Design for Impact
Environmental & Social Responsibility Report
Grinnell College Humanities and Social Studies Center — Grinnell, Iowa
We believe in a future where buildings create more energy than they use, make people healthier, and positively contribute to their communities.
University of Maryland, The A. James Clark School of Engineering (Idea Factory) — College Park, Maryland
Discovery Green — Houston, Texas
As designers, architects, engineers, and planners, we have a tremendous impact on the world around us. It’s our responsibility to think what’s possible with every design.
Our focus has shifted beyond doing more with less toward restoring and improving sites, neighborhoods, and cities where we work. This vision requires strategy, and our intentions require rigor.
Alief Neighborhood Center — Houston, Texas
Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin Campus - Austin, Texas
We have seen firsthand the increasing need for our communities to prepare for the unknowns of tomorrow. We plan for climate extremes and design for flexible futures by creating adaptable projects that advance resilience.
As a 125-plus-year-old firm and one of the first large firms to sign the AIA 2030 Commitment, we are invested in leading our industry through the current energy and technological transition toward a regenerative tomorrow.
Lehigh University Mountaintop Campus — Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
As agents for positive change, we are driven by ideals we hold dear. In delivering our services, we are guided by three core values: creativity, collaboration, and commitment.
Indeed Tower — Austin, Texas
We are excited to present the second issue of our Design for Impact report, which unfolds the evolution of Page over the last year. One significant milestone stands out among many achievements – our strategic acquisition of EYP. Throughout the integration process, we leaned into our core values – creativity, collaboration, and commitment – and reimagined how we help our clients Think What’s Possible. Combined, we’re making an even greater impact.
With more than 1,300 employees and 20 offices supporting clients across multiple geographies, our vision requires strategy, and our intentions require rigor. We aim to continually reduce our environmental impact, improve our communities, and lead with integrated design.
Two of our six pillars are environmental and social responsibility, and we know our firm is strongest when these responsibilities are woven into everything we do. This report provides a strategy overview, highlights our ongoing commitments, and tracks our progress. We share it to celebrate the work we have achieved, challenge ourselves to continue to reach these goals, and connect with our clients and communities.
Sincerely,
Reduce Our Environmental Impact
Operational Energy
Embodied Carbon Waste & Water Reduction
Green Building Certification
Project Highlight: Grinnell College
/02
Improve Our Communities Design for Well-Being Community Impact Expanding Diversity
Project Highlight: Alief Neighborhood Center
/03
Lead With Integrated Design Pursuing Exceptional Designing for Impact
Project Highlights: University of Houston College of Medicine & U.S. Embassy Campus Niamey
Presidio Promenade - Presidio Doyle Drive Battery Bluff Tunnel Top — San Francisco, California
Operational Energy
In 2009, we signed the AIA 2030 Commitment to pursue carbon neutrality in our work by 2030. We have established leadership in sustainability, actively improved our operations, and reported our annual progress.
Building production and operations emit 33% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, making them the single biggest carbon emitter by sector. Emissions are expected to double by 2050, and while ASHRAE standards, aggressive code changes, and clean-energy grid sourcing are all in motion, they need to be ramped up to address the carbon emissions associated with the operations of our buildings.
In 2009, we proudly embraced the AIA 2030 Commitment as early adopters. As
committed signatories, our pledge revolves around reducing energy consumption and transitioning to decarbonized energy sources across all our projects. Our ultimate objective is to design projects that are entirely carbon-neutral by 2030. To gauge our progress, we rely on the Predicted Energy Use Intensity (pEUI) for each project, measured in kBTU/SF. Our reference point is anchored in the 2003 Commercial Building Energy Consumption report, which provides the average pEUI data for 47 different building types.
square feet reported (commutative) to AIA 2030 since signing commitment in 2009
We are maintaining our commitment and improving our performance by:
§ Continuing to report 100% of our eligible buildings.
§ Setting 2030 EUI targets for every project.
§ Targeting at least 15% better than code on all projects.
§ Targeting 30% better ratings on all projects seeking certification.
§ Increasing our percentage of projects with energy modeling to 90%.
§ Advocating for on-site renewable and solarready buildings.
§ Conducting both incentive and triple bottom line analyses for all projects seeking certification.
Embodied Carbon
Measuring carbon emissions associated with material selection is critical to reducing our environmental impact.
