The Columbus Series begins here.

Clear Haze Exchange launches a special series highlighting sustainability and built environment professionals from Columbus, Ohio—the hometown of the podcast. These conversations explore the local expertise helping influence national discussions around energy, healthy buildings, resilience, and sustainable development.

Episode #31 features Jeremy Miller, Founder of GeoAlchemy Studio, whose work challenges us to rethink the relationship between architecture and human health.

Jeremy shares how a personal health journey inspired a new way of thinking about the built environment—one that prioritizes human wellness alongside energy performance.

In this episode:

• Why healthy buildings go beyond energy efficiency
 • Passive House principles and indoor environmental quality
 • Building materials that support long-term wellness
 • Air quality, mold, and healthy home design
 • Codex Homes and the future of healthy architecture
 • Why Ohio is uniquely positioned to lead healthy building innovation

As organizations continue investing in sustainability, this conversation reminds us that building performance isn't only measured in energy use, it can also be measured by the well-being of the people inside.

Learn more about Jeremy Miller and GeoAlchemy Studio:
 https://www.geoalchemystudio.com

What if your organization’s waste problem actually starts long before anything reaches the trash bin?

In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, Marcus Hazelwood sits down with Hélène Carpentier, Founder of Circular Workplaces and former Global Head of Circular Economy and Zero Waste at CBRE, to rethink how organizations approach waste.

Hélène challenges one of the most common assumptions in workplace sustainability: that better recycling is the answer.

Instead, waste can be a signal of something happening much further upstream, over-purchasing, inefficient procurement, disconnected workplace systems, and resources that were paid for but never fully used.

The conversation explores:

• Why recycling alone can’t solve the waste problem
• How procurement decisions determine much of what eventually becomes waste
• The hidden cost of waste beyond disposal fees
• Why food, packaging, and everyday workplace purchases deserve more attention
• How waste reduction can improve the workplace experience
• Why sustainability teams, procurement, facilities, and workplace teams need to work together
• How organizations can shift measurement from downstream diversion to upstream prevention

Hélène also shares a striking example of how a 2,000-person workplace could lose more than £1.6 million over five years through waste-related inefficiencies, much of it potentially avoidable.

The takeaway?

Waste isn’t just something to manage at the end.

It’s information.

And if organizations pay attention to what it’s telling them, they may uncover opportunities to reduce cost, carbon, and inefficiency while creating better workplaces.

🎧 Listen to Clear Haze Exchange on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

▶️ Watch the full conversation on YouTube.

Follow or subscribe to Clear Haze Exchange for more conversations uncovering the hidden systems shaping sustainability, energy efficiency, and the built environment.

Most organizations don't struggle because they lack opportunities to improve their buildings.

They struggle because they don't know how to fund, structure, and manage those improvements.

In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, Marcus Hazelwood sits down with Chris Halpin, President of Celtic Energy and one of the nation's leading experts in Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC). 

Having supported more than $2.5 billion in energy infrastructure projects across federal, state, and institutional markets, Chris explains why performance-based delivery continues to create value decades after it was introduced.

Topics include:

• Understanding Energy Savings Performance Contracting

• Why many organizations hesitate to pursue ESPCs

• Risk allocation and financial accountability

• The value of owner's representatives

• Measurement & verification beyond compliance

• Long-term operational thinking vs. first-cost decisions

• Resilience as the next evolution of energy investments

• Why education is essential before projects ever begin

Key Takeaway

Buildings don't become high-performing simply because new equipment is installed. They become high-performing when owners understand how to operate, verify, and sustain those investments over time.

Chris mentioned several excellent organizations and resources for those interested in learning more about Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC), building performance, and public-sector energy projects:

- U.S. Department of Energy – Better Buildings Initiative

- National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)

- National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO)

- Energy Services Coalition (ESC)

Subscribe for more conversations uncovering the hidden systems behind sustainability, energy, and building performance.

What if the biggest barrier to achieving Net Zero isn't technology, policy, or even funding?

