In this thought-provoking episode, the first of three conversations in our Sustainability Visionaries series, host Avi Rajagopal is joined by John Woelfling, a principal at Dattner Architects, to discuss affordable housing and sustainability but also, more broadly, finding ways to let the best ideas in architecture serve the most vulnerable populations. First, Rajagopal sets the stage delving into the current challenges faced by the building industry, such as its significant carbon emissions, plastic consumption, labor exploitation, and unequal distribution of environmental impacts.

He emphasizes the critical role architects and the building industry play in addressing these issues, asking "How can we use our work to do good in the world?" His conversation with Woelfling follows, exploring the power of design to make positive change with examples of Dattner Architects' evolving approach to responsible architecture—from its design of the New York City's first public LEED-certified building, the Bronx Library Center, to its work on 8,300 units of 100% affordable housing across the city. This engaging talk underscores the importance of rethinking our approaches to sustainability and highlights the potential for architecture to contribute to a better, greener future.

Connect with John Woelfling on LinkedIn!

Moments to check out:

John discusses Sustainable Building Practices in New York City (Starts at 9:39)

Leveraging Passive House Building Typology to Address Environmental Inequity in the Bronx (Starts at 20:10)

Connecting with Clients and Building Partnerships to Push the Envelope (Starts at 26:44)

Connect with our host Avi Rajagopal on LinkedIn!

Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com. This episode of Barriers to Entry was produced and edited by SANDOW Design Group. Special thanks to the podcast production team: Wize Grazette, Hannah Viti, Samantha Sager and Rob Schulte.

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