Core Principles for Reducing Our Embodied Carbon
Buildings, their construction materials, and the energy they consume account for approximately 39% of global carbon emissions. Reducing embodied carbon in our building materials is essential to mitigating environmental impacts. Critical building materials such as cement, steel, aluminum, and glass are all major sources of greenhouse gases. Combined, they equate to 11% of worldwide CO2 emissions.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change models, the current decade is a crucial time for action to curb climate change. We know that buildings have an estimated life of 60 years and that reducing embodied carbon in building materials is just as important as reducing emissions from the energy needed to operate them. So, how do we reduce embodied carbon?
Wherever possible, reuse, renovate, and reposition existing buildings. Extending the life of existing buildings can save anywhere from 50-75% of embodied carbon emissions compared to the construction of new buildings, especially if foundations and structures are preserved.
Focus on carbon reduction for structure and envelope materials. “Heavier” building materials represent approximately 80% of the entire carbon footprint of a building, and thus provide the highest opportunity for savings. Our structural engineers and building sciences team are attuned to evaluating structural system options based on embodied carbon impact. We strive to work with contractors committed to means and methods of reuse. Architects need to maximize structural efficiencies and specify highrecycled content in cement and steel.
Design to minimize waste. Interiors of buildings are updated every 10 years on
To advance our efforts, we commit to:
§ Continue to conduct Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for environmental impact on projects seeking green building certification and conduct embodied carbon benchmarking for structural and envelope materials on all projects larger than 50,000 SF by 2025.
§ Set LCA goals for the firm and each market to reduce the environmental impact of our projects.
§ Adopt maximum Global Warming Potential constraints for specific high-carbon impact materials to guide material selection on projects by 2025.
average, which, over time, represents an enormous embodied carbon impact. Selecting products made with high-recycled content is a good place for interior designers to start minimizing this impact. Additionally, choosing products with take-back programs reduces embodied energy, supports manufacturers taking responsibility for production processes, and extends a material’s useful life, which creates a more circular economy.
Track the embodied carbon in the materials of our buildings. Nutrition labels transformed how we look at our food; likewise, building material transparency helps us make more informed decisions. Architects must ask for Environmental Product Declarations from manufacturers, use free tools like EC3 for early material analysis or Tally to conduct Revit-based carbon analysis, use the AIA’s Large Firm Round Table’s Countdown on Carbon guide, and sign up for the Embodied Carbon Network to stay up to date with others trying to tackle these issues.
§ Estimate the emissions payback period for embodied emissions in each project by 2030.
§ Deliver firmwide embodied carbon education and educate all staff about embodied carbon and decisions they can make every day to reduced embodied carbon in our projects.
§ Ask our structural engineering partners to sign the SE 2050 Commitment.
Austin, Texas
Highpoint at 2222
Reuse and rethinking of existing buildings is a best business practice. Our team, working with developer Karlin Real Estate, designed a core/shell renovation for a 1.1M square foot research facility that was originally occupied by 3M. The result is a modernized workspace that accommodates creative and collaborative team-based work. The team thoughtfully endeavored
to use most of the building’s existing structure and parts of the existing envelope. As a result, nearly all of the concrete and steel structure was reused, significantly reducing the need for new materials in the project to a fraction of what would usually be needed. The result is a reduction in embodied emissions of nearly 90%.
Baseline typical developerled new construction
Proposed Reuse of existing with strategic facade improvements
Waste & Water Reduction
We aim to reduce water use by a minimum of 20% beyond standard practices on every project.
As existing water resources become increasingly scarce and consumption rises exponentially, we must emphasize water use reduction in the design of all buildings.
From residential and hospitality buildings to corporate and commercial structures, water use must be reduced and reuse implemented as much as possible, but it
is especially important to consider when designing industrial facilities.
The Page Industrial market sector measures and quantifies water conservation design. This service exponentially impacts our ability to reduce potable water demands in our building portfolio.
water savings and 750M gallons of potable water saved per year at RFAB2. 43%
Texas Instruments RFAB2 — Richardson, Texas
LEED Gold
We are committed to reducing waste both in our facilities and throughout the design and construction process.
Projects
of all our certified green building projects achieve at least 75% waste reduction. 75% Total
For Ottobock’s U.S. headquarters, the design team proposed leaving the architecture of the base building in its raw state and looked to the organic forms at the foundation of Ottobock’s mission and history for inspiration to minimize new materials.
While reducing our organization’s operational waste is essential, our primary impact on waste streams is in the buildings we design. We emphasize tracking waste reduction on our projects, as minimizing waste from materials during construction is critical to reducing embodied carbon. Any waste created is recycled as much as possible.
