RECORD, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture, is pleased to be returning to the MIT Media Lab on Wednesday, February 19, for the third edition of Sustainability in Practice. The day-long event, which aligns with the special Sustainability in Practice section in the February issue of Architectural Record, will showcase cutting-edge research and built projects employing sustainable materials, circular construction, upcycling retrofits, and more. Following the event program will be an informal evening cocktail reception. Attendance is complimentary with registration.
Following a morning of sponsored sessions, the event’s editorial program kicks off with an in-depth look at how Greece’s second-tallest building, the long-dormant Piraeus Tower, has been resuscitated as an exemplar of sustainable building strategies. Project architect Ilias Papageorgiou, founder of Athens- and New York–based Pila Studio, will discuss how the deep-green retrofit awakened a “sleeping giant” in a Greek port city that itself is undergoing sweeping change.
Next up, structural engineer and MIT professor John Ochsendorf will be joined by MIT PhD researcher Juliana Berglund-Brown to share research that questions basic assumptions about material sources and uses to produce radically lower-carbon structures. The pair will present several projects that demonstrate how design teams can deploy material circularity in construction.
Anne Whiston Spirn, professor of Landscape Architecture and Planning at MIT, and Chris Hardy, senior associate with Sasaki, will take the stage next for a panel discussion moderated by RECORD deputy editor Joann Gonchar that explores the role of landscape architecture in urban settings and its potential to heal ecosystems, sequester carbon, and create more equitable communities.
The editorial program will conclude with a presentation from Merritt Bucholz and Karen McEvoy. The founding directors of Dublin-based Bucholz McEvoy Architects will discuss their work in climate-attuned architecture and the evolution of their practice over time through a series of civic projects, such as the new Toronto and Region Conservation Authority headquarters.
The day’s morning sponsored sessions are presented by Autodesk, Permasteelisa, and Kingspan. The American Institute of Steel Construction is a presenting partner in the afternoon.
Sustainability in Practice attendees can earn up to 5.25 AIA LU/HSW. The full agenda, speaker information, and registration details can be found here. We look forward to seeing you in Cambridge on February 19!