The firm’s dedication to sustainable design pre-dates “Green” buildings, LEED, CHPS, and Savings By Design. As classmates in the UC Berkeley Master of Architecture program, Betsey and Brian Dougherty designed high-performance, energy-efficient building solutions. Their history of innovative sustainable design led to their selection for the John Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona. This research center was selected as one of the first Top Ten Green Buildings recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy. It was the first recipient of the SCE Savings by Design program, and won the AIA California Council Nathaniel Owens Award for Sustainable Design. This watershed project has led the firm into a consistent application of sustainable concepts to all projects. All of our current projects meet LEED Certification, CHPS HPI and/or Savings by Design Criteria. Many of the firm’s personnel are LEED AP’s and the firm is committed to meeting the objectives set forth by the 2020 Challenge.
Betsey Olenick Dougherty, FAIA, LEED AP is a nationally recognized speaker on the subject of environmentally sustainable design, and the firm has been published nationally and internationally on the subject. As a Board Member of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, Betsey is part of an elite group that studies how facility design impacts the way people function within spaces. Brian Dougherty, FAIA, LEED AP is the only practicing architect-member of the CHPS Board, exploring the potential for environmentally responsive design applications for California Public Schools. He is also a UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design Advisory Council Founding Member.
