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While the Indian megacity’s Art Deco structures captivate locals and tourists, demographic shifts and modernization threaten their survival

When you think of the beauty of Art Deco architecture, there are likely a few cities that spring to mind. Miami, of course, with its historic Deco district, and the stunning historic apartment buildings of Paris’ 16th arrondissement.

But what you might not know is that the Indian megacity Kolkata is home to some of the most interesting examples of vernacular Art Deco architectural style, blending influences of both traditional Indian and European style.

Bluebeam spoke to writer and Art Deco architectural enthusiast Parni Ray about her attachment to her hometown’s Deco style—and why this often-overlooked example of Deco excellence is garnering attention both at home and abroad.

An emotional connection

Ray said she’s always felt drawn to the built environment of the city she grew up in.

“My connection to architecture began young,” she said. “Kolkata, many would tell you, is a walking city. As a young person I walked around the city a lot and got lost a bunch, and buildings I admired were my markers to find my way back. In that sense you can say my introduction to my city, my individual claim on it, was through the built environment.”

But it was only when she left her hometown to study that she began to develop a deeper understanding of Kolkata’s built world.

“Since I was studying “Arts and Aesthetics,” an interdisciplinary liberal arts course rooted in the social sciences, I got interested in their history,” she said. “Then I worked in contemporary art for about a decade and later moved to London to do a research degree, where I was introduced to design history and design research. All of this added to my interest and understanding of architecture.”

Returning to her hometown to live and work as a writer, Parni found herself discovering more inspiring examples of Deco design.

“As a resident of South Kolkata, I am most familiar with Art Deco buildings in my neighborhood,” she said. “Despite the houses not being designed by the same people, and the recent intrusion by very ugly apartment buildings, the design language feels very cohesive. It feels like people were looking at what was being built around them and responding in accordance, and that creates a sense of style and community.”

Modern style for the modern era

So when did Deco come to Kolkata?

“Art Deco buildings in India started being built during the 30s and well into the 60s,” Ray explained. “Perhaps the most famous among them, the most regal ones, were film theaters—Roxy, Elite, Metro. With the slow demise of the single standing cinema halls in the country, these have become almost redundant today. Elite was demolished, the latter two are somehow holding on. There are several other buildings, and the Instagram account Art Deco Calcutta, which I love, is a great place to see and know about them.”

Ray said, in her opinion, the most influential of the cinemas was the Metro, which she said “clearly made an impression on cinema goers of the time and appears to have inspired so many residential buildings here in South Kolkata. So taken were people with everything it represented—the magic of cinema, the decadence of the moviegoing experience and a luxurious ‘modernity’—that they built homes inspired by its design and the term ‘Metro bari,’ or metro house, became a common code for builders.”

One thing that makes these buildings so unique is their deeply personal roots. “In my conversations with the owners of some of these houses, I have found that several of them were built by the homeowners who were structural or civil engineers,” Ray said. “India had about three architectural schools at the time of its independence, and the modern architect figure emerges as important much later here. In fact, even today most residences in India are ‘designed’ by mistris, or builders.”

While architecture is a more recent arrival, engineering has had a long history in the nation after its introduction by the British. “Perhaps it is this long history, which earned engineers considerable reverence—a status they still enjoy in communities, especially in Kolkata,” Ray said. “The reverence, I think, translated to considerable confidence, which can be both good and bad. I think this is what allowed some of them to just design a whole house for their families, alongside their day jobs. Engineers today aren’t doing the same, I assure you.”

Preserving history

Unfortunately, Ray said shifting demographics make the future of Kolkata’s Art Deco homes uncertain.

“The city is changing and shrinking in size as the number of people increase, and space, like in most big cities in the world, is getting sparse,” she said. “The Art Deco houses with their balconies, their gardens and two-story structures have, to many, started feeling like a waste of space. The area they cover can often accommodate multiple tall, narrow, claustrophobic buildings, so many of the old buildings are being pulled down to make space for these.”

As the owners of these houses age, buildings are often sold by the younger generations, who arrange for their relatives to have a floor of their own in the new construction that will replace them, while maintenance challenges mean that even owners who want to keep these structures in use often struggle to keep them functional. Ray also said movements to preserve these buildings, which aren’t recognized as “heritage” by the government, find themselves limited by the power of the real estate industry and red tape.

Ray said the fact that so many of these structures were built by the people who inhabited them means that documentation about their history and construction can be hard to come by.

“It is one thing to learn from merely seeing existing structures, walking past them, taking their pictures, but a culture of informed appreciation, criticism and further development of thought about a subject is possible only when creative endeavors are discussed in the community,” she said. “And in this I think the home designers of the past have failed the city; they didn’t share their knowledge with the coming generations like they should have, only left us examples of their work to admire and enjoy. Perhaps if they saw how the city is changing now they would reconsider and be more forthcoming about sharing their design choices and experiences. We would have all benefited.”

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Bramel’s five years in the Navy shaped his career and life, paving the way for a successful corporate journey and continued service to fellow veterans

In Curt Bramel’s family, military service is something family members just do. Bramel served for five years in the U.S. Navy and two years in the reserves in the 1990s. His father fought in the Vietnam War. His grandfather and great-grandfathers served. And so did Bramel’s son, who spent six years in the Army National Guard.

“Nobody ever told me to go,” Bramel said of enlisting while still in high school in rural Kentucky. “My dad didn’t want me to go. But I felt there was a calling. I can’t tell you what it is, a little voice that said, ‘You might enjoy the military,’ and it was one of the single best pivotal things I ever did in life.”

Across his service, Bramel embraced opportunities to work hard on shared missions with his fellow sailors, who all hailed from diverse backgrounds. Aboard massive ships, no different than “floating cities,” as he called them, Bramel mastered how to think and act quickly and strategically.