What if it's fragmentation?

In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, Marcus Hazelwood sits down with Sarah Merricks, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Global Network for Zero (GNFZ), to discuss why the future of decarbonization depends on building stronger networks supported by transparent, measurable data. 

Sarah draws from her experience helping expand LEED globally during her time at USGBC and now helping organizations navigate the complexities of Net Zero through GNFZ.

This conversation explores:

•  Why the Net Zero movement remains fragmented globally 
•  Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions explained 
•  Why Scope 3 remains one of the biggest challenges organizations face 
•  Why existing buildings need a different approach 
•  The power of data-backed decision making 
•  How networks accelerate progress 
•  Why implementation now matters more than pledges 
•  How different countries are approaching decarbonization 

Key Takeaway:

Data creates clarity. Networks create momentum.

As Sarah explains, organizations shouldn't ask:

"What is everyone else doing?"

They should ask:

"What does our data tell us is urgent and achievable?"

🎧 Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and all major podcast platforms.

👉 Subscribe to Clear Haze Exchange for weekly conversations exploring the hidden systems shaping sustainability decisions.

Most sustainability conversations focus on building owners.

But what about tenants?

In this episode, Marcus Hazelwood sits down with Jon Lemmond of JLL to discuss how tenants can influence building performance, energy efficiency, and decarbonization outcomes, even when they don't control the building's major systems.

From New York City's Local Law 97 to green lease structures, submetering, shared investment strategies, and landlord-tenant collaboration, Jon explains how organizations can unlock sustainability opportunities that are often hiding in plain sight.

The conversation explores why communication, measurement, and aligned incentives may be more important than any individual technology.

In This Episode:

•  Why decarbonization efforts often stall in leased spaces 
•  The "split incentive" challenge between landlords and tenants 
•  How green leases can create shared financial and environmental value 
•  Why submetering and data transparency matter 
•  Local Law 97 and the rise of building performance standards 
•  Tenant strategies for reducing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions 
•  How leasing decisions influence long-term building performance 
•  Why communication may be the most powerful sustainability tool available 

Key Takeaway

Many tenants assume they have little influence over building performance.

The reality is often the opposite.

The organizations achieving the best outcomes are the ones engaging landlords early, aligning goals, sharing data, and treating sustainability as a partnership rather than a requirement. 

🎧 Subscribe to Clear Haze Exchange on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and all major podcast platforms.

Laboratories are some of the most resource-intensive buildings in the world.

But many organizations still underestimate the operational, energy, and waste impacts happening inside research environments every day.

In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, Marcus Hazelwood speaks with Ila Summitt, molecular biologist and Sustainability Certification Manager at My Green Lab. 

With more than 20 years of experience in academic, biotech, and clinical laboratory settings, Ila shares how labs can improve sustainability without compromising scientific integrity.

This conversation explores:

•  why laboratories can consume 10x more energy than office buildings 
•  the hidden operational impact of fume hoods and ultra-low freezers 
•  how behavioral change drives measurable sustainability improvements 
•  why waste and energy use in labs are often overlooked 
•  how universities and biotech organizations are approaching sustainable science 
•  the role of culture, leadership, and operational awareness 
•  and how programs like My Green Lab Certification and the International Freezer Challenge are creating measurable global impact 

A key takeaway from this episode:

➡️ Sustainability in laboratories is not just about carbon reduction—it’s about operational intelligence, efficiency, and long-term performance.

This is a must-listen for professionals involved in:

•  laboratory operations 
•  higher education 
•  biotech and life sciences 
•  facilities management 
•  sustainability strategy 
•  healthcare research 
•  and high-performance building operations 

Why do so many buildings begin with strong sustainability goals… yet struggle to deliver long-term performance?

In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, Marcus Hazelwood speaks with Umesh Atre, a sustainability leader with over two decades of experience across LEED, WELL, energy modeling, lifecycle cost analysis, and building performance strategy. 

