Building Green

What if the version of sustainable architecture we talk about isn't the version we actually build?

After 80 conversations with architects, engineers, scientists, and urbanists, I revisited the eight moments I haven't been able to stop thinking about. These are the conversations that challenged assumptions, exposed uncomfortable truths, and changed how I think about sustainability, design, and the built environment.

If you're interested in sustainable architecture, green building, urban design, climate action, regenerative design, or the future of the built environment, this episode is a great place to start.

Featured episodes:
• Episode 1 – Gaia Sonzogni: The sustainability premium in luxury? Five or six percent. Which is nothing.
• Episode 15 – Tomislav Domes: A building lowered the homicide rate. Architecture as public health.
• Episode 66 – Mikael Colville-Andersen: Urbanism is medicine. I know that now, because I worked in a war zone.
• Episode 31 – Gayatri Keskar: Not all renewable materials are the same. Wood isn't automatically sustainable.
• Episode 16 – Paul Schwarz: We're obviously not the only creatures on this planet.
• Episode 32 – Paul Patterson: LEED Platinum doesn't mean you have an energy-efficient building.
• Episode 44 – Zak Kostura: AI is going to push you towards the most mediocre decisions.
• Episode 30 – Graeme Labe: True luxury is sleeping under the stars. No five-star hotel gives you that.

Join me, Ladina, on this green journey, and don't forget to subscribe for more insightful conversations about sustainable living and architecture and drop us a review. If you have suggestions for future guests or topics, I'd love to hear from you on my socials!

Let's explore the world of green architecture, one conversation at a time.

Contact: 
Ladina ⁠⁠@ladinaschoepf⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠buildinggreenshow.com
Produced by: ⁠⁠marketyourarchitecture.com⁠

Are architects massively underestimating their value? 

Jake Rudin, co-founder of Out of Architecture, explains why architects are capable of “almost anything” - yet so many end up trapped in careers that leave them financially and emotionally drained. 

From being an architect, then working at Adidas to helping 12,000+ architects rethink their future, Jake shares the biggest career mistakes architects make, why burnout often appears 15–20 years into practice, and how to actually build a sustainable career - in AND out of architecture. 

To explore more about Jake Rudin and his work, you can follow him on Linkedin, visit his website outofarchitecture.com, or join THE COLLECTIVE.

Join me, Ladina, on this green journey, and don't forget to subscribe for more insightful conversations about sustainable living and architecture and drop us a review. If you have suggestions for future guests or topics, I'd love to hear from you on my socials!

Let's explore the world of green architecture, one conversation at a time.

Contact: 
Ladina ⁠⁠@ladinaschoepf⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠buildinggreenshow.com
Produced by: ⁠⁠marketyourarchitecture.com⁠

What happens when you try to turn a 100-year-old home into a high-performance, sustainable space - without touching the exterior?

Many of our cities are filled with buildings that are over a hundred years old. The question is no longer whether we keep them - but how we make them work for the future.

Jenny Peysin, is an architect in New York who specializes in renovating historic homes while bringing them up to modern performance standards like Passive House.

In this conversation, you’ll hear what it actually takes to turn an old building into something that feels healthier, quieter, more efficient, and more comfortable to live in. 

We talk about the tension between preservation and performance, how to make smart decisions when every inch and every dollar matters, and why sustainability is often just as much about quality of life as it is about energy use.

If you’re renovating an older home, thinking about buying one, or designing residential spaces yourself, this episode will give you a much clearer sense of what to protect, what to upgrade, and where sustainability really starts.

To explore more about Jenny Peysin and her work, you can follow her on ⁠Linkedin⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ @jennypeysinarchitecture, or visit her website ⁠jpeysin-architecture.com⁠

Join me, Ladina, on this green journey, and don't forget to subscribe for more insightful conversations about sustainable living and architecture and drop us a review. If you have suggestions for future guests or topics, I'd love to hear from you on my socials!

Let's explore the world of green architecture, one conversation at a time.

Contact: 
Ladina ⁠⁠@ladinaschoepf⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠buildinggreenshow.com
Produced by: ⁠⁠marketyourarchitecture.com⁠

What if surfboard waste could actually become the construction blocks of the homes we live in?

David Sellers didn’t always believe climate change would be something he’d feel in his own lifetime.

As an architect in Hawaii, he’d spent years thinking about sustainability as a future problem… Until one moment changed everything.

Standing in the ashes of Lahaina after the fires - David realized something that most architects never fully confront… That they’re not just designing individual homes… they’re shaping entire communities, entire systems… and ultimately, the future.

That moment forced him to rethink his role as an architect and led to the creation of Hawaii Off Grid - a company designing fully self-sufficient homes powered by renewable energy, built to operate independently from traditional systems.

But what makes David’s work different is how far he’s willing to go - turning surfboard waste and construction trash into construction blocks, creating a circular system where one house quite literally becomes the next.

Because for him, this isn’t just about sustainability. It’s about redesigning how we live - from the ground up.

To explore more about David Sellers and his work, you can follow him on Linkedin, Instagram @hawaiioffgrid, or visit his website hawaiioffgrid.com. You can also watch his movie Journey Beyond the Grid and read Dezeen’s article on how his team is turning surfboard waste into sustainable construction materials in Hawaii.

Join me, Ladina, on this green journey, and don't forget to subscribe for more insightful conversations about sustainable living and architecture and drop us a review. If you have suggestions for future guests or topics, I'd love to hear from you on my socials!

Let's explore the world of green architecture, one conversation at a time.

Contact: 
Ladina ⁠⁠@ladinaschoepf⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠buildinggreenshow.com
Produced by: ⁠⁠marketyourarchitecture.com⁠

What if the only thing holding you back is… not being visible?

In this episode, Maria shares how she went from a student with “not enough knowledge” to building a platform, interviewing real architects, and getting opportunities just by putting her work out there. She talks about why “visibility matters,” how to learn faster by asking questions, and why sustainable architecture should start with reusing what already exists.

If you’re a student, creative, or just starting out, this is your reminder: you don’t need to know everything - you just need to start.

To explore more about Maria Stasevich and her work, you can follow her on Linkedin, Instagram @mari_architecture and @media_oblik, subscribe to her Youtube channel, or visit her agency website media-oblik.tilda.ws.

Join me, Ladina, on this green journey, and don't forget to subscribe for more insightful conversations about sustainable living and architecture and drop us a review. If you have suggestions for future guests or topics, I'd love to hear from you on my socials!

Let's explore the world of green architecture, one conversation at a time.

Contact: 
Ladina ⁠⁠@ladinaschoepf⁠⁠
Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠buildinggreenshow.com
Produced by: ⁠⁠marketyourarchitecture.com⁠