A hard truth from Architect Nathan Good in the latest Impact Series podcast.
There’s a moment in the latest episode of The Impact Series that stops you.
Veteran sustainable architect Nathan Good — a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and one of the earliest LEED APs in the country — says something many in the industry quietly fear but rarely state plainly: The battle to prevent climate change may already be lost. Now we must design for climate disasters.
In his conversation with Green Builder Coalition Executive Director Mike Collignon, Good reframes the sustainability discussion entirely. For decades, the focus was mitigation — reducing energy use, lowering carbon emissions, tightening envelopes, improving systems. Those efforts remain critical. But Good argues that the profession is entering a different phase.
Watch the podcast to hear Good’s thoughts on resilience, how architecture as a profession has changed since he started in the field, and what builders and insurers need to do to foster high-performance homes.
Good also raises a deeper challenge: Will artificial intelligence become architecture’s greatest tool — or its greatest disruption?
Cati O’Keefe is the editorial director of Green Builder Media. She has 25 years of experience reporting and writing on all aspects of residential housing, building and energy codes, green building, and sustainability.
Is Resilience the New Sustainability?
A hard truth from Architect Nathan Good in the latest Impact Series podcast.
There’s a moment in the latest episode of The Impact Series that stops you.
Veteran sustainable architect Nathan Good — a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and one of the earliest LEED APs in the country — says something many in the industry quietly fear but rarely state plainly: The battle to prevent climate change may already be lost. Now we must design for climate disasters.
In his conversation with Green Builder Coalition Executive Director Mike Collignon, Good reframes the sustainability discussion entirely. For decades, the focus was mitigation — reducing energy use, lowering carbon emissions, tightening envelopes, improving systems. Those efforts remain critical. But Good argues that the profession is entering a different phase.
Watch the podcast to hear Good’s thoughts on resilience, how architecture as a profession has changed since he started in the field, and what builders and insurers need to do to foster high-performance homes.
Good also raises a deeper challenge: Will artificial intelligence become architecture’s greatest tool — or its greatest disruption?
Watch the full episode of The Impact Series featuring Nathan Good on the Green Builder Media Network and decide for yourself: Are we still trying to prevent yesterday’s crises — or are we designing for tomorrow’s?
By Cati O'Keefe
Cati O’Keefe is the editorial director of Green Builder Media. She has 25 years of experience reporting and writing on all aspects of residential housing, building and energy codes, green building, and sustainability.