Description
Embodied carbon in a building represents a 25%-28% opportunity to address CO2 emissions and will become an increasingly key component of decarbonizing buildings. Join us for a webinar on March 16th to hear from leading professionals on the work they are doing to advance the decarbonization of materials and construction.
Speakers:
- Stacy Smedley, Executive Director at Building Transparency | Senior Director of Sustainability at Skanska USA
- Brad Benke, Researcher, Carbon Leadership Forum, University of Washington
- Kristen DiStefano, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Director, San Francisco, Atelier Ten
- Kanika Sharma, Associate Principal, Sustainability at Integral Group | USGBC-LA Bldg Decarb Committee Chair
- Moderator: Boris Gamazaychikov, USGBC NCC Building Decarbonization Chair | Sustainability Manager at Salesforce
Stacy H Smedley, Executive Director, Building Transparency & Director of Sustainability, Skanska USA Building
Stacy has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Washington, and over 15 years in the architecture and construction professions. Her resume includes the first LEED for Homes Platinum certified project in Washington State as well as the first project in the world to be certified under Living Building Version 2.0 standards. At Skanska, Stacy has led sustainable initiatives, and is considered a subject matter expert in LEED, Living Building Challenge and carbon emissions associated with buildings and construction. In her role at the newly established nonprofit, Building Transparency, Stacy leads the continued management and development of the free, open-access Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool and works to educate and engage the building industry on actionably reducing embodied carbon emissions of building materials. Stacy has served in various advisory and leadership roles, including: Co-Chair of the Washington Businesses for Climate Action; Advisory Board Member for the University of Washington Carbon leadership Forum; Construction Taskforce Chair for the Embodied Carbon Network; Advisory Group Member for AIA Materials Working Group; and Emerging Professional Regional Chair for USGBC. She is a 2020 Grist 50 Fixer, a 2019 ENR Top 25 Newsmaker, and a Living Building Challenge Hero.
Brad Benke, Researcher, Carbon Leadership Forum, University of Washington
Brad Benke, AIA, is a Research Scientist at the Carbon Leadership Forum focused on creating and improving LCA data, tools, and policies to rapidly scale and advance carbon drawdown strategies for the built environment. With experience in regenerative design consulting and deep-green architecture, he builds resources and agency for designers, builders, and organizations to take immediate action on climate change issues. Brad is a former Senior Architect at McLennan Design, where he led diverse teams and stakeholders towards achieving carbon neutrality goals for buildings and organizations across the country. Brad is also a LEED accredited professional and a former Co-chair of AIA Seattle’s Committee on the Environment.
Kristen DiStefano, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Director, San Francisco, Atelier Ten
Kristen is an Associate Director of the San Francisco office. With her macro-to-micro approach, Kristen provides big-picture guidance for large scale masterplans and detailed analysis including daylight optimization, shading control and innovative materials on the building scale.
Kristen has successfully led some of the firm’s most ambitious and complex projects including the Nvidia Endeavor building in Santa Clara, CA, the Student Center renovation at the University of California Berkeley, and the San Francisco Giants’ Mission Rock Development. She is currently leading the 2020 Project, an unprecedented public private partnership (P3) project at the University of California Merced, and the California College of the Arts Unified Campus project with Studio Gang in San Francisco.
Beyond projects, Kristen runs Atelier Ten’s Carbon Management practice and is an integral part of the firm’s Masterplanning and Daylight practices. She has taught Architectural Design and Environmental Systems and Controls at the University of Oregon and was a Teaching Associate at Cornell University.
Kanika Sharma, Associate Principal, Sustainability at Integral Group | USGBC-LA Bldg Decarb Committee Chair
Kanika is the sustainability lead for Integral Group’s USW offices where she applies a holistic and integrated sustainability approach to her projects. She is the recipient of the 2019 UGSBC-LA Emerging Professional Award and was recognized as an “individual who demonstrates industry leadership in pushing us all forward to a more sustainable built environment”. Kanika leverages her diverse skills and leads with extensive experience in pursuing and achieving ambitious sustainability goals for various commercial, residential, and institutional projects. Her design strategies are driven by the belief that we are the product of our environment, and she is passionate about providing solutions that help people thrive. Her solution-oriented approach and attention to detail, coupled with her breadth of experience, enable her to maximize the performance and sustainability of each of her projects.
Kanika is also an active part of the Los Angeles sustainability community. She is the Chair of the USGBC-LA Building Decarbonization Committee and the Co-Facilitator of the ILFI Living Future Los Angeles Collaborative. She is also involved with the AIA-CA Advocacy Committee advocating for electrification and decarbonization at the State and local level.
Moderator
Boris Gamazaychikov, Sustainability Manager at Salesforce & MLAB Building Decarbonization Chair at USGBC Northern California
Boris, Sustainability Manager with Salesforce, focuses on implementing carbon reduction strategies throughout Salesforce’s net-zero value-chain. This includes decarbonizing the global real estate portfolio and driving supply chain climate action while investing in nature-based solutions and high-impact renewable energy developments. Beyond internal Salesforce sustainability strategies, Boris understands the importance of bringing other companies along on the journey to zero emissions. Through the development of enablement resources, creation of tools, and participation in speaking engagements, he hopes to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future.
Prior to Salesforce, Boris worked at Stok, specializing in implementing corporate and real estate decarbonization strategy for diverse clients. Before Stok, Boris spearheaded the Pentagon’s sustainable construction program. He received his degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Maryland.
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