2025 Earth Week Speaker Series

Join our panel of experts as they present on topics relating to sustainable design. Register once and you’ll receive links for all 5 events.

All presentations begin at 12pm EST via Zoom. Register here: https://bit.ly/3RNJxPL

Universal Design presented by Ed Steinfeld (University at Buffalo)

Ed Steinfeld is a registered architect and gerontologist with a special interest in inclusive design, accessibility, and design for aging. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Masters and Doctorate in Architecture from the University of Michigan, where he also obtained a Certificate in Aging. He is a Distinguished SUNY Professor of Architecture (Emeritus) at the University at Buffalo and was the Founding Director of the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access. For 20 years he directed a federally funded center of excellence on universal design in the built environment. Dr. Steinfeld is internationally known for his research and publications. He has travelled widely to lecture in many countries and is a frequent consultant to government agencies, building developers and attorneys. His current research is focused on the controversy surrounding transgender access to restrooms. He has written or edited 10 books including Universal Design: Creating Inclusive Environments, the first textbook on this subject.

Smart Growth presented by Victor Dover (Dover Kohl & Partners)

Victor Dover is Founding Principal at Dover Kohl & Partners Town Planning in Coral Gables, Florida. The firm’s practice focuses on the creation and restoration of real neighborhoods as the basis for sound communities. Victor lectures widely around the world on the topics of livable communities and sustainable development and is the co-author of Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities & Towns, the leading textbook on the subject (Wiley, 2014; Second Edition, 2025). The Second Edition is anticipated to come out in July of this year.  Victor Dover and Joseph Kohl have both been awarded the John Nolen Medal for Contributions to Urbanism, and more recently were named the 2024 recipients of the Seaside Prize. Victor is a Fellow of both the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Congress for the New Urbanism.

People, Planet Design presented by Corey Squire (Bora Architects)

Corey Squire, AIA is Sustainability Director at Bora Architecture & Interior in Portland Oregon, and a member of the AIA’s Strategic Council. He lectures nationally on a range of sustainability-related topics and was a creator of AIA Framework for Design Excellence, a   resource that’s actively redefining excellence in the built environment. Corey is the author of the recently published book, People, Planet, Design: A Practical Guide to Realizing Architecture’s Potential.

Mass Timber Structures presented by Justin den Herder (TYLin)

Justin Den Herder’s love of trees and poetry have informed his 17-year career as a structural engineer at TYLin. He cares deeply about the impact of the built environment on the natural world and leads the firm’s sustainability, mass timber, and computational design communities of practice. He oversees the firm’s Building Equity Initiative which offers pro- & lo-bono design services to public and non-profit programs. Justin has collaborated on more than 500 projects. He is especially fond of the challenges associated with adaptive reuse projects and takes pride in designing public projects – libraries, museums and other civic institutions. His class at Cooper Union at the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture, titled ‘Structural Poetics’ explores the creation of efficient, elegant, equitable structures.

Material Health & Well-Being presented by Allison Smith (HKS)

Allison Smith is a Sustainable Design Leader at HKS and a registered Interior Designer. She promotes responsible material selection and education firm wide, and has managed over 65 sustainability projects, totaling over $5.6 billion in construction – including LEED v4 Platinum, LEED v4.1 Gold, and WELL Platinum projects. Allison supports materials transparency and optimization initiatives including Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC) Technical Committee, HPDC Hazards Technical sub-group (TSG), and the mindful MATERIALS (mM) AEC Forum. Allison is a recipient of the 2022 International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Trailblazer Award and a juror for the 2023 Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon Build Challenge.  Allison served as the Chair of the USGBC MR TAG during the development of LEED v5, is a USGBC North Texas Regional Council Member, and is the Chair of the HPDC Technical Committee.

All presentations begin at 12pm EST via Zoom. Register here: https://bit.ly/3RNJxPL