Ottobock — Austin, Texas
Green Building Certification
Accredited Professionals (as of July 2023)
6 30 324
LEED AP and LEED Green Associates
26 WELL APs, 3 Fitwel, and 1 SITES AP
Certified Commissioning Professionals
Projects : Certified and In-Progress (as of August 2023)
240
LEED-certified projects totaling 41.2M square feet
95
active certification projects
11
Guiding Principles projects
36
countries with LEED-certified or in-progress projects
12.1M
certified or in-progress project square feet by Austin Energy Green Building
5
Net Zero Ready projects
52%
of our LEED-certified projects by area are Gold or Platinum
90
Energy Star projects
4
SITES certifications
Page’s Austin office is relocating to the Page-designed Indeed Tower which is certified as LEED platinum, AEGB 5 stars, and Fitwel 1 star
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Page Office Certifications
Atlanta
LEED Gold Certified*
Energy Star*
WELL Health-Safety Rated*
Austin
Austin Green Business
Leadership Platinum
Austin Energy Green Building+
WELL Certification+
Austin 360 Energy Star*
Dallas
LEED Silver Certified
Denver
BOMA 360 Certified* Energy Star*
GREBS 5 Star Rating*
LEED EBOM Gold Certified*
UL Indoor Air Verified*
WELL Health-Safety Rated*
WELL Certification*+
Houston Energy Star*
LEED EBOM Gold Certified*
WELL Health Safety Rated*
Phoenix Energy Star*
Richmond
LEED Certified+
WELL Certification+
Washington, DC Energy Star*
WELL Platinum Certification+
* certification for base building + in progress
As designers and planners of the built environment, we significantly impact the world around us and take this responsibility seriously. Our focus has shifted beyond doing more with less, toward restoring and improving the sites, neighborhoods, and cities where we work. This intention requires rigor, and our strategy for implementing this vision sets us apart.
We consistently deliver LEED certifications that surpass our clients’ expectations. We are proud to have designed over 41.2M SF of LEED-certified projects in 36 countries, 52% of which are LEED Platinum or Gold Certified. We are leaders in Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB), one of the predecessors to LEED. And our portfolio has more AEGB-certified square footage than any other design firm.
Project Size
52,000 Gross Square Feet modernization
125,000 Gross Square Feet
new
Services Provided Architecture / Design Services / Interior Design / Sustainability Awards
BIA (Brick in Architecture) Gold Award for Educational University Projects, 2020
AIA Iowa, Excellence in Energy Efficient Design Award, 2021
ASID DC Metro, Design Excellence Award, 2021
IIDA Mid-Atlantic, Education Award, 2021
AIA DC, Design Award, 2022
AIA North Carolina Triangle Chapter Design, Honor Award, 2023
CDA (Copper Development Association) Architecture Award, 2023
Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell College Humanities and Social Studies Center
Gone are the days of teachers lecturing and students listening. The HSCC embraces the possibilities of a 21st-century learning experience. Students and professors begin by walking together along the atrium bridge, enjoying the morning light from the clerestory windows. Class convenes in the historic Alumni Recitation Hall, now fully integrated with modern technology. Students will soon head to the learning laboratories for small-group breakouts, where they’ll use online tools to work with peers at other institutions.
Between classes, they’ll meet up and head to semi-private breakout spaces for project work – fostering the intellectual collisions that enrich a student’s education. A mix of the old and new, the HSSC makes possible a teaching and learning experience attuned to emerging research, technology, and collaboration, while honoring Grinnell’s tradition of excellence in education.
ENERGY
WELLNESS
The geothermal heat pump chillers utilized on the project have the added benefit of rejecting otherwise unused heating and cooling energy back into the campus system. This energy can be used by other buildings on campus, reducing the central plant load by a projected 14.2%. The project has a 28 EUI (kBTU/ SF/year) and met the 2030 challenge when designed with a 74% reduction.
Wood and wood-look feature walls bring warmth to teaching spaces. Each department area, or “neighborhood,” has a dedicated commons for informal learning. 51% of regularly occupied spaces receive sufficient daylight.
MATERIALS
The project is meant to connect the old to the new. The historic Alumni Recitation Hall tower is now enclosed in the main atrium of the building and accented by a halo skylight above. Elevations were articulated with a local brick mix and raw copper metal panels that naturally patina over time. In the project climate, the copper turns darker rather than greener, capturing the look of a penny worn from many years of circulation.
ECOLOGY
COMMUNITY
Designing a heart in the building for gathering, influences intentional and unintentional academic discourse, chance collisions, and individual study. Among many other features, suspended bridges help the project exceed minimum accessibility standards to achieve a more equitable experience for all building users.
