In this third and final episode in our three-part series on sustainable design, we hone in on the higher education market to learn how colleges and universities, both public and private, are setting (and achieving) aggressive sustainability targets on their journey to reach net zero. Guests Martha Larson, director of Sustainability for RMF Engineering, Jennifer Cordes, principal at Hord Coplan Macht, and Darrah Jakab, associate principal, sustainable design, at MHTN, join chief content director Robert Nieminen for a conversation about the successes and strides this industry is making in the field of sustainability.
Meet Our Guests
Martha Larson, director of sustainability, RMF Engineering
Larson comes to RMF following more than a decade as the Manager of Campus Energy and Sustainability at Carleton College, where she championed campus-wide climate action initiatives. At Carleton, she oversaw the installation of the institution’s second commercial-size wind turbine, development of the campus climate action plan and a campuswide transition from district steam heating to low temperature hot water tied to a geothermal heat pump system. Larson’s role was directly responsible for reducing the college’s carbon footprint by nearly 70% since 2008. Prior to Carleton, she worked in Chicago as an acoustical consultant with Kirkegaard Associates and an owner’s representative with the Rise Group where her project portfolio featured many prominent cultural and performing arts projects.
Jennifer Cordes, principal at Hord Coplan Macht
Darrah Jakab, associate principal, sustainable design, MHTN