Uploaded June 2018 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Listen to the full episode here:
gbes.com/green-building-matters-podcast
LEED and WELL AP Lauren Wallace has been the Certifications Department Manager at Epsten Group since 2010. Her team has tremendous experience with Architecture (including Zoo Projects), LEED Consulting, Third-Party LEED Reviews, Commissioning, and more. Not just LEED, she is out in front with SITES, TRUE, and more rating systems/certifications. Today, she shares the story of her architectural journey as well as her love for a community running on sustainability, with our host, Charlie Cichetti.
Lauren Wallace - A Series of Changes Originally from Long Beach, California, Lauren grew up mostly in San Diego. Over 25 years ago, though, she transferred to Atlanta, where has spent most of her life. Lauren lives intown and walks to Epsten’s LEED Platinum HQ.
She had a passion for the medical field back in high school. Lauren had biology-based classes, trained to get certified as a lifeguard, and even volunteered for the hospital. Lauren knew she was going to become a radiologist, but a drafting course in her last semester of high school changed it all.
Meant for Architecture Taking a drafting course for additional credits opened Lauren to her creative side. Designing, which has always been in her blood thanks to her father’s genes, became something that she embraced.
“When it’s science and math, there’s always an answer. And doing something in the design field tickled my brain in different ways because you’re never done.” - Lauren Wallace
While she signed up for both medicine and architecture, her letter of acceptance at Georgia Tech was all that she needed to know that she was meant to design.
An After-College Sustainability Mindset Lauren spent a lot of her college years in studios. At these studios, there were a lot of people who influenced her to explore sustainability, the community, and built environment, but she didn’t get heavily into sustainability until after college.
By the dawn of LEED rating systems, she’d gotten her degree in architecture. It all began from there.
“I think there were some projects that kind of pushed those buttons, but there was not a lot of connection from the studio to the real world. And about that time, it was the birth of the LEED rating system... I think I’m not surprised that as soon as I graduated is kind of when I started to explore some more of that.” - Lauren Wallace
To hear more about Lauren’s story and her passion for the environment and sustainable communities, download and listen to the episode!
Learn more about Lauren Wallace:
Connect with her on LinkedIn
Epsten Group Profile
Serenbe - Sustainable Community
Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn
Green Building Educational Services
GBES on Twitter
Connect on LinkedIn
Like on Facebook
Google+
GBES Pinterest Pins
GBES on Instagram
Don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes if you truly enjoyed the show. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast !
Listen to the full episode here:
gbes.com/green-building-matters-podcast
LEED and WELL AP Lauren Wallace has been the Certifications Department Manager at Epsten Group since 2010. Her team has tremendous experience with Architecture (including Zoo Projects), LEED Consulting, Third-Party LEED Reviews, Commissioning, and more. Not just LEED, she is out in front with SITES, TRUE, and more rating systems/certifications. Today, she shares the story of her architectural journey as well as her love for a community running on sustainability, with our host, Charlie Cichetti.
Lauren Wallace - A Series of Changes Originally from Long Beach, California, Lauren grew up mostly in San Diego. Over 25 years ago, though, she transferred to Atlanta, where has spent most of her life. Lauren lives intown and walks to Epsten’s LEED Platinum HQ.
She had a passion for the medical field back in high school. Lauren had biology-based classes, trained to get certified as a lifeguard, and even volunteered for the hospital. Lauren knew she was going to become a radiologist, but a drafting course in her last semester of high school changed it all.
Meant for Architecture Taking a drafting course for additional credits opened Lauren to her creative side. Designing, which has always been in her blood thanks to her father’s genes, became something that she embraced.
“When it’s science and math, there’s always an answer. And doing something in the design field tickled my brain in different ways because you’re never done.” - Lauren Wallace
While she signed up for both medicine and architecture, her letter of acceptance at Georgia Tech was all that she needed to know that she was meant to design.
An After-College Sustainability Mindset Lauren spent a lot of her college years in studios. At these studios, there were a lot of people who influenced her to explore sustainability, the community, and built environment, but she didn’t get heavily into sustainability until after college.
By the dawn of LEED rating systems, she’d gotten her degree in architecture. It all began from there.
“I think there were some projects that kind of pushed those buttons, but there was not a lot of connection from the studio to the real world. And about that time, it was the birth of the LEED rating system... I think I’m not surprised that as soon as I graduated is kind of when I started to explore some more of that.” - Lauren Wallace
To hear more about Lauren’s story and her passion for the environment and sustainable communities, download and listen to the episode!
Learn more about Lauren Wallace:
Connect with her on LinkedIn
Epsten Group Profile
Serenbe - Sustainable Community
Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn
Green Building Educational Services
GBES on Twitter
Connect on LinkedIn
Like on Facebook
Google+
GBES Pinterest Pins
GBES on Instagram
Don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes if you truly enjoyed the show. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast !





![Construction Tech Enables Sustainability with Jason Perez
TITLE: Construction Tech Enables Sustainability with Jason Perez
Jason Perez, is the CEO and co-founder of YARDZ, a construction technology company. Entrepreneur, Advisor, Forever Student and Mentor. Founder of a Construction Technology start-up and ATDC Accelerate company. “I love life, I love business and love solving industry problems through simple business solutions. Most importantly, I am thankful for the personal and professional leaders who have taught me and I am honored by those who allow me to pass that wisdom on.”
