Former student lectures in San Antonio,
pens article about 7 green building trends

A former Texas A&M landscape architecture student who helped Seattle become one of the world's leading "green" cities recently spoke about trends in sustainable building at an architecture center in San Antonio.

“Green is going to become standard practice,” said Lucia Athens, who delivered a public lecture Jan. 22 at the American Institute of Architects' Center for Architecture at the historic Pearl Brewery, recently renovated to create a LEED mixed-use project.

Athens, who earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree in 1985, is a senior associate and sustainability futures strategist for Collins-Woerman, a Seattle-based planning, architecture and interior design firm.

The San Antonio native, author of the book “Building an Emerald City: A Guide to Creating Green Building Policies and Programs,” helped launch green building programs in Austin and Seattle.

To see Hillier's story about Athens' visit and her involvement in sustainable practices, visit http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/82443297.html.

Athens also penned an article, "7 trends that will shape the future of green building," based in part on her book, that was published Feb. 18 in Seattle's Daily Journal of Commerce.

She lists the seven trends as

• clear, credible certification programs;
• price signals;
• focus on existing buildings;
• workforce training;
• fixing infrastructure;
• saving water; and
• urban agriculture.

Athens' article is available at www.djc.com/news.

- Posted: March 03, 2010 -