He learned how to lead from exceptional military leaders, who continued to mentor him even after he returned to civilian life. And he had the opportunity to explore the world where he found that most people, no matter where they’re from, just want to live productive lives surrounded by family. “The military is where I saw, firsthand, that 98% of the world is great,” he said.

Now senior director of global channel sales for Bluebeam, Bramel is navigating a successful decade-long corporate career. But he continues to serve by mentoring members of the military as they prepare for civilian life. It’s a way to return some of the benefits he’s received over the years.

“I can’t point to a single event that shaped my career,” Bramel said, “but rather I was fortunate that many great people stepped into my path to help coach and guide me along my career.”

Always volunteering

Bramel’s willingness to raise his hand supercharged his military career. After completing a two-year mechanical engineering program in the Navy, he volunteered for a big leap—taking an assignment in Japan.

After just a couple of weeks in Japan, he was deployed to the Middle East, where he continued to volunteer whenever new needs arose, including serving on a flight crew for helicopter operations. “Anytime there was a volunteer opportunity, whether it was security patrol or [something else], I volunteered for it,” Bramel said.

Bramel and family

After more than two years of shuttling between Japan and the Middle East, he continued his service in San Diego and then Bremerton, Washington, where he took more engineering and program management classes through the Navy. He finished his active duty in 1996, staying in the reserves for two more years. The GI Bill paid for his undergraduate degree in finance and much of his MBA. “It 100% set the trajectory of my life,” he said.

Bramel’s career includes time in the Japanese automotive industry, as well as a financial planner and stockbroker, before moving into global sales roles, where his work gradually began focusing on technology. Now at Bluebeam, he works with reseller partners who take Bluebeam technology, adopt it into their portfolio and resell it to their own end users.

Bramel credits his background in the military in part for helping him pivot from selling tangible products to the theories, ideas and processes of software. While in the Navy, what he was doing wasn’t called artificial intelligence, but he was working in predictive modeling as he looked for trends in an engine room or with oil and gas chemistry. “Before AI was cool, you were using AI then, but you used it with a lot of paper and pencil,” he said.

Giving back

These days, Bramel, who is married with two adult children and two young grandchildren, lives in Lexington, Kentucky, and doesn’t have all that much spare time. “My kids give us a hard time. We just work,” said Bramel of himself and his wife. “We work when we’re not working.”

Bramel is involved in local politics, runs a real estate business with his wife and tends to a farm and weekend cottage outside of Lexington. And through a New York-based program, Bramel continues to serve, supporting members of the military as they prepare to return to civilian life.

Bramel during his military service.

Most of his mentees have never held a public sector job, negotiated a salary or bought a house. They’re typically bringing a spouse and kids with them. “There’s a lot of stress and anxiety on them coming out of the military,” he said. 

Bramel serves as their professional coach, preparing them for life after the military—from how to interview for a job to advice on selecting retirement plans and health insurance. “I’ve had everything from intelligence officers assigned to me to pilots to infantry leaders,” he said. “It’s afforded me the opportunity to stay involved with the military community.” Looking back on life so far, he’d do nothing differently. “I’ve had an awesome life. My career’s afforded me more opportunities. I’ve met great people,” he said. “I’ve got friendships that go way beyond just employment. The experiences I’ve gotten in the military and in the public sector over the last 25 years are endless.”

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As more churches fall into disuse, architects and community leaders face unique obstacles in preserving these historic structures while giving them new life

Over two decades ago, the late Rev. Wendell Williams and his wife Donna purchased the abandoned 40,000-square-foot St. Agnes Church in Cohoes, New York. They bought the 1890s Gothic Revival cathedral for $50,000 in the high-poverty area that was once a bustling textile manufacturing center.

Initially a home for their congregation, it also now houses the Connect Center, a youth-oriented community center. When purchased in 2001, it immediately needed a $1.1 million roof renovation. Five years later, the ceiling plaster, as high as six stories, began falling in.

Work is about 75% complete and more renovations on the building are needed, ranging from steeple repairs to rotting window frames housing 132-year-old handcrafted stained-glass windows. But progress is slow because of funds and challenges associated with repurposing old churches.

“It’s been a journey to renovate this church and create these safe spaces for youth,” said Ben Williams, Rev. Williams’s son. Ben now serves as the director of the Connect Center for Youth. “It is important to me to preserve the legacy, and it is very important, and it’s part of our story even though it’s a pain in my wallet most of the time.”

Look around any neighborhood, and chances are you’ll see at least one, if not more, abandoned churches as congregation populations decline. Experts predict that as many as 100,000 churches in the United States will close in the coming years.

“Most communities don’t want the buildings themselves torn down but adaptively reused rather than replaced with something new, and that is where people run into design challenges,” said Andrew Torres, a licensed architect in New York City working with Gemini Rosemont Development.

But there are success stories. In St. Louis, skateboarding enthusiasts converted St. Liborius Church, a 150-year-old church, into an indoor skating park. Other abandoned churches are now roller rinks, bars or restaurants, professional offices, Airbnbs and even a future cultural arts facility for a public school.

A look inside the offices of Overit.

Repurposing churches presents unique architectural and building-related challenges even though it offers the opportunity to preserve a historic structure. Steeples, soaring ceilings, outdated plumbing and heating, and cooling system repairs are costly. Often, the materials and expertise needed to fix features like stained glass windows and steeples are hard to find.

“A lot of churches have deferred maintenance and neglect by the congregations selling them. It is a lot of work to bring these back to life,” Torres said. “Churches are highly customized, not repeating designs or details existing conditions to contend with, and with that people can run into many challenges, especially when converting a church to residential use.”

Meeting Americans with Disabilities Act standards can also be a challenge depending on the church’s design. