astrance has been working with clients for more than 30 years to help them create sustainable, healthy workplaces through biophilic design and circular economy principles, while reducing carbon and designing for the overall wellbeing of people.

“Social responsibility and environmental protection are at the heart of our DNA,” says Gwennaële Chabroullet, deputy managing director, Sustainable Strategies and Environmental Transition Division. “We integrate social and ecological concerns into all our activities and into our relationships with our customers, employees and partners.”

ARP Astrance recently reinvented their own workplace in Paris, which has been certified by CERTIVEA (France’s leading certification body for sustainable living environments) and awarded its OsmoZ label. The new space was designed to maximize flexibility, reuse existing furniture and carpet and include biophilic elements everywhere to enhance the wellbeing of people and reduce carbon by more than 75%. The space is also in the process of receiving the Circolab® Label, the first Label that promotes circular economy real estate projects in France. “This project proves that it’s possible to do this, within a realistic budget and timing,” says Chabroullet.

The firm uses its own office, the Phénix, as a testing ground for its Net Positive strategies, which focus on health and wellbeing, the environment and reducing carbon emissions. Transforming a neglected 1950s-era warehouse in Montreal’s South-West borough into a unique work environment, the Phénix is part of its community’s revitalization and has prevented 12,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions that would have been produced by the construction of a new building. The space features biophilic elements such as a living green wall and climbing plant modules to improve indoor air quality, balance humidity and maintain a connection to nature. All office areas have access to daylight and views, reducing the need for artificial lighting — all of which has enabled the Phénix to achieve a rare 3-star Fitwel rating, Zero Carbon Building Standard and LEED-Platinum certifications.

“Net Positive™ not only refocuses and upcycles the macro levels of buildings and neighborhood masterplans, but those of interiors as well,” says Lafrance. “The result is a set of cascading benefits that extend from the improvement of public perception and employee attraction and retention to providing quantifiable degrees of user fulfillment alongside reduced operations costs and better ROIs.” Lemay client Nortera Head Office, Montreal, Quebec Lemay Canadian architecture firm Lemay believes thoughtful design can transform the world and create meaningful spaces for people and their communities, and they are making it happen through their rigorous Net Positive™ framework.

“Net Positive™ is our core ESG initiative centered on the scalable development of sustainable built environments, as well as holistic behavioral changes in users today and their resilient futures tomorrow,” explains Hugo Lafrance, director of Sustainability at Lemay.

Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre,
Adelaide Australia “Our role is to listen, and
translate the aspirations
and ambitions of the ARG
into a design response.
The Aboriginal Art and
Cultures Centre will be a
place for all Australians
to remember ourselves,
to learn the truth-telling
of our past, and to
reimagine ourselves
together to create new
memories as a connected
community.” Rosina Di Maria
Principal Woods Bagot Woods Bagot, a global design firm based in Australia, believes designers “must grow alongside the complexities of this ever-changing world with a diversity of thought and inclusiveness of perspective.” “If we are to make an impact beyond design, we must create a world where architecture is revered for its service more than its style,” says Ray Yuen, principal at Woods Bagot. “Every person within our organization must contribute to the idea that we can shift the direction of an entire industry to appeal more to human instinct, the human condition and human sensibilities.”

Among the many initiatives Woods Bagot has undertaken to achieve this goal is its commitment to promoting reconciliation and raise awareness about colonization and its ongoing effects on Indigenous people. Woods Bagot’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) demonstrates the firm’s dedication to building stronger relationships with Indigenous communities through meaningful partnerships, collaborating with local Indigenous leaders, elders and organizations to ensure their voices are heard and respected in the planning and design processes.

Currently, Woods Bagot is working with Diller Scofidio + Renfro on the Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre (AACC) in Adelaide, Australia. The AACC is being built on Kaurna land and will showcase the past, present and future of Aboriginal cultures while supporting contemporary art practices and events. The design team engaged in deep conversations with members of the AACC Aboriginal Reference Group (ARG) to discover the design vision. Woods Bagot principal Rosina Di Maria described the consultation process as a humbling and emotional experience.

