Alex Co: What is your role in your organization and in Pittsburgh?

Mike Gwin: As a principal and the director of design within our firm, Rothschild Doyno Collaborative, I work to foster an innovative and collaborative design process demonstrating and integrating sustainable design principles in our design process. I am also the current AIA Pittsburgh chapter president working to further the design profession’s value to society in our region. In both roles, I continually advocate for a more sustainable environment for all to live in. With the AIA, I have advocated to legislators on the importance of sustainability and resilience in the built environment. Through practice, I have continued to demonstrate this through design excellence. This work leads by example in our region including; an AIA National Honor Award for a self-sustaining off the grid community center and participating on the design team for two past AIA Committee on the Environment “Top 10” projects, both completed here in the Pittsburgh region.

AC: Where do you think we should be focusing as a sustainable Pittsburgh region in 2018?

MG: An area to focus on is finding ways to make the identified goals in the Living Building Challenge more accessible to a broader group. Finding ways that integrate the qualitative aspects of creating healthy living environments for all in our region expands the conversation from creating great buildings to building great communities.

I see a large opportunity to relate the Pittsburgh Living Product Hub Initiative to workforce and product development efforts in terms of both the commercial building product industry and the local maker energy that exists here in Pittsburgh. In this opportunity, design professionals can be a valuable connector between the building product and fabricator industries and the built environment. Through this active role we can create a “flywheel” effect through the integration of healthy building materials and methods. This works on multiple levels to create a more sustainable Pittsburgh including economic impact and cultural continuity of a strong heritage of craft and making in our region.

At the same time, we share global priorities of air and water quality that continue to be challenges in our region and are essential to a sustainable and resilient Pittsburgh and beyond.

AC: What are you most excited about at this year’s Living Product Expo?

MG: The gathering of people sharing their example stories that advance how we can transform the building product industry to improve the health and wellbeing for all through a better built environment. I am particularly interested in learning and engaging in conversation that advances how healthier building products can be made accessible to all.

AC: What’s the most exciting thing that has happened to you in the past few years?

MG: There are many things to be excited about over the past few years, from my youngest son making a play on the Little League field to reimagining the Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park, which will be pursuing the Living Building Challenge here in Pittsburgh.

In between those, I completed the design and construction of our new home that demonstrates a strong connection between the exterior and the interior environments. Creating places that heighten our awareness of the outside environment and connection to natural systems has a positive effect on our wellbeing! I hope to bring this experience to many others.

The Living Product Expo is this September 11 – 13, 2018, in Pittsburgh. To learn more about the Expo, visit our website here: productexpo.living-future.org

 

Written By

Alex Co

Alex splits his time between supporting the Living Product Challenge and coordinating the Pittsburgh Living Product Hub, working with manufacturers to envision and create products that give back more than they take, in the Pittsburgh region and beyond.