Designing for the Climate We Have Now

A changing climate is becoming part of everyday project decisions. How much shade will a public space offer during a heat wave? Where will water go during a heavy storm? Can a building remain comfortable and useful as external conditions change? At evolveEA, questions like these connect work across our climate + sustainability, landscape, planning, mobility, architecture, and building performance studios.

Our process begins with the conditions of a place and the people who rely on it. For the Chemung County Resilience Plan, our team examined hazards and vulnerabilities to help communities understand where they face risk and how they can prepare, respond, and prevent future harm. That work makes resilience more specific than a broad goal: it identifies the people, places, and systems that need attention.

Other projects show how one investment can address several needs at once. Through Buffalo Rain Check 2.0, evolveEA helped develop a green infrastructure toolkit that considered stormwater management alongside neighborhood and environmental benefits. In Pittsburgh’s Water and Sewage Authority, our work explored how changes to the landscape could improve stormwater management, access, and everyday public use while respecting the park’s historic setting. These projects call for different solutions, but both depend on understanding how water, land, infrastructure, and community life interact.

Building performance is part of the same conversation. Decisions about daylight, energy use, water, and occupant comfort are most effective when they inform a project early, while there is still room to shape its design. Our teams work across disciplines to bring those considerations into planning and design rather than treating them as questions to resolve at the end.

The arrival of Fall makes the passage of seasons visible in the places we use. The shade we valued in summer gives way to changing rainfall, shorter days, and different patterns of activity. For our team, designing for the climate we have now means looking closely at how a place works throughout the year, anticipating the conditions it may face next, and helping communities make useful decisions today.