“We chose to focus on the largest disparity gaps in terms of representation in our industry — the Black population, especially Black women,” says Jason Pugh, global director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Gensler. “While this was very controversial, since you run the risk of excluding other underrepresented groups, our thought process was that a rising tide lifts all ships. The relationships, the partnerships, the resources, the programs that we put into place to support and advance and help build the recruitment, retention and advancement of Black female architects will support other marginalized groups, whether that’s Asians, Hispanic Latinos, the LGBQT+ community. And three years into it, our data is starting to reflect that our strategies are working.” Gensler Apprenticeship Program “The relationships, the partnerships, the resources, the programs that we put into place to support and advance and help build the recruitment, retention and advancement of Black female architects will support other marginalized groups.” Jason Pugh
Global Director of Diversity, Equity + Inclusion Gensler Following the killing of George Floyd in 2020, Gensler, a global design firm, felt a responsibility to bring intentionality to race and ethnicity at their firm, the A+D industry and the next generation of talent. The firm’s Five Strategies to Fight Racism outlines key strategies to make positive and lasting change within the firm itself and its communities around the world.

A major initiative is the Gensler Apprenticeship Program (GAP) — the first of Gensler’s Design Education + Employment Programs (DEEP). GAP is a two-year, paid apprenticeship that offers an alternate path into the design industry that does not require a degree. Gensler apprentices work alongside design professionals to receive real-world experience in design, construction and business through hands-on applications. The program aims to bring people with a diversity of thought, backgrounds and unique skills into the firm while empowering individuals to make a change in their life and the lives of others.

“That awareness allows us to design the built environment in harmony with the natural environment — dancing with nature, not fighting it and echoing the beauty of our planet’s ecosystem,” says Kohli. Wells Fargo net-positive campus, Las Colinas, Texas “I have always believed sustainability, resilience and climate-change adaptation strategies are nothing more than good design practice. But, it is only effective when we are aware of both the global environmental and micro-climatic context.” Varun Kohli
Sustainability Director Corgan Corgan, a U.S.-based global design firm, believes sustainability is an echo of performance. “Sustainability doesn’t mean sacrifice; rather, it empowers better design and experience for our client’s users and their industries,” says Corgan Sustainability Director Varun Kohli.

Designing the first new net-positive campus for Wells Fargo in Las Colinas, Texas, Corgan delivered a facility that encourages a positive employee experience and relationship with the environment. Expected to generate more renewable energy on-site than it consumes, the project will pursue LEED Platinum certification. Achieving net-positivity with the energy demands of the Texas climate required a comprehensive approach including site planning, building massing and façade articulation, solar panels, regionally-sourced materials, lighting interventions, interstitial biophilic elements and whole lifecycle assessment (LCA) to reduce embodied carbon in materials used, especially its concrete structure.

Topping the towers and garage, three structures are completely covered in photovoltaic panels, which convert light into electricity. Hoisted in the air with a finely articulated steel canopy structure, they crown the building and are softly up-lit at night creating the illusion of a delicate floating plane — serving as a signature mark of the project and its vision.

J.P. Morgan Chase, Houston; Photo courtesy of Michael Robinson Photography “Designing beautiful
spaces isn’t enough.
We want to make
sure every stakeholder
can make informed
decisions, recognizing
our impact on the
people who inhabit
our spaces.” Micki Washington
Principal/Regional Leader of WorkPlace HOK HOK is on a mission. The global design firm is taking a leading role in educating the world about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and demonstrating what inclusive design truly entails. “Designing beautiful spaces isn’t enough. We want to make sure that every stakeholder in a project can make informed decisions, recognizing our impact on the people who inhabit our spaces,” says HOK Principal/Regional Leader of WorkPlace Micki Washington.

A few years ago, HOK launched an internal Designing for Equity platform to give their design teams the framework and resources they need to create equitable solutions. “Our goal is to enlighten organizations about what they should be thinking about in the design and construction process and then equip them with the tools to put it into practice,” says Washington. “We want to inspire conversations that matter around the topic of equity before our clients make critical decisions. The needs of their people need to be the main consideration. Ultimately, design can be a catalyst for change and evolution through space, opportunities and experiences.”

HOK’s people dedicate significant time to speaking on panels, participating in industry conferences, and collaborating with strategic partners who share their passion for inclusivity. “We consistently challenge our industry at events to lock arms and be in this together. Our hope is that these ideas are adopted by our peers and partners. If, as a collective, designers ask the right questions, we can help our clients make the best decisions, not just for their real estate but for their people,” says Washington.

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