Client Values

Photo: 663highland. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

OVERVIEW

There are the signature push-the-envelope green projects with flexible budgets that win awards and have case studies written about them. And then there is real life.

Everyday clients are concerned about cost, schedule, and specific programmatic needs that can push sustainability to the back burner.

Showing how green and healthy buildings can be built on a budget is one approach to this issue, but it’s not the starting place, according to top designers. These experts start by trying to deeply understand what the client values—and then go about helping clients achieve their mission within the limitations of the project.

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  • Embracing the Economy as a Design Challenge
    April 4, 2017

    Feature Article

    How architects, community developers, and others are experimenting with new models to support progressive design.

  • Work Globally, Design Locally
    February 7, 2017

    Feature Article

    In today’s global economy, American architects work on six continents—but that doesn’t mean they should all have identical glass towers.

  • Protect Your Spec: 14 Strategies
    July 6, 2016

    Feature Article

    You’ve selected the ideal materials for your project: now get them into the building.

  • How To Run a Great Workshop: 37 Tips and Ideas
    May 3, 2016

    Feature Article

    Whether you call it a charrette, a workshop, or simply a meeting, these suggestions from experts will make your next event more fun and productive.

  • Why We Let Ourselves Do Mediocre Work
    August 7, 2017

    Blog Post

    Architects and designers want to do exceptional, challenging sustainability work. Why are we waiting for the unicorn client?

  • Know Thy Client: 9 Un-Green Strategies for Delivering Better Buildings
    October 6, 2014

    Feature Article

    Making all your projects high-performance means getting in touch with what your client really wants and checking “green building” at the door.

  • Three Imperatives to Create the Future of Green Building
    June 3, 2013

    Feature Article

    The industry will be in a better place a decade from now if we master these skills.

  • Ethnography: A Creative Tool for Human-Centered Design
    May 2, 2017

    Primer

    Social science research methods can generate innovative and sophisticated design solutions that respond to human needs and cultural values.

  • Integrated Design Meets the Real World
    May 1, 2010

    Feature Article

    Proponents of integrated design say that it results in higher-performing buildings at lower costs than the conventional design process. But real world obstacles can derail or limit integration. We offer tips from experts to keep things on track.

  • Finding the Green Lining: Surviving and Thriving in an Economic Downturn
    January 2, 2009

    Feature Article

    A sharp slowdown in nearly all sectors of design and construction has been a defining component of the current recession. Green building has remained a relative bright spot, however, giving firms with strong green capabilities a leg up. This article examines the current climate and offers specific pointers on thriving with a green agenda.