RESILIENCE
75% of the new roof area drains to the rainwater reuse tank, while the remaining 25% infiltrates bio-retention rain gardens surrounding the complex. The reuse tank serves toilets and urinals inside the building.
Forty classrooms allow for a wide range of layouts, technological integrations, and learning styles. Classrooms face the exterior and borrow light from interior skylights and light wells. Chilled beams help provide quiet, energy-efficient heating and cooling.
Design for Well-Being
As signatories of the AIA Materials Pledge and the Design for Freedom, we are redoubling our commitment to design for well-being by advocating for human health, regenerative environments, comfort, and social equity.
Some of the most significant determinants of health are physical and social environments. Addressing the challenges in both realms is core to achieving better health equity. This creates a profound responsibility for those of us creating the built environment to advance the well-being of all who live, work, and play in the spaces we design.
We strive to make healthier places and push further by creating regenerative and
restorative spaces that support people best. We are doubling down on our commitment to design for well-being by embracing the AIA Material Pledge tenants to support human health, social health & equity, ecosystem health, climate health, and a circular economy.
We are committed to helping clients define practical, actionable, and unique solutions specific to each of our clients’ cultures, businesses, staff, and future goals.
The construction industry is the #1 industrial sector at risk for forced labor. As signatories of the Design for Freedom movement, we are joining the cause to build a forced labor-free future. Growing awareness of materials most at risk, reassessing our materials library, building decision guidance, and applying these tools on our own pilot projects, we are working together towards a more equitable supply chain and economy.
Seattle University, The Jim and Janet Sinegal Center for Science and Innovation — Seattle, Washington
Materials coLAB
In April 2016, we launched Materials Matter, which evolved into our Materials coLAB team. Focused on foundational education and forward-focused advancement, this group promotes the specification of healthier materials with fewer toxic chemicals, lowered emissions, and longer lifespans through product transparency. Our journey to less harmful materials and products has opened the doors to advancing our impact with leading manufacturers, local fabricators, contractors, and clients.
We have enhanced tools for our project teams to establish better goals for material selection, focusing on improving material health, environmental health, and social responsibility. Additional guides help vet materials, document the selection process, and ultimately support construction.
With our ever-growing materials resources, we continue promoting market transformation toward a more resilient and sustainable future with all our projects. Every success serves as a step on the ladder to the next one.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Outpatient Center — Atlanta, Georgia
Hackensack University Medical Center
Helena Theurer Pavilion — Hackensack, New Jersey
Community Impact
We are committed to donating 1% of our working hours to pro-bono services.
Sustainable design has evolved from minimizing negative environmental impacts to maximizing positive effects on the communities and people we serve. At Page, we work collaboratively with those impacted by each project to define what means most to them. Then we think what’s possible to ensure financial and material resources result in positive outcomes, shared equitably among the people in our communities and the environments that sustain them.
OnePlus, Pro-Bono, and Low-Bono Projects
Our firm was an early signer of the 1+ Program, which challenged designers to dedicate 1% or more of their working hours to pro-bono service. While the program is no longer active, we are still using it as a guide to ensure we are investing in and providing access to critical community partners.
We provide non-profit community partners with pro-bono and low-bono (significantly reduced fee) professional services, including programming, master planning, architecture, engineering, interiors, branding and graphics, and more.
We often help clients leverage the impact of our work by providing consulting
and design services that amplify their fundraising and outreach efforts. We also help them navigate change and growth through collaborative design thinking and problem-solving.
Through their planning and development efforts, our non-profit and civic/community clients help others daily, particularly those traditionally underserved. We are proud to add value to each community partner’s mission and goals by providing affordable professional services and thoughtful design solutions that have a clear positive impact while being sensitive to each organization’s needs and budget.
Traditional Projects
What about the other 99 percent? Our work consists mainly of complex projects that benefit from our integrated disciplines and significantly impact the communities they serve. Our clients include municipalities, academic institutions, healthcare providers, major employers, and housing communities that shape the world around us.
We believe buildings are more important for their positive impact on individual lives than for what they are in terms of image. We provide a solution-driven, community focus on projects that results in positively impactful buildings and places.