Show Highlights
Healthy innovation, “mixed solutions” and balancing the application of technology in all aspects of the industry.
Discuss construction, construction technology, and innovation in the industry.
Emphasize the importance of ‘Reducing’ as a key component of sustainability.
Talks about entrepreneurship and green building.
Importance of continuous learning and personal growth in the industry.
Exploring the potential of emerging technologies in construction.
Importance of prioritizing efficiency in construction projects.
Application of Agile methodologies and iteration in construction.
Integration of AI and technology for better construction solutions.
Embracing research and finding ones own path in the industry.
“We have major issues. Weve got to fix efficiency first, because all were going to do is get battery-driven excavators[,] have them drain a battery and then charge them on electrical grids which could be produced by anything. Could be fossil, could be hydro, could be any number of things. But it all starts with reduce, reduce. And we have got to get better at that. And if you dont have the tools to do it, then youre not going to do it.”
-Jason Perez
Get the episode transcript here!
Show Resource and Information
Books-The Producers Mindset
Atlas Shrugged by
A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea (Go-Giver)
Jason Perez on LinkedIn
YARDZ Technologies Inc.
Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES Charlie on LinkedIn
Green Building Educational Services
GBES on Twitter
Connect on LinkedIn
Like on Facebook
Google+
GBES Pinterest Pins
GBES on Instagram
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 www.gbes.com/join 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, dont forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!
Copyright © 2024 GBES Construction Tech Enables Sustainability with Jason Perez](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/68vfsmIl5CU/mqdefault.jpg)



![Advanced Carbon Neutral and Net Zero Design with Joe MacDonald
Joe MacDonald, Principal, Chief Energy & Sustainability Officer | Net Zero Carbon Strategist | Innovator | Data Driven | Climate Risks & Opportunities. Joe MacDonald is an internationally recognized executive and visionary architect, researcher, policy specialist, and climate subject matter expert advocate. Joe founded Urban A&O in New York while serving as an Associate Professor at Harvard University, his alma mater, and now serves as one of its principals.
His mission is to revolutionize global project development, management, and delivery by harnessing the power of decarbonization, digitization, and enhanced data collection, delivering buildings of the future powered by renewable energy & automation.
Joe is UA&O’s Project Architect, and his current focus is on revolutionizing the data center industry by incorporating emerging clean tech solutions including SMRs, Pumped Storage Hydropower, Geothermal, and green hydrogen for maximum sustainability, blue hydrogen as a practical compromise, and natural gas for immediate deployment benefits.
MacDonald designed Project Energos, a 150MW Data Center achieving carbon neutrality by combining a solar array of 100MW and a geothermal plant. Project Energos is the largest green development in the USA powered by hybrid energy.
Joe has been a thought leader in the net zero space for over a decade.He played a pioneering role in advancing smart city principles and data center innovations across Scandinavia, the Americas, and the EU. Joe was an early adopter on the net-zero development space across America, EU, and MENA regions.He secured and delivered a phased 2,000 multi-family home zero emissions development in the Hudson Valley, a $245M suburb development in San Francisco focused on circularity principles, and has worked with various asset management firms taking advantage of the IRA to provide net-zero middle to low income housing in the Texas Triangle.
He lectures worldwide on impact investing, climate change, the UNs 17 SDGs, circular economies and the drive to net zero strategies.Joe serves as an ambassador within the international sustainability and UNFCCC climate action spheres, delivering keynote addresses in Bangkok, Dubai, London, and Copenhagen. He leverages his influential platform to forge profound connections with industry leaders.
Show Highlights
Joe outlines his firms core competencies: carbon neutral data centers, eco resorts, smart cities, green roofs, and plant walls.
Pro tips on how to transition from a local office to a global workforce.
Remote work with regular Zoom meetings and use of WhatsApp for efficient communication.
Discussion on the significance of policy in driving sustainability.
Comparison of US and EU policies, and the role of corporate mandates.
Emphasizes the importance of patience, creativity, and grit.
Focus on carbon neutrality and net zero projects,
Passive House in Texas and
Smart City in Colombia
Be progressive and stay on the cutting edge of new technologies with federal funding.
“Ive seen many colleagues, both young people and also mid-career people, make this switch [into Green Buildings], and theyre so thrilled that they did because the net of making that switch is that you do end up making a real impact in this space. So I encourage everybody whos interested to really take a crack at it.”
-Joe MacDonald
Get the episode transcript here!
Show Resource and Information
LinkedIn
The Sixties Unplugged
Urban A&O NYC, Inc.
Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES
Charlie on LinkedIn
Green Building Educational Services
GBES on Twitter
Connect on LinkedIn
Like on Facebook
Google+
GBES Pinterest Pins
GBES on Instagram
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 www.gbes.com/join 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, dont forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!
Copyright © 2024 GBES Advanced Carbon Neutral and Net Zero Design with Joe MacDonald](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/74uyZbgnwZs/mqdefault.jpg)
