Phipps’ Sustainability Training Workshop Provides Roadmap for Industry Leaders

By Phipps Conservatory

On Feb. 20 – 21, 2018, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens held its inaugural Sustainability Training Workshop. At this interactive workshop, museum and garden leaders and other professionals from across the nation gathered for an in-depth walk through some of the most important rating systems (Living Building Challenge™, LEED®, WELL™ and Sustainable SITES™) related to green buildings, human health and landscapes.

"It was an eye opening experience," said Ronald Dulceak, head of facilities at Chicago's Morton Arboretum. "You don't see very many organizations that know what they want included in a construction project, but Phipps does. Phipps has set their standards from design, construction, equipment, materials and expectations. They have set the bar for the concept to construction process and sustainability."

By going beyond the classroom to see the rating systems in action at Phipps' own Center for Sustainable Landscapes, attendees received a truly immersive exploration of one of the greenest buildings in the world. With Executive Director Richard V. Piacentini, Director of Facilities and Sustainability Jason Wirick, and Wellness and Sustainability Specialist Megan Scanlon on hand to offer firsthand accounts of the thought processes, values, lessons and key decisions that have shaped Phipps and its projects, a fully realized portait of green leadership emerged. 

It was a great evening and a remarkable day," said Bill Mills, executive director of West Virginia Botanic Garden. "The staff of Phipps made us all feel entirely welcome and nurtured our thought processes about approaching and envisioning green buildings. The group of attendees was remarkably diverse, both in their backgrounds and interests, making the forum much richer. I would highly recommend that others too attend future symposiums."

Future workshops will be announced on our Sustainability Training Workshop page. Stay tuned for details, and view our Green Building Toolkit Series for more valuable resources.