ISS Presents: Biophilia – Inspiring Beauty, Love, Connection, and Health through Our Places

EXPERIENCE

Dive into the world of biophilic design with one of the nation’s preeminent experts, CEO of the International Living Future Institute Amanda Sturgeon. Biophilic design is based on the idea that people have an innate connection to nature, a relationship which benefits a community’s physical and psychological health. Learn how designers are incorporating elements of the natural world into the built environment, from green walls and stormwater gardens to circadian lights, variable temperatures, and places of refuge. We’ll also hear from local architect Patricia Culley, who will share examples of biophilic design in Pittsburgh.

About our Presenters:

Amanda Sturgeon, FAIA, is the CEO of the International Living Future Institute. She joined the Institute in 2010 following a career as a licensed architect with fifteen years experience designing and managing some of the most sustainable buildings in the Pacific Northwest. She has served on many national boards and committees and has taught at the University of Washington as well as Bainbridge Graduate Institute. Amanda was a founding board member of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council in 2000. She was elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2013 and a LEED Fellow later the same year in recognition for her extensive advocacy and volunteer service to the green building movement. She was named as one of the top ten most powerful women in sustainability in 2015 as a recipient of the Women in Sustainability Leadership Award.

Patricia Culley, AIA, WELL AP, LEED AP, is an Associate at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, an award-winning national architecture firm that excels in thoughtful, humane design that celebrates the spirit of place. A leader in the firm for sustainability, Patricia is accredited in both LEED and WELL Building Standards and regularly volunteers her time as an Ambassador presenter of the Living Building Challenge. Her extensive knowledge of sustainable design strategies and technology is best exemplified by her work as Project Architect for the recently-completed Frick Environmental Center in Pittsburgh, the world’s first free and public Living Building Challenge targeted project. Patricia has been featured in multiple national online and print publications, and frequently speaks about sustainability at regional and national conferences. She holds a degree from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture.

Stay tuned for more information and a complete lineup of local and national presenters!