Architectural Record — "Jeanne Gang Embraces ‘Actionable Idealism’ at Greenbuild 2019"

“Gang shared the framework that her firm uses to consider all the scales at which green strategies can be deployed, from ‘self’ to ‘earth.’

At an individual level, architects and designers can grow their expertise, said Gang. ‘Taking it upon ourselves to be knowledgeable, get accredited. That’s something that everyone can do.’

Considering the ‘family’ scale—meaning homes and offices—Studio Gang’s founder gave the case study of her firm’s own office: a renovated 1934 building with a green roof, planted with native flora, that serves as both an employee amenity and laboratory for research. During regular “bio blitz” days at the office, Gang explained, team members collect insects, test soil microbes, count plant species, and record bird sightings, all in an effort to build a data set that shows the impact the landscaped roof has on its surroundings.

Zooming out further to friends and neighbors, Gang continued with the example of the green roof, describing how the firm shares information with those in nearby buildings, working toward a larger goal of creating a ‘wildlife corridor in the sky.’

At the community scale, which she defines as the buildings and projects the firm designs, the aim is to connect people with each other and their environments, be that through a spec office building project like Solar Carve on the High Line in New York, where the end users are unknown, or an intimate, carefully crafted structure like ARCUS Center for Social Justice Leadership in Kalamazoo, Michigan.”

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