East Coast Green 2026: Designing for Sustainability

15 HSWs and 10 GBCIs

East Coast Green 2026: Designing for Sustainability is a two-day virtual conference presented by the AIA New Jersey Committee on the Environment, bringing together architects, designers, planners, researchers, and allied professionals committed to advancing sustainability in the built environment.

This year’s program explores how sustainable design—across buildings, interiors, infrastructure, and communities—can address climate change, reduce embodied and operational carbon, strengthen resilience, and advance equity, health, and well-being. Through a series of expert-led sessions, case studies, and interdisciplinary conversations, attendees will gain practical tools and forward-thinking strategies that can be directly applied to practice.

The 2026 sessions highlight the many dimensions of sustainability in design, including:

• Ancient Wisdom for New Climate Challenges — Cory Trembath Rouillard, AIA, APT RP, LEED AP (Henson Architecture) – 1 HSW and 1 GBCI
• Sustainability Initiatives in the Defense Industry — Nicholas M. Dambrosio, Ph.D., GISP (Nomadics) – 1 HSW and 1 GBCI
• Decarbonization by Design — Anthony Brower, FAIA, LEED Fellow (The Climate Architect) – 1 HSW and 1 GBCI
• Health for All: Designing Healthier Futures for Everyone — Eric Corey Freed, AIA, LEED Fellow, EcoDistricts AP (CannonDesign) – 1 HSW and 1 GBCI
• Heritage and High Performance: Timber, Reuse, and the Culture of Care — Kayleen Kulesza, AIA, NCARB; Ninoshka Henriques, Associate AIA, LEED GA (WRNS Studio) – 1 HSW and 1 GBCI
• Scaling Infill Without Losing the Neighborhood — Breck Crandell, AIA (Three Squared, Inc.) – 1 HSW
• Architect as Learner, Facilitator, Mediator, Advocate, and Implementer — Rachel Ehrlich, AIA, LEED AP; Keith Engel, AIA, LEED AP, CPHD (Dattner Architects) – 1 HSW
• Life on the Edge: The Mathematics of Architecture and Formulas for Resiliency — Karen Frome, AIA, DBIA (Rise Projects) – 1 HSW and 1 GBCI
• Creating a Circular Economy: Interior Salvage, Reuse, and Recycling — Maegan Sweeney, NCIDQ, LEED AP ID+C, WELL AP, IIDA (The Sheward Partnership) – 1 HSW and 1 GBCI
• LEED v5: Preparing for the Changes Ahead — Grace Friedhoff and Scott Kelly, AIA, LEED Fellow (Re:Vision Architecture) – 1 HSW and 1 GBCI
• Evidence-Based Design: Quantifying Window Views for Health and Energy — Won Hee Ko (New Jersey Institute of Technology) – 1 HSW
• Designing the New Ground: Rethinking Building Elevation for Resilience — Brigitte Cook, AIA; Rena Mande, AIA (PBDW Architects) – 1 HSW and 1 GBCI
• 3D Perception: Integrating AI into Spatial Analysis — Guanzhou Ji, AIA, WELL AP; Jaeha Kim (Northeastern University) – 1 HSW and 1 GBCI
• Sustainable Mixology: Low-Waste Strategies for Healthier, Resource-Conscious Living — Jason Takeuchi, AIA, NCARB, NOMA (Ferraro Choi) – 1 HSW

Across these sessions, East Coast Green 2026 highlights forward-thinking approaches that respond to today’s environmental challenges while shaping a more resilient, low-carbon, and equitable future for the built environment.

View the East Coast Green 2026 Schedule here.