LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Keeping The Grass is Green on this side
“ I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.” — WALT WHITMAN
It seems like we’ve been hearing about sustainability and green building in this industry for quite some time but what does it all really mean? Building Codes have changed to address this and we’ve even reached a point of Jetsons status where we’re driving electric cars, have the technology to send ordinary people to outer space and even power our entire home with the power from the sun. But with all the advances in renewable energy and talk about how we individually can reduce our carbon footprints, I wonder what it will really take to keep the grass green on our side. Nowadays, we can find lots of acronyms in people’s signatures, including my own. All those letters look really good in saying that you’ve accomplished many things but at the same time they are perhaps meaningless if you never practice the things that they stand for. It’s very easy to say that you stand behind a cause, not so easy to be actively stand with a cause. It would therefore make sense that if we have the credentials, we defend them by using them in our everyday practice and lives. In this issue, we explored how some members choose to practice what they preach and incorporate the principles of sustainability in their work and in their lives. We dive into the newly formed AIA Brooklyn COTE Committee with a conversation with Committee Chair Michelle Todd. We discover more about Fernando Fishbein and his newly formed eponymous firm and we spoke to members of the COTE Committee who are doing their part in keeping our planet running on natural energy.
TALISHA L. SAINVIL, AIA EDITOR IN CHIEF
SECRETARY@AIABROOKLYN.ORG 718-797-4242 WWW.AIABROOKLYN.ORG 1
