NovoSustainability: Origins
/By: Laci Hoskins
In May, I left CBRE after nearly 12 years with the company. Some colleagues were shocked, thinking that I was a lifetime CBRE’er. After joining the Chicago Project Management team in 2005, I quickly took on more responsibility and rose to a leadership position after launching CBRE’s sustainability consulting practice for design and construction projects. I built a strong team of people who are trusted sustainability leaders not only within CBRE, but also in the industry. While I enjoyed a lot of success during my time there, I also felt like something was missing. I had a growing feeling that even with CBRE’s size and reach, I was limited in what I could actually do for my clients and the value I could provide.
Before leaving, I considered all my options, including moving to competitors or design firms. Ultimately all of those options left me with the same feeling of being limited by corporate structure and a heavy focus on profit and EBITDA. I decided to start my own, more holistic, sustainability consulting firm.
“Holistic” is sometimes open to interpretation, but for NovoSustainability, it means looking at environmental factors and human elements for a more sustainable workplace and workforce. My perspective on sustainability is a little different from most organizations because I don’t believe in a cookie cutter approach. Sure, there are best practices to follow, but not all solutions will be applicable to every client. You can’t simply follow a playbook. And that’s where my focus is- to help find the best solution for each individual client’s needs. Those solutions might include certification, but it also simply could be guiding them through sustainable design solutions or developing sustainable operations policies or maybe just identifying a few specific metrics to track on a project.
No matter what the environmental solution is, I feel strongly that employee interactions should be considered before moving forward with any plan. How will the changes impact the employees; how should the changes be communicated; does the change have an adverse effect on the function of the space; and how does this change motivate, inspire, or otherwise engage the employees in the space? Most of you are at least high level aware of the trends around employee health/wellness and employee engagement initiatives. Approaching a project with a mindful consideration of employee interaction will ensure a more collaborative process and successful outcome.
In trying to create a dynamic and engaging workspace, incorporating various forms of artwork throughout the workplace is the most direct way to influence engagement and support the design aesthetic the architect creates. A successful art strategy can be as simple as graphics throughout the space to commissioned pieces. My goal during this process is to help my clients define an appropriate, budget-conscious strategy that represents company culture and values.
The origins of “Novo” are refresh, renew, and revive and I chose that name because I hope to bring a refreshing perspective on what it means to be a “sustainable” company. I want to help my clients renew their commitments to the environment and their employees. I want to help my clients revive their office space as a means to reengage with their employees. NovoSustainability has a vision to support a world where governments, corporations, organizations, and individuals live by three simple rules: to do no harm, to do good, and to actively engage with each other in our communities. Won’t you join me?