Can We Design Buildings That Give Back?

METROPOLIS recently released its first U.S. Sustainable Design Report, a deep dive into the state of sustainability in American architecture and design. Over the coming weeks, we’re speaking with leaders who have a bird’s-eye view of how we can build sustainably here in the United States—what wins we've had, what challenges remain, and where we should focus our efforts.

In this episode of Deep Green, host Avinash Rajagopal is joined by Lindsay Baker, CEO of Living Future, the nonprofit behind some of the most ambitious and comprehensive frameworks for sustainable and regenerative design in the built environment. Through initiatives like the Living Building Challenge, Living Future advances a vision of buildings that give back more to nature than they take, creating places in true harmony with life itself.

Baker brings decades of experience across nearly every facet of sustainable design and construction—from her early work as a program manager for LEED, to serving as WeWork’s first head of global sustainability and impact. Together, they discuss regenerative design, transparency in building materials through the Declare label, and what it will take to move from reducing harm to actively restoring the ecosystems we build within.

Resources:

METROPOLIS Interface U.S. Sustainable Design Report 2026

International Living Future Institute

Living Building Challenge

Declare Label

This season of Deep Green is presented by Interface.

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