updates on our work and impact

By: Elizabeth Arsenault, Sustainability Consultant; Andrew Kang, Sustainability Manager Building for Tomorrow: The Rise of Resilience in Sustainable Design: In today’s ever-changing landscape, resilience has emerged as an essential concept, especially within the built environment. Defined by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), as the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and…

By: Elizabeth Arsenault, Sustainability Consultant Putting People First: The Essence of Human-Centered Design (HCD) Today, there’s no denying the profound influence the built environment has on the human experience. Through human-centered design, we unlock the potential to shape spaces that uplift and empower people, revealing their inherent strengths and capabilities.  Human-centered design (HCD) is a…

Rushing’s Sustainability Studio recently had the privilege of interviewing Denise Henrikson, co-founder of EcoTHRIVE Housing. EcoTHRIVE is a community-led community land trust (CLT) that focuses on developing small private homes co-owned by residents through a limited equity cooperative (LEC). Denise shared with us the inspiring story behind the Burien Village, a cooperative that will be…

The Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS) proposed in Seattle sets carbon emissions targets that larger existing buildings need to achieve in the coming two to three decades. By: Nina Olivier, Manager of Sustainability Background In Seattle, buildings are one of the largest sources of climate pollution, responsible for more than a third of the city’s…

Tips and tricks to promote healthy dirt in your home. By: Carissa Nelson, Manager of Sustainability When thinking of how we can all help pitch in to build a healthier and more sustainable world, soil often doesn’t come to mind. Building healthy living soils is a powerful way in which we can support the health…

Happy National Indoor Plant Week!! We love indoor plants; they offer multiple benefits, both for your physical well-being and the environment. Here are some of the advantages of raising indoor plants: Improved Air Quality: Indoor plants remove harmful pollutants from the air, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene. They also mirror…

The business case for wellness protocols in the built environment. By: Carissa Nelson and Nina Olivier We all know the research, the built environment plays a crucial role in our health and well-being, but is there a business case that supports the investment of a focus on occupant health through Wellness protocols like WELL &…

People & Place: Linking Stewardship, Community, and Conservation. As a part of Rushing’s Earth Month Series, the Sustainability Studio had the opportunity to interview Leanne Weiss, a Director of Conservation Transactions with Forterra. Rushing’s Sustainability Studio connects PNW clients and projects looking to achieve land conservation and restoration goals with Forterra’s programs. On April 21st,…

The Center for Active Design has announced the forthcoming release of the Fitwel Standard, Version 3 (v3). The new Standard will reflect insights from the latest public health research and data-based evidence substantiating the valuable link between health and the built environment. It will offer a streamlined and more efficient documentation and certification process, new evidence-based…

USGBC has posted updates to LEED v4 pertaining to the Energy and Atmosphere category. These updates are open to public comment before they are presented to USGBC membership for ballot approval. Updates will officially apply to projects registered after the date of approval; previously registered projects will not be impacted. Implications of the updates include…