Sustainability & Resiliency
Preparing Today for Tomorrow’s Communities
Today’s decisions have an impact on the overall health and well-being of tomorrow’s communities. As designers, engineers and planners, it’s our responsibility to provide our clients with sustainable designs that reduce the impact of the built environment, as well as resilient strategies that enable quick recovery from manmade and natural disruptions. The experts in each of our practice areas are passionate about providing advisory, planning and design services that not only benefit the bottom line, but give our clients peace of mind.
Areas of Expertise
Water
From contributing to healthy ecosystems by recharging local aquifers, leveraging conservation measures to reduce total water demand, reusing onsite water whenever possible, and partnering with utilities to treat and deliver safe drinking water, we’re committed to safeguarding life’s most precious resource.
We specialize in:
- Green and Blue Infrastructure
- Water Treatment and Distribution
- Water Reuse
- Water Conservation Measures
Energy
Using front-end audits to assess usage and advanced modeling to weigh design alternatives, as well as proper equipment selection and commissioning to fine tune installation, we can manage consumption and improve efficiency. Additionally, renewable energy technologies, such as solar arrays, help meet on-site energy demand.
We specialize in:
- Audits and Assessments
- Conservation Measures
- Renewable Energy
- Combined Heat and Power
Health & Wellness
We’re passionate about using our planning and design work to enhance quality of life. From access to nature and healthy food options to mindful materials and improved air quality, designing for health and wellness means supporting the physical, mental and emotional well-being of building occupants and the surrounding community.
We specialize in:
- Experiential Design
- Empathic Analytics
- Walkability
- Human Experience
- Access to Greenspace and Trail Networks
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gas emission inventories help our clients consider direct and indirect emission sources to inform strategies for decarbonizing their operations. Working hand-in-hand, we help reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions resulting from both embodied carbon in materials and carbon produced as a result of operations to meet your near- and long-term goals.
We specialize in:
- Emissions Inventories and Verification
- Emission Reporting
- Design and Operational Changes for Decarbonization
Green Building Certification
We know that building system certification is a prestigious recognition. We help identify the rating system that best meets your near- and long-term goals and partner with you to chart a path for meeting requirements and earning your award while ultimately creating a more environmentally-friendly and operationally-resilient facility.
We specialize in:
- LEED
- Green Globes
- Living Building Challenge
- The Well Building Standard
- Energy Star
- Fitwel
- Envision
- SITES
Climate Change
Extreme weather events resulting from changing climate conditions continue to negatively impact our clients’ business continuity and stress our communities’ resources. Our experts identify the projected hazards and, through a collaborative assessment, document the vulnerabilities within your organization or facility before developing a strategic plan to mitigate threats and prepare to adapt to future conditions.
We specialize in:
- Hazard Assessment
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Climate Change Mitigation
- Climate Change Adaptation
Workforce
We know that staff turnover and pending retirements cause disruptions due to loss of knowledge retention and continuity issues. We support your business by providing staff augmentation, skill-based mentoring programs that support retention and promotion, and tailored training programs to capture and relay knowledge. Additionally, we recognize the impact that a well-designed workplace can have on employee satisfaction and keep this a the forefront when creating facilities.
We specialize in:
- Staff Augmentation
- Training Program Development/Delivery
- Mentoring Program with Client Staff
- Program Management
- Workplace Design
Assets
For a community to be resilient and maintain health, safety and economic vitality, its infrastructure needs to be protected. We partner with our clients to understand the condition of current infrastructure assets, prioritize actions and conduct regular maintenance. We design new infrastructure to withstand anticipated hazards, such as floods, high winds or a breach in security, while also meeting uncertain future demand.
We specialize in:
- Infrastructure Condition Assessments
- Useful Life Analysis
- Infrastructure Planning and Design
Funding
From RAISE (formerly TIGER) and BUILD grant programs and State Revolving Funds low-interest loans to relief provided by the American Rescue Plan, our experts stand ready to assist in determining your funding eligibility, identifying funding sources, determining eligible funding uses, and developing a game plan to reduce risks and fuel recovery in your community.
We specialize in:
- Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Program
- Competitive Highway Bridge Grants (CHBG)
- Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
- EPA State Revolving Fund (SRF) – Clean Water and Drinking Water
- Environmental Impact Bonds (EIB)
- Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Grants (IFRA)
- Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Discretionary Grant Program (RAISE)
