Sustainability used to be a differentiator. Now, it’s expected.
In this episode of The Design Board, host Caroline Schillaci sits down with Arathi Gowda a Principal at ZGF Architects to explore what happens when sustainability is no longer the headline, but the starting point. As new standards, client expectations, and cost pressures reshape the industry, firms are being forced to rethink how sustainability actually shows up in their work. The conversation looks at the gap between ambition and execution, where bold goals meet real-world constraints, and how teams are adapting in response.
Arathi shares how this shift is playing out inside practice: from more measured conversations with clients to embedding sustainable thinking directly into materials, systems, and the overall experience of a space. The result isn’t always louder—it’s often quieter, more integrated, and more effective. This episode asks a bigger question: if sustainability is now the baseline, what does it take to design above it?
Editor's Note: Since this recording, Arathi Gowda has transitioned from ZGF Architects to Principal, NE Regional Regenerative Design Director at Perkins&Will.
The Design Board, by UpSpring, is a proud member of SANDOW Design Group's SURROUND Podcast Network, home to the architecture and design industry’s premier shows.