Non-Profit Clients
Amani Medical Center
Ashby Street Theater
Arlington (VA) Soccer Association
Austin Habitat for Humanity Avenue
BakerRipley
Buffalo Bayou Conservancy
Equest
Good Neighbor Healthcare
Greater Texas Foundation
Healthcare for the Homeless Houston
Holdsworth Foundation
KUT/KUTX Radio Stations
Magnolia Montessori for All
MLK Health Clinic
Mobile Loaves & Fishes / Community First Village
Montrose Health Clinic
My Healing Place
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Houston
Pease Park Conservancy
People’s Community Clinic
Renaissance Riverfront Lofts
Ronald McDonald House
Charities of Central Texas
The SAFE Alliance
San Antonio Botanical Gardens
San Antonio Museum of Art
Target Hunger
Travis Audubon Society
Waterloo Greenway Conservancy
Umlauf Sculpture Garden
Plan to maintain our 1+ commitment and improve our performance:
§ Track hours dedicated to pro- and low-bono projects.
§ Follow a process for determining which community partners, professional services, and combination of pro-bono and low-bono fees will allow us to maximize the positive impact of our committed hours.
§ Create resources and training to support all teams in considering the impact of projects on communities throughout the design process.
§ Measure and assess the social impact of our projects. Who have we positively impacted? How did our design specifically contribute? Where can we learn and do better?
§ Highlight stories of design that improve our communities.
BakerRipley Cleveland Campus Expansion and Renovation — Pasadena, Texas
Sharing Time and Talent
We are dedicated to advancing cities, spaces, and places that make up our communities. Our people invest in and support causes that matter.
Our employees share our values, care about our communities, and are active in environmental and community causes. They are actively engaged through volunteer service and civic engagement, both as individuals and via Page-organized activities and events. Many also support academic, professional, and community organizations by serving on boards, commissions, and committees.
Volunteering / Community Engagement
Our community activities range from design competitions that support local food banks to Hearts and Hammers, Meals on Wheels, and much more. Our employees organize fundraising events to raise awareness of the importance of design among community leaders, such as our Conversations in the Garden series at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden. This event is typically attended by voices of influence from various Austin-based industries who discuss the social value of design and innovation in problem-solving.
Page Foundation
The Page Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to advancing cities, spaces, and places that make up our communities. For over a decade, the Foundation has supported scholarship and research dedicated to architecture, building science and technology, historic preservation, landscape architecture, and urban design. Key initiatives include academic scholarships, fellowships, and a series of symposia focused on advancing conversations around important topics such as resilience and universal design.
Design Symposia
In 2018, the Page Foundation partnered with 100 Resilient Cities to organize a national multiday conference, AdRESS (Advocating Resilience through Environmental and Social Solutions) – Connecting the Conversations. The event explored elements of social resilience, from community support to emotional and physical health to social equity and inclusivity.
Initially canceled due to COVID-19 in 2020, the Foundation is, once again, planning the UniversALL Design Symposium, now for 2024. The program will explore the shared community benefits of designing inclusive and facilitative environments for all users. It will bring together international experts in designing accessible spaces and provide experiential learning activities to explore how design can foster access, participation, and inclusion for people of all abilities.
Our employees volunteered an estimated 2,000+ hours serving community events and projects in 2022
Expanding Diversity
We are committed to expanding our industry’s diverse talent pipeline, thereby creating a more diverse workforce that brings creative ideas, perspectives, and processes to improve design solutions.
People-centered organizations lead to a more inclusive culture, resulting in more diverse leadership and collaborative teams. Diversity is essential in the AEC industry, and there is much work to do. Page is committed to creating a firm that reflects our clients and the communities where we live, work, and play. Our best designs come from welcoming multiple perspectives.
To understand how our employees experience work life at Page, we utilized a research-based tool developed by Dr. J. Goosby Smith, Ph.D., Chief Diversity Officer at Pepperdine University. Dr. Smith has national experience working with organizations to advance their Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) goals. Based on the results of the Organizational Inclusion Assessment that measures eight dimensions of inclusion, we focused our efforts on mentoring and workplace culture through the following actions:
Expanding EDI Leadership
We recognize that having dedicated staff to design, measure, and track our progress is essential. This spring, Page welcomed Development and Inclusion Director Timothy Skaggs, MSOB. With a 25-year history of building workplace communities of inclusion, we are excited to have him working on Page’s inclusion and belonging efforts.
Action Learning Teams
We created two Action Learning Teams of diverse individuals at all career levels to support our multi-point EDI initiative.
The Policies, Communications, and Organizational Norms Team reviewed Page policies and communications to ensure an EDI lens. Analyzing our organizational norms, we identified the unconscious ways exclusive environments stifle employee participation.
The Mentoring for Career Development Team evaluated the success of mentoring at Page.
It proposed new structures and systems to facilitate high-quality mentoring and ensure those programs are equitably available.
