On June 26, the KPF Environmental Design Director discussed adaptive reuse strategies, building upgrades, and long-term sustainability goals at the Bisnow event in New York City.
As cities nationwide push to reduce carbon emissions, more sustainable methods of development must be adopted. Acknowledging the relationship between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices and an investor’s bottom line, policymakers and environmental experts are finding new ways to prioritize sustainability throughout the building industry. At the National Sustainability Conference, leaders at the forefront of green construction discussed methods to reduce emissions, affecting positive change for the city and improving business profits in the long run.
Carlos participated on a panel called “Conversions, Building Upgrades & Rehab Projects: Costs & Long Term Sustainability Goals,” to discuss how upgrading existing assets can produce a smaller carbon footprint than tearing them down and building new. He was joined by Dana Robbins Scheider, Senior Vice President and Director of Energy and Sustainability for Empire State Realty Trust; Hrisa Gatzoulis, Vice President and Head of Sustainability at Rudin; Adam Shelly, Project Development Director at Ecosystem Energy Services; and Charlie Marion, Partner at AKF Group. Lee Hoffman, Co-Founder & President of Runwise, moderated the conversation.
As a sustainable design expert, Carlos works to integrate environmentally friendly design strategies into KPF projects by analyzing building energy use patterns and developing tools with KPF’s Environmental Performance team to meet the firm’s data-driven sustainability benchmarks. Notably, he spearheaded the sustainability vision for HKUST(GZ), an award-winning, climate-ready live-work campus. Carlos was named a Notable Leader in Sustainability by Crain’s New York, recognized for his scientific research and accomplishments.
Learn more about the conference here.