Commitment to the Environment through Sustainable Practice 
We are all becoming increasingly aware of the burden we place on our natural resources. Our consumption of water, fossil fuels and the bountiful resources our earth has to offer has reached alarming rates. Historically, construction has been a very large contributor to this burden and the systems we have traditionally used in our buildings have added to the burden through inefficiency, waste and improper disposal of effluent. The reactive approach of the past post-industrial revolution era will no longer suffice or best serve our clients, our staff or our physical and spiritual environment. 

Sustainability in architectural practice has reached a tipping point and we recognize the need to be pro-active about the demands on the environment, energy and resources. We now know there is a better way, not just for the preservation of our natural heritage but also for the increased operational efficiency of the buildings we inhabit. We seek to contribute to the creation of a more healthful built environment with buildings, which are less polluting, less consuming and promote a greater intimacy with the natural world.

As co-creators of environments serving large populations such as healthcare and academic institutions, we have an obligation to create healthy buildings by protecting clean air, clean water, judicious consumption of energy as well as the material and financial resources of our clients. Regardless of urban, suburban or rural environments, we believe our healthcare, education and science facilities must contribute to live-able communities. As good stewards of the environment and our clients’ resources, sustainable design provides an opportunity for us to envision a better way of life for users and reduce sick building syndrome for building inhabitants and future generations. We recognize that we also have a special obligation to inform and assist clients in making choices to reduce impact and cost of their facilities and operations. In this spirit, we have significantly increased our knowledge of and engagement in sustainable building practices. 

While evidence exists to support the argument for psychological benefits, reduced operational costs, and staff retainment, the challenge lies in choosing a path or process, which is personal to each institution’s philosophy and vision, meets the needs of a specific eco-region and creates the appropriate combination of operational efficiency and financial pay-off. At WHR, we believe choices in sustainable design are personal and parallel our commitment to the participatory design process. Eco-charettes, facilitated by the design team, are a valuable exercise for users to participate in brainstorming, visioning and defining sustainable strategies. Eco-charettes can culminate in an institution’s decision to pursue a third party certification (such as USGBC LEED Certification) with branding and marketing benefits, a self-certification system such as Green Guide for Healthcare (for self-certifying of healthcare systems) or by crafting a unique set of sustainable design strategies with a process for measurement and accountability. Regardless of strategic approach, WHR is prepared to facilitate a process for sustainable design and quantification of financial payoff for clients to realize their commitment to the environment and the health of their building occupants.

As corporate members of US Green Building Council and supporters of local education and conference functions, we aim to stay abreast on the best information available to help serve our clients. Additionally, WHR’s 30 LEED Accredited Professionals, spread across all studios, are prepared to coordinate sustainable design throughout the project production and construction process. Coupled with cost consultants and appropriate engineers, we are eager to create high performance teams for the realization of sustainable projects. 

Ultimately, an overarching philosophy of empathy guides us in our project delivery. It is from this same source of empathy that we recognize the interdependence of natural systems and processes. Sustainable design is best guided by participation and collaboration, wherein we serve our clients by orchestrating a process, which realizes their commitment to sustainability and their place in the natural world through sustainable architecture.