Mentoring
Page highly values mentoring as it expands learning and growth opportunities, encourages team players, and ultimately enables more effective client service. Our people serve as mentors, professors, leaders, and speakers in organizations dedicated to the growth of future leaders. Simultaneously, reverse mentoring brings new ways of thinking to Page.
With full support, many of our planners, designers, and architects are active members of the National Organization of Minority Architects. We participate in multiple AIA programs and initiatives, including Latinos in Architecture, Women in Architecture, the Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program, and the Women’s Leadership Summit.
Recruiting
Our goal is to cast a wide net to find the best talent who will further broaden our perspective as our workforce becomes ever more diverse. As a member of the AIA Large Firm Round Table, Page is committed to doubling the number of licensed black architects by 2030 and working with our peer firms to bridge the gap of minorities in the industry. As a firm, we have fostered relationships with multiple Historically Black Colleges and Universities over the years to raise interest in design and engineering careers and recruit new thought leaders of tomorrow.
Historically Underutilized / Minority Businesses
We are proud of our long and successful history of integrating consultants into wellorchestrated project delivery teams. Our extensive portfolio includes collaboration with many Historically Underutilized
Businesses (HUB), such as Minority, Women-Owned, Disadvantaged, and Veteran-Owned Businesses. This diversity is a priority when we assemble our project teams, and our clients value our ability to exceed their HUB goals. Recent projects in which we met or exceeded HUB goals include a Veterans Affairs healthcare clinic, a university system headquarters highrise, a metro District Attorney’s office, and multiple airport projects.
Our firm is dedicated to facilitating the growth and development of small and disadvantaged businesses. Page often sponsors HUB events throughout areas in which our offices are located. And our project teams serve as mentors in multiple mentor-protégé relationships sponsored by various local and state entities. Page has also received a Certificate of Excellence for the Mentor Protégé Program.
Workplace Culture
Diversity is more than just race, gender, and age. With 20 offices worldwide, 39 languages spoken by our employees, and project work in more than 100 countries, we embrace and celebrate regional differences. We support safe, inviting, and inclusive spaces for all our employees. From the long-tenured to early career, we all have a voice here. Our culture is something we work at and improve every day with the help of our invaluable, talented staff.
“We understand that as a firm, we must be an integral part of helping to heal a legacy of racial injustice and bias through engagement within our communities and our interdisciplinary professions, and most importantly, through engagement with and a continued commitment to our people.”
Mattia Flabiano III, Senior Principal
Ethnicity and Race
Over the last year and a half, Page’s purposeful recruiting has led to a much more racially diverse workforce, with over 45% of our new hires belonging to underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. We are focused on fostering an experience of inclusion and belonging to retain diverse employees and continue to see a shift in the firm ethnic makeup over time.
Ethnicity Distribution Firmwide
New Hire % of underrepresented racial & ethnic groups.
The most recent demographic information from the AIA is available online. The NSPE has not released comparable data at the time of publication.
AIA Membership Demographics
Compared to other AIA members, our staff who identify as belonging to underrepresented racial and ethnic groups are more numerous and growing twice as fast.
Number of New Hires by Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic group
Women and non-binary individuals are underrepresented in the AEC industry and, specifically, in management positions. In a concentrated effort to retain more women throughout their careers, we’ve been increasingly intentional about inclusion, offering flexible work arrangements and investing in career advancement education programs for our colleagues. In turn, more women are staying in the pipeline of promotable positions. We’re proud to see an 18% increase in the number of women in high-level leadership positions (principal and board of directors/executive committee) over the last decade. We will continue to take action to improve gender parity further.
Gender Distribution Firmwide
Women in high-level* leadership positions have increased 18%.
*high-level indicates Principal or BoD/Executive Committee
Gender Distribution in Leadership Associate Principals, Principals, and Board of Directors
In earlier versions of this report, there was inconsistent reporting of what organizational roles were included in this table. This data has been reconciled to show firm leaders as: Associate Principals, Principals, and Board of Directors.
Gender Distribution by Title
Generation
Generational Distribution Firmwide
X (1966-1976)
Millennial (1977-1994) Boomer (1946-1965)
Gender Distribution by Generation Firmwide 2022
Generational diversity helps strengthen our thought leadership. While older generations provide existing knowledge of practices and markets, younger generations bring a fresh perspective and understanding of new technologies. We look forward to welcoming additional Gen Z employees as they continue to enter the workforce. Male Female
New hires are currently about 80% Gen X and Millennial.
