On June 25, HMC Architects’ Kate Diamond, FAIA, LEED AP served as the moderator of the panel discussion “Sustainable Design Process: From Vision to Implementation” at the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference. The panelists included: Margaret Lau, Director of the Central California Environmental Training Center, Allan Hancock College; Jonathan Kropp, Director of Grant Programs, Cuyamaca College; and John Cook, Director of the Office of Sustainability, University of California Riverside.

The presentation addressed how higher education institutions have the profound ability to advance environmental, social and economic sustainability, while providing an example for the wider society. In the best practice, this triple bottom-line definition of sustainability needs to imbue all aspects of an institution’s thinking from curriculum through planning to the design and operations of buildings. The panel shared insights from three different higher education institutional perspectives, addressing the infusion of sustainable principles and practices into three key steps along the continuum of design for a specific project: Initial Visioning (Allan Hancock College), Master Planning (Grossmont-Cuyamaca CCD Facilities Master Plan), and Programming (UC Riverside Student Health Center).

The California Higher Education Sustainability Conference highlighted cutting-edge research, as well as case studies with proven successes in curriculum development, operational programs and community partnerships. This unique conference was jointly organized by independent/private colleges, California Community Colleges, California State Universities and the University of California to create the opportunity for dialogue across institutions.

For more information on the presentation, please contact Kate Diamond at 213-542-8300.