Currently Sustainability Lead at Parkhill, Umesh has worked on more than 200 high-performance building projects and brings a systems-level perspective to sustainable design, occupant wellbeing, and operational success.

This conversation explores:

•  why project location and building orientation matter more than many teams realize 
•  where sustainability intent often breaks down during design and construction 
•  why lifecycle cost analysis is frequently introduced too late 
•  the role of commissioning and performance verification in protecting design intent 
•  how invisible operational systems shape occupant wellbeing 
•  why certifications alone don’t guarantee real performance 
•  and how long-term thinking must become part of project culture 

Umesh also discusses the importance of integrated design, stakeholder alignment, and designing buildings that continue performing long after the project team leaves.

A powerful conversation for architects, engineers, owners, operators, sustainability professionals, and anyone interested in the future of high-performance buildings.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.

Mass timber is gaining momentum across the built environment—but how much of the conversation is grounded in reality?

In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, Marcus Hazelwood speaks with architect Vaughn Horn about the hidden systems behind mass timber design, decision-making, and performance. 

Together, we explore:

• Why mass timber is gaining traction in higher education and research environments 
• The role of life cycle analysis, embodied carbon, and long-term value 
• Structural limitations and the importance of building modules 
• Fire rating requirements and the impact of code on design feasibility 
• MEP coordination challenges and why early integration is critical 
• Supply chain realities, procurement timelines, and schedule risks 
• How architects and owners should think about tradeoffs between cost, carbon, and performance 

This conversation highlights a key theme of Season 2:
Sustainability decisions are only as strong as the systems behind them.

Whether you’re an architect, engineer, owner, or investor, this episode will challenge assumptions and provide a clearer understanding of what it actually takes to deliver high-performance, sustainable buildings.

The data center boom is accelerating faster than most industries can keep up with.

But behind the headlines around AI, cloud growth, and billion-dollar investments, there’s a critical question that often gets overlooked:

Who is actually operating these facilities and are we prepared?

In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, host Marcus Hazelwood sits down with Tom Melton, a facilities and operations engineer with over 30 years in the trades and 15+ years in mission-critical data center environments.

Tom shares a candid, ground-level perspective on:

•  The growing shortage of skilled engineers in data centers 
•  Why understaffing creates hidden operational risk
•  The gap between training programs and real-world readiness
•  Misconceptions about data centers, power, and public impact
•  Why trades and hands-on expertise are critical to sustaining AI infrastructure 

As data centers scale from 24 MW to 300+ MW facilities, the challenge is no longer just design or capital, it’s execution, operations, and people. 

This conversation is a must-listen for:

•  Architects and design professionals 
•  Owners and developers 
•  Investors and policymakers 
•  Engineers and operators 

Because the future of AI infrastructure depends on more than innovation, it depends on the people who keep it running.

What really drives workplace performance and sustainability outcomes inside an organization?

In this episode of Clear Haze Exchange, Marcus Hazelwood speaks with Amanda Muzzarelli, an advisor in corporate real estate and facility strategy who helps organizations uncover the hidden systems shaping workspace performance, trust, and decision-making. Amanda developed the concepts of invisible architecture and narrative architecture to explain how people, process, incentives, leadership, and communication influence what actually happens inside buildings and organizations. 

This conversation explores why workplace and sustainability strategies often fail even when the technical solution is sound, and why leaders need to look beyond dashboards, PowerPoints, and surface-level metrics if they want real change.

In this episode, we discuss:

•  What invisible architecture means inside organizations 
•  Why behavior follows structure, not just intention 
•  How narrative architecture helps leaders create buy-in 
•  Why many sustainability programs become cosmetic instead of operational 
•  Why FM should be seen as a strategic intelligence function
•  The leadership gap developing inside facilities management 
•  What gives hope for the future of FM, workplace strategy, and the built environment 

 👉 To learn more about Amanda’s work and her concept of Invisible Architecture, visit www.amandamuzzarelli.com

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