METROPOLIS recently released its first U.S. Sustainable Design Report, produced in partnership with Interface, encapsulating the state of sustainability in American architecture and design. On Deep Green, we’re speaking with leaders who have a bird’s-eye view of how we can build more sustainably here in the United States.

Gensler is the largest architecture and design firm in the world. With more than 6,000 professionals working across 56 offices, the firm generated $1.88 billion in revenue in 2024—that’s billion with a “B.” According to the firm’s recent Resilience by Design report, its 2024 portfolio is projected to avoid emitting 19.6 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide.

In this episode of Deep Green, host Avinash Rajagopal is joined by Katie Mesia, firmwide design resilience leader and director of sustainability at Gensler. A central part of Mesia’s role is shaping Gensler’s culture to help the firm attain its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

She consults on deep sustainability strategies for projects around the world, working to reduce carbon emissions and minimize environmental impacts. She has also championed Gensler’s product sustainability standards, helping drive industry-wide adoption of more regenerative materials in architectural interiors.

Listen in to learn how large firms can shift culture at scale, what it really takes to reach carbon neutrality, and where the biggest opportunities for impact lie today.

Resources:

METROPOLIS Interface U.S. Sustainable Design Report 2026

Gensler Product Sustainability (GPS) Standards

Genlser Resilience by Design Report

Design Forecast 2026 | Gensler

This season of Deep Green is presented by Interface.

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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.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For the last three decades, METROPOLIS has been advocating for better spaces, buildings, and cities that make a positive impact on people and the planet.

We recently released our first-ever Metropolis x Interface Sustainable Design Report, a deep dive into the state of sustainability in American architecture and design. Our partner in this endeavor is Interface, a flooring manufacturer that has been a pioneer in transforming American manufacturing.

Since its visionary founder, Ray Anderson, challenged the industry to do better in the mid-1990s, Interface has worked to reduce its environmental impact, draw down carbon emissions, fight waste and climate change, and help accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

In this episode of Deep Green, host Avinash Rajagopal is joined by Jay Lanier, global head of market sustainability, and Mikhail Davis, director of global market sustainability, to discuss the company’s journey and its ongoing efforts around circularity.

Resources:

METROPOLIS Interface U.S. Sustainable Design Report 2026

Interface Sustainability

This season of Deep Green is presented by Interface.

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Here at, Deep Green, we've been tracking how businesses in the building industry and architecture and design space are increasingly seeing their place in the world through the lens of their impact on communities and ecosystems.

Now, this is true of many of the B2B companies in our world—companies who make tiles and wallcoverings and roofing and all those kinds of materials, of course. But when a company in the building industry space is a household name, and it recognizes that its efforts can improve people's lives and environments at scale, then something magic happens. Kohler is one of those rare companies.

In this episode of Deep Green, created in partnership with Kohler, host Avi Rajagopal sits down with Laura Kohler, the company’s chief sustainable living officer. Over her career, Laura has championed initiatives that support employees, advance circularity, and expand access to safe water—from launching one of Kohler’s first flexible workplace programs to overseeing Innovation for Good, the I-Prize, Safe Water for All, and the Kohler WasteLAB. She also released the company’s first ESG report and has guided the company’s Arts/Industry residency program, which has hosted more than 500 artists from over 25 countries.

Listen in to learn how a global brand translates vision into action—from integrating sustainability into every stage of design and manufacturing to advancing water stewardship and empowering professionals across the built environment to lead meaningful change.

Resources:

Designers Rethinking Our Relationship to Water (METROPOLIS Fall Issue 2025)

Kohler Impact

Sustainable Products | KOHLER

LEED Certification | KOHLER

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Metropolis senior editor and engagement manager Francisco Brown sits down with Joe Speicher, Chief Sustainability Officer at Autodesk, for a deep dive into the company’s expanding sustainability agenda. Building on the 2023 debut of Autodesk Forma—its AI-driven, cloud-native platform for predesign and schematic design—Speicher outlines how new digital tools are transforming design and construction teams' ability to evaluate performance and reduce environmental impact. Together, they discuss the role of centralized data, energy-efficient design, workplace strategies, and Autodesk’s broader climate commitments in shaping a more sustainable built environment.

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We talk to a lot of folks from product manufacturing here at Deep Green—and there’s a reason for that. The supply chains of materials and products that make our buildings are still full of opportunities for efficiency and creative breakthroughs.

Improving product design and manufacturing can often have a more holistic impact than say the incremental gains achieved by improving a building’s energy efficiency. We need to work on both, of course—but because products are made by people, any company that makes consistent strides in design, sourcing, and manufacturing can influence communities around the world—from the users who inhabit finished spaces to the workers who supply materials and parts. This kind of networked, multiplier effect has the power to shift entire industries and cultures.

In this episode, created in partnership with Teknion, host Avi Rajagopal sits down with David McDivitt, Vice President of Sustainability at Teknion. The company has long been recognized for its transparency and responsible manufacturing practices, but McDivitt shares where Teknion stands today—and what new opportunities lie ahead for creating even greater impact.

Resources

Teknion Sustainability and Social Responsibility

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Here at Deep Green, we often shine a spotlight on traditional building materials that have fallen out of favor for a variety of reasons—but that we believe deserve reconsideration by today’s architects and designers, especially those concerned about the environmental and social impacts of their projects.

Slate—a gray, flaky signifier of 19th-century luxury—for example, is one that we think deserves a second look. Before the 1930s, when asphalt composite shingles became the most common roofing material in North America, the middle class was rushing to build Victorian-style homes or renovate their Georgian and Colonial-style mansions with slate roofs.

And there was a reason. Slate was easy to maintain, elegant in color, and excellent in thermal performance. Many beautiful buildings around the world still prove its durability, with roofs that have lasted hundreds of years. No wonder there was a slate boom in the 19th century—not only in North America but in many other parts of the world where slate roofs have been constructed for thousands of years.

In this episode of Deep Green, created in partnership with CUPACLAD, host Avi Rajagopal sits down with Drew Ford, USA regional sales manager for CUPACLAD, one of the world’s leading slate providers. Listen in to learn what makes slate a great choice today and what new possibilities have opened up for this ancient material.

Resources

CUPACLAD Sustainability

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Tiles are among the most enduring building materials. Glazed brick tiles have been discovered in archaeological sites and in ancient and medieval buildings around the world. The first glazed porcelain tiles, which date back to 15th-century China, are still around today. And yet, when one thinks of sustainable building products, tile might not be the first to come to mind.

More often than not, today’s building industry—with its culture of constructing and demolishing—fails to take advantage of tile’s inherent sustainability. In today’s context, we require that building materials have the lowest possible carbon footprint and be easily reused or recycled. So, how can tile—with its thousands of years of history—fit into today’s frameworks? And how can we build better with this time-tested material in North America?

In this episode of Deep Green, created in partnership with AHF and Crossville, host Avi Rajagopal sits down with Noah Chitty, Vice President of Sustainability and Technical Services for AHF and Crossville. Part of the AHF family of brands, Crossville has made great strides in optimizing tile manufacturing by innovating with new technologies and providing transparent information to the design community—efforts Chitty has helped drive. Listen to the episode to learn how this ancient material is being reimagined for a more sustainable future.

Resources

Crossville Sustainability

Carbon Neutral Tile by Crossville

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