Generational Distribution of New Hires
Gender distribution almost entirely reverses between Boomers and Gen Z.
Targeting LEED Silver
Project Size
70,000 Square Feet
Services Provided Architecture / Interiors / Sustainability / Experiential Graphic Design / Code Compliance
Awards
§ RTFA Rethinking The Future Award –2020 Public Building Award
§ TRAPS Texas Recreation & Parks Society – 2020 Excellence in Planning Award
§ HGAC Houston Galveston Area Council – 2019 Parks and Nature Award, Special Recognition
Houston, Texas
Alief Neighborhood Center
The Alief neighborhood is the most diverse community in the City of Houston, with over 45,000 people across a broad spectrum of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Officially opened on January 14th, 2023, this new neighborhood center raises the bar for facilities of its kind, not just in Houston but anywhere in the United States. It is a new model for how various community functions can come together in a single facility—a resilient one-stop shop offering valuable services and amenities for an entire community from birth through old age. The new 70,000-square-foot Center and
renovated park are home to after-school and summer enrichment programs, youth recreation leagues, and activities for seniors. The public library provides access to books and technology. The Center houses a Women, Infants, and Children clinic and expands the Houston Health Department’s Diabetes and Wellness Network. The program for the new community center sought to combine functions from three city departments into one all-inclusive facility: Houston Parks and Recreation, the Houston Public Library, and the Houston Health Department.
DISCOVERY
In addressing the project’s four primary goals, the 70,000 SF, 3-story Center innovates a new paradigm for providing City services by leveraging synergies between the Houston Health, Parks, Library, and General Service Departments to benefit residents, all under one roof.
COMMUNITY
Featuring the “Biggest Front Porch in Texas” — a large, covered public plaza — the Center creates a heart for civic engagement where the community can gather to share ideas. From the porch, visitors are welcomed by views of the park that reinforce the relationship between interior and exterior.
WELLNESS
The design also fosters a culture of health by combining various active programs like the fitness center, swimming pool, recreational fields, children’s playground, community garden, and running and nature trails. Students can “catch air” at the skate park or sprint up the ‘Mount Alief’ running path.
RESILIENCE
ECOLOGY
Raised out of the floodplain by placing parking under the building at grade, the Alief Neighborhood Center is a model for resilient design post-Hurricane Harvey — a lily pad during high-water events, a respite for those seeking shelter, and a long-awaited nucleus for the Alief neighborhood.
32 heritage live oak trees are protected, and over 570 trees are preserved across the site. A tree-filled area in the southwest corner of the site, referred to by the team as the “forest grove,” was preserved with the help of the team arborist to ensure this unique amenity is sustainable for generations to come. Stormwater features also show visitors the possibilities for creating ecosystems.
ENERGY
47 EUI resulted from an early-stage analysis conducted to inform the design and determine the most efficient and effective building systems.
Carleton College Science Renovation and Addition Evelyn M. Anderson Hall — Northfield, Minnesota
Pursuing Exceptional
We work together as a single firm in a shared pursuit of excellence.
Page One: From Good to Exceptional
In 2013, Page announced to the world that we had made changes reflecting our then-new generation of leadership, such as a new organizational structure, the opportunity for every employee to become an owner, and a new way of working. This included a “one firm, one voice” approach supported by firmwide processes across all offices to improve project delivery. A few years ago, we elevated this concept with an initiative called Page One.
Page One identified opportunities for offices, practices, and other organizational elements to further collaborate across the firm in a shared pursuit of excellence. The tagline “From Good to Exceptional” reflects the continuous mission to evaluate our actions on an ongoing journey with no defined endpoint. As we leverage Page One to improve our communities, reduce our environmental impact, and lead with integrated design, we create operational models for others in our industry to follow.
We developed measures to evaluate progress and provide rigor to our intentions. They are based on our defined firm values, conversations with colleagues, and research into evolving best practices.
Foundation of Page One:
§ Commitment to transparency and nurturing trust
These measures are organized into six categories, or pillars, that align with industry data gathering and recognition. By intentionally aligning our work with the pillars, we have clear, focused intentions and documentation of our progress:
Firm Strength
We seek people with capabilities and business acumen to give us the knowledge, competitive edge, and financial health to create exceptional work on behalf of our clients and communities.
Design
We emphasize generating unique solutions across project types, systems, scales, geographies, and client sectors by prioritizing rigor, economy, elegance, and ingenuity.
Environmental Responsibility
We consider the impact of buildings on our environment and take responsibility for lessening it through regenerative thinking, processes, and solutions.
