5 Ways to Live & Work More Sustainably

Written By AD&V®

ABOUT THE AUTHOR |  AD&V® is dedicated to advanced and energy-efficient sustainable architecture & interior design that enhances people’s experience of the world and improves their lives.

SUSTAINABILITY ISN’T JUST A BUZZWORD—IT’S A WAY OF LIFE.

It’s embedded into everything that we do. This Earth Month, we wanted to deepen that commitment and intentionally bring our team together to learn, share, and take meaningful action.

To celebrate,  we launched AD&V’s Green Week—a weeklong internal initiative filled with interactive sessions and team-building activities designed to engage, educate, and inspire our team to incorporate sustainable principles into our professional practices and everyday habits.

Each day, we explore a new topic tied to environmental responsibility, resilience, and our long-term vision for positive impact. Understanding these topics isn't just informative—it’s a way to empower our team to make meaningful choices that contribute to a more sustainable future.

From global frameworks to hands-on action, see how sustainability can be woven into every layer of our work and lives:

1. CONNECTING VALUES TO ACTION

We kicked off Green Week by grounding ourselves in the broader purpose of sustainability and its alignment with AD&V’s mission. Our first session was dedicated to understanding how sustainability drives our work and values and how global frameworks like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a shared blueprint for action.

We also discussed what it means to be a Certified B Corporation and how our commitment to transparency, accountability, and positive impact is reflected in our business practices. This session helped us reflect on our role in building a better, more equitable future, both as individuals and as a firm.

If you're looking to start implementing sustainable practices into your lifestyle or business, we recommend you learn about the SDGs and how they align with your personal and organizational values, or explore becoming a B Corp to guide your sustainability goals.

2. UNDERSTANDING THE AIA 2030 COMMITMENT

Next, we will deepen our understanding of the AIA 2030 Commitment, which challenges architecture firms to design carbon-neutral buildings by 2030. We will discuss the built environment’s significant impact on climate change and how our design decisions today can help mitigate that impact.

The session will encourage us to think critically about how we measure and reduce energy use in our day-to-day lives and projects and how our role as designers can continue to lead the way toward a more sustainable future.

To implement this in your own business, consider joining an industry initiative like the AIA 2030 Commitment or setting energy efficiency benchmarks for your projects.

3. INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY INTO OUR WORKFLOWS

Sustainability isn’t a one-time goal—it’s a mindset that must be integrated into every part of our workflow. This session will focus on how we can incorporate sustainability into the every day, from planning and material selection to client communication and internal operations.

We will learn from real examples how our teams have already applied sustainable practices in the past and current projects and brainstorm ways to continue improving our processes with the environment in mind.

To do the same, audit your current workflows and identify areas where you can reduce waste, choose better materials, or ask more eco-conscious questions throughout the design process.

4. TAKING ACTION TOGETHER

As another Green Week initiative, we will take direct action by partnering with the Huerto Comunitario of El Bastión, where our team will support their efforts in cultivating vegetables, herbs, and flowers in their community garden. This experience will deepen our connection to nature and the community.

This activity will not only support local green initiatives but also remind us of the vital role green infrastructure plays in sustainable urban planning, from carbon absorption and climate resilience to urban cooling.

You can make a tangible difference by joining local planting efforts, volunteering with environmental groups, or incorporating green infrastructure into your community projects.

5. LEVERAGING TOOLS FOR CLIMATE-CONSCIOUS DESIGN

Lastly, we will take a deep dive into Climate Studio, a software tool that supports performance-driven design through simulations and data analysis. Our team will learn how this platform can be used to conduct energy modeling, daylight analysis, and carbon assessments to better understand how our design choices impact a building’s performance.

This hands-on session will emphasize how integrating technology early in the design process can help us make more informed and sustainable design decisions. If you’re in the design field, look into tools like Climate Studio or other environmental analysis software to inform your decisions responsibly.

WORKING TOWARDS A GREENER FUTURE

Green Week will serve as a reminder that sustainability is not a single initiative. It’s an ongoing journey. Through learning, discussion, and action, we will continue to strengthen our shared understanding of what it means to design responsibly and live more consciously. This will inspire us to continue making sustainable choices in our work and daily lives.

We hope our initiative encourages you to take similar steps this Earth Day and every day. Whether it’s hosting your own Green Week, learning more about the SDGs, or planting a tree in your community, every action makes a difference. Let’s keep moving Forward Faster—together—for a greener, healthier world.

FURTHER READING: 8 REASONS WHY THE B CORP MOVEMENT IS MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER