Sandy Mendler's guest appearances

Sandy Mendler

The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

Design the Future

John Harrison

Alan Scott

Jason McLennan

Jorge Lopez

Bill Spohn

Nate Adams

Rick Carter

John Boecker

Prasad Vaidya

Susan Kaplan

Tim Trefzer

Shan Arora

Michael Bean

Breana Wheeler

Emre Ilicali

OwlTail

Sandy Mendler is an architect, planner, and researcher focused on creating new models for healthy, sustainable living. She is a design industry thought leader and dynamic project leader; at Gensler, she is a principal, studio director, and regional practice leader for education. She previously worked at Mithun (where she was part of a Bay Area Resilient by Design team in the Rockefeller Brothers Fund competition) and HOK (where she led the influential EPA HQ project and co-authored the HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design). Throughout her career, Sandy has been asking big questions about complex topics and developing solutions that demonstrate the value of sustainable, equitable design, which she calls “prototypes for the positive future.” She is dedicated to research and deep collaborations. “We are systems thinkers,” she says. “We work as teams to create solutions that do many things at once -- and have positive, ongoing impact. Part of this is that we can -- and must -- co-create with communities. We have to catalyze investment in under invested areas because it’s the right thing to do but also because it’s part of the equation around emissions and healthy places.” 

<p>Sandy Mendler is an architect, planner, and researcher focused on creating new models for healthy, sustainable living. She is a design industry thought leader and dynamic project leader; at Gensler, she is a principal, studio director, and regional practice leader for education. She previously worked at Mithun (where she was part of a Bay Area Resilient by Design team in the Rockefeller Brothers Fund competition) and HOK (where she led the influential EPA HQ project and co-authored the HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design). <br/><br/>Throughout her career, Sandy has been asking big questions about complex topics and developing solutions that demonstrate the value of sustainable, equitable design, which she calls “prototypes for the positive future.” She is dedicated to research and deep collaborations. “We are systems thinkers,” she says. “We work as teams to create solutions that do many things at once -- and have positive, ongoing impact. Part of this is that we can -- and must -- co-create with communities. We have to catalyze investment in under invested areas because it’s the right thing to do but also because it’s part of the equation around emissions and healthy places.” </p>

Sandy Mendler on research and collaborating across networks

Architect, planner, and activist bringing design leadership, creative group facilitation, expertise and advocacy to organizations working to advance inclusive and equitable sustainable design solutions. Project types include academic and student life facilities for K-12 schools, colleges and universities, workplaces for mission driven organizations, and urban design and planning that advances equity, sustainability and resilience. With 30 years of experience designing high performance buildings, campuses and urban neighborhoods, I am a passionate advocate for the “next” sustainable design agenda, which integrates architecture and planning to find synergies between high performance buildings, infrastructure, and community development strategies that build equity and resilience. Lead author of two editions of “The HOK Guide to Sustainable Design,” one of Wiley’s best-selling sustainable design texts, and with work widely published in print and on the internet, I speak often at universities, conferences and industry events. Current research and writing focuses on the dual challenges of resilience and social equity. Specialties: Architecture, urban design, planning, visioning, programming, community engagement, sustainable design, EcoDistrict planning, resilience planning   Show Highlights  Why you never share more than 5 ideas or concepts at a time Building pedagogy. Buildings that are performing on multiple levels.  Hear about the various projects from her career in green building  How to redesign our communities now so that we're more resilient and prepared  Downturns in the economy provided a big opportunity in Sandy’s career. How she knew when to make changes. The challenge on the issues of sustainability and systemic inequality Sandy explains why general sustainability and reduction isn’t a big enough impact.  A good designer creates something that solves problems proactively and adds their voice to the solution    “I think we need to look beyond individual buildings; into the patterns of development in the way neighborhoods are built. We have to find the way as architects, to not just work where the most resources are, but to also work where there aren't enough resources. We can unlock a lot of opportunity and a lot of great things through designs.” --Sandy Mendler      Show Resources             Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES           GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to  to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Strategic Sustainability Planning With Sandy Mendler, LEED Fellow