Social Responsibility
By intentionally nurturing diversity across origins, backgrounds, skillsets,
§ Assessment of operational conditions
§ Analysis of systems in and out of Page
§ Evaluation of potential opportunities with a broad viewpoint
experiences, and more within our teams, we bring a wide range of creative inspiration and expertise to bear on solutions for clients and communities. We are committed to ensuring our projects improve users’ lives, communities, and society.
Research & Tools
We facilitate the dedicated exploration of new ideas and development of proprietary tools to improve our work processes and yield better design solutions. Efforts to increase our institutional knowledge on key topics or issues involve the systematic collection, organization, and creative analyses of information.
Professional Practice Leadership
Page supports professional development and growth within our firm and in our industries through knowledge sharing and service on professional organization committees and boards.
§ Integration of feedback from outreach
§ Conduct research and support innovation
§ Support of a collaborative framework that embeds rigor
Our interdisciplinary team is like no other.
We are architects with a technical understanding of building systems and engineers who appreciate thoughtful design solutions. We are creatives who develop financial models and planners who engage in facility operations. Our diverse perspectives and backgrounds improve each of us, our firm, and our projects.
We draw from the diverse expertise of our employees in architecture, engineering, and specialty design services. Our commitment to creativity and collaboration offers our clients a complete project team approach that results in coordinated, welldesigned projects.
We craft each team for each project, intersecting disciplines, market sectors, and studios. Our team members are thoughtfully selected based on expertise, skills, and experience to create a unique set of design leaders ready to respond to each project’s needs.
Designing for Impact
We design for impact by creating high-performing, healthy, and resilient projects.
Design for Impact
At Page, we understand our work’s tremendous impact on the built environment and communities where we work, live, and play. It’s our responsibility to think what’s possible with every design.
We recognize that every climate has a different set of challenges, every site has a unique fingerprint, and every project has its own story. Our approach to sustainability and impact is grounded in these stories and individual responses to place, not a one-size-fits-all checklist.
We begin with a foundational conversation about organizational objectives and client priorities. These are incorporated with our firm’s commitments, values, and performance strategies, giving us clear guiding principles and shared project performance goals. Our responses to these core questions become key drivers in early design concepts and guide integrative solutions.
Design for Impact Process:
§ Schedule a design charrette early in the project to set goals and targets for each area of impact. Define metrics to measure and guide design strategies.
§ Craft a Design for Impact summary for the owner’s project requirements or basis of design.
§ Develop integrated and discipline-specific strategies to help advance areas of impact goals.
§ Track relevant metrics and update the Design for Impact statement with each deliverable.
Houston, Texas
LEED Gold
Project Size 127,500 Square Feet
Services Provided Architecture / Interiors / Engineering / Landscape Architecture / Programming/Planning / Sustainability / Wayfinding
Awards
§ 2023 SARA National Design Excellence Award
WELLNESS
The project earned innovation designation as a walkable site designed for active occupants. Improved lighting, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality were prioritized.
COMMUNITY
The school is one of the first new Houstonbased medical schools in nearly 50 years. It’s founded on a social mission to enhance the number of primary care physicians in underserved communities in Houston and throughout the state.
ENERGY
The project has a 64% reduction in energy compared to the AIA 2030 baseline and achieved almost all points available in LEED for energy reduction. A performancedriven design process optimized passive and active systems.
MATERIALS
The project modeled nearly 30% reduction in embodied carbon through the thoughtful use of envelope and structural design to minimize concrete and increase recycled content use. Wood from the site was even reclaimed for the reception desk.
University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine
The University of Houston’s New 127,500-square-foot building sits on a 43.224-acre site to serve as the home of the College of Medicine. The new college includes large-format teaching spaces, small group meeting rooms, office and administrative suites, a simulation center, an anatomy suite, and dedicated social and study spaces. Promoting physical health and well-being is the driving force of the project’s mission and the building design. Creating active spaces, places of connection, and respite areas are all critical design components that inform the building’s programming, circulation, and infrastructure. The central “heart” of the building unites students, faculty, and visitors visually and physically. This
start-up school of medicine is intended to train students to become primary care physicians who deliver compassionate, high-value care to underserved communities in Houston and Texas. The facility, therefore, was designed to be a place of community engagement and a welcoming location where everyone feels like they belong. The building design and its role in the larger developing master plan directly responded to the environmental conditions. We engaged in passive and active design strategies to reduce energy demand and promote cleaner energy sources. Planning for the future, the facility is PV-ready and prepares for future flood events.
Published: 13 March 2025