HMC Architects celebrated Earth Week and their commitment to sustainability with special week of events from April 22-29. The week served to encourage employees to think about their impact on the health of planet earth. All seven of the firm’s offices took part in the annual celebration by planning special events for their offices and hosting a lecture series, a first for HMC.
“As a firm committed to sustainability and regenerative design, Earth Week is an exciting chance for HMC to come together as a firm and celebrate all the ways we can impact our environment.” Said Eera Babtiwale, HMC’s Vice President of Sustainability.
The regional and firm-wide lectures featured renowned experts in sustainability and earth-friendly design. Sean Sevilla and Jonathan Hart from the Center for Sustainable Energy spoke to the Oakland and San Jose offices about their work with policymakers and businesses to drive the adoption of clean, sustainable, energy solutions. USC Professor Marc Schiler came to the Los Angeles office and spoke about architectural design and how building facades can negatively impact the environment around them. Alex Weber of The Plastic Pick-Up educated the firm about her “Golf Ball Project”. Pitzer College Professor Brinda Sarathy visited Ontario and spoke about climate change and intersectionality. Each lecturer provided a different perspective on the impact humans have on the earth’s sustainability.
In addition to the lectures, each office was encouraged to celebrate Earth Week in their own style. Ontario refreshed the office’s edible garden with vegetables and planted small succulents to adorn employee desks. During the “red-list free trade fair”, local vendors came to the office and displayed sustainable products labeled red-list free by the International Living Future Institute. During “electric day”, electric bikes were available to test ride and electric vehicles from Tesla, Honda, and Nissan were on display. Phoenix celebrated the week with a walk and a “Netflix and Lunch” event where they watched the documentary “One Strange Rock”. San Diego created a “Sustain-a-bingo” and went on a walk as a team looking for sustainability in their neighborhood.
On Friday April 26, HMC hosted a firm-wide “wellness day” where all employees were challenged to find ways to reduce their carbon imprint and take as many steps as possible. For the 3rd year in a row, the San Diego office won the challenge. Each person walked over 13,000 steps to win a healthy breakfast for their team.
“We believe that the environment is central to health, prosperity, and the communities we serve.” Said Eric Carbonnier, HMC’s Vice President of Sustainability. “Earth Week is a time to empower our team to think about the environment, question the design methods we’re currently using, and start dialogues about sustainability and regenerative design.”
Earth Week is held annually, coinciding with Earth Day on April 22. Next year will mark the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, and HMC is planning a big celebration for Earth Week 2020.
