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Design and Architecture
Dr. Shahzeen Attari's research highlights public perceptions of energy consumption, noting a preference for curtailment over efficiency as the primary method for reduction—a view contrary to expert findings.
Her work indicates that the public tends to slightly overestimate energy costs for low-energy behaviors while significantly underestimating them for high-energy behaviors. Attari also identified factors correlating with the accuracy of these predictions.
These findings were presented at the Garrison Institute's Climate, Buildings and Behavior Symposium in May 2010.
Anthony Chang discussed green initiatives in his building, which emerged from dialogue between tenants and the landlord. These efforts led to the formation of a building sustainability committee and cultivated a culture increasingly aware of waste generation and energy use.
Chang presented these findings at the Garrison Institute's Climate, Buildings and Behavior Symposium in May 2010.
Anthony Chang presented on implementing greening measures in a large NYC commercial office building. From a building operator's perspective, he discussed developing and applying these sustainable practices at the Garrison Institute's Climate, Buildings and Behavior Symposium in May 2010.
Access Part II of his lecture.
The film *End of Suburbia* examines how, since World War II, North Americans invested wealth in suburbia. It promised space, affordability, family life, and upward mobility, becoming synonymous with the American Dream.
Over the past 50 years, suburban sprawl exploded, embedding this lifestyle deeply in the national consciousness. Watch the entire movie on YouTube.
David W. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Special Assistant to the President at Oberlin College. He also holds a James Marsh Professorship at the University of Vermont.
Orr is the author of *The Nature of Design* (Oxford, 2002) and *Design on the Edge* (MIT, 2006).
His recent work includes a two-year, $2 million project to define a 100-day climate action plan for the Obama administration. Learn more at www.climateactionproject.com.
Clem Ogilby, a career preservationist, discusses his passion for saving buildings. He helps clients repurpose residential and commercial structures using green principles while maintaining a traditional or historic aesthetic. Ogilby argues that demolition is often unnecessary and not a sustainable practice. His current project involves saving the 1880 Morris Marks House, which faces demolition if not moved and restored.
This video, produced by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv, emphasizes that sustainability must include the preservation of existing, useful, and historic buildings. The content was originally posted by EarthSayer on June 30, 2010.
Dr. Kevin Danaher, co-founder of Global Exchange and a founder of Green Festivals, outlines a concept for integrating social and economic sustainability into real estate development.
His model features green building principles, well-paid green jobs, and urban agriculture. This convergence aims to bring communities into better balance. The discussion is from his TEDx presentation in San Francisco.
The Oregon Sustainability Center (OSC) is a planned 200,000+ square foot urban, mixed-use high rise. It will feature Net Zero Energy and local material sourcing, among other sustainable elements.
This collaborative vision is the result of a unique public/private partnership. It brings together city and state government, higher education, nonprofit organizations, and the business community.
In this old bikeTV segment, Mark Lakeman from Portland, OR's City Repair Project discusses the organization's origins and mission.
He details how the community actively engages in both the creation and utilization of public spaces, fostering a collaborative approach to urban development.
An EcoDistrict is a neighborhood or district dedicated to significantly improving its environmental performance. This commitment is realized through an integrated strategy.
This strategy involves engagement, self-governance, and benchmarking to guide informed decisions. Key areas include demand management, green building, infrastructure, and community best practices.
Dennis Wilde, a Principal at Gerding Edlen Development, is a nationally respected green building expert. He helped establish the Sustainable Solutions division of GEDI, which he joined in 1997. With over 20 years in urban planning and design, Mr. Wilde oversees project management, from feasibility studies to construction and tenant improvements.
In an interview, Wilde discussed how The Natural Step influenced his sustainability journey, highlighting the importance of existing infrastructure and occupant behavior beyond new buildings. Gerding Edlen leads North America in LEED projects and, since 2008, has targeted net-zero energy, carbon, and waste for all future developments.
"The Roots of Sustainability Thinking" by Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert, a Swedish cancer doctor, explores his journey in founding The Natural Step. He established this initiative to introduce scientific principles into environmental debates and provide a robust framework for action.
In an interview by filmmaker Barry Heidt, Robert discusses his personal path to creating a shared vision for planetary well-being and achieving prosperous lives without environmental degradation. More videos on Portland's sustainability progress are available on The Natural Step's YouTube channel.
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The Thinking Game | Full documentary | Tribeca Film Festival official selection
“The Thinking Game” is the inside story of DeepMind's groundbreaking AI research, culminating in the Nobel Prize-winning AlphaFold breakthrough. Filmed over five years by the award-winning team behind "AlphaGo," this documentary explores co-founder Demis Hassabis's lifelong pursuit of artificial general intelligence and the rigorous scientific journey from mastering strategy games to solving the 50-year-old protein folding problem.
Following its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival, "The Thinking Game" is now available to watch for free. For those interested in hosting a screening for a classroom, community, or workplace, visit: rocofilms.com/films/the-thinking-game/.















