Ideas

our thoughts, news and events

Beyond the Surface: Advancing Material Transparency

by Thoughts?

Material transparency is key for architects and designers to improve health, reduce environmental impact, and promote equity. We use transparency frameworks like LEED, Living Building Challenge and the AIA Materials Pledge to inform our practice.

Transportation Planning: Adaptation Through Connection

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As we help communities design their streets, transportation systems, and public spaces, we recognize the uncertainty that big changes can bring. By focusing on the fundamentals of walkable communities and safe, accessible networks, we will be resilient.

Ideas

Broadening the Role of the Architect

The American Institute of Architects recently hosted a national panel of experts to discuss the three large issues currently facing our society – Social Justice, Covid-19 and Climate Change. Panelist Marc Mondor contributes his viewpoints at the intersection of these opportunities.

The Role of Design in Social Justice

It is disingenuous to talk about investment and disinvestment as inevitabilities of an agnostic economy. Designers for social justice will actively seek out more ways to elevate the public from passive critics into full-fledged design investors and collaborators, and approach our process as a moment of reconciliation between community and the economic development and design disciplines.

Measuring Our Impact:
evolve’s 2019 Report

evolveEA is dedicated to Triple Bottom Line success: we measure the impact of our business not only in terms of the economy, but also the environment and social equity. Mission-driven organizations are challenged to find ways to assess our impact that go beyond conventional business metrics and financial reporting standards

Our Evolving Strategies for Optimizing Existing Buildings

Even though the global pandemic brought most of the world to a halt, building operations still continued. We recognize the challenges COVID brought to building benchmark measurements and applaud two of our clients who were able to attain Energy Star certification despite the hurdles: DMI Industries headquarters in Charleroi, PA, and the historic 411 Seventh Avenue building in Downtown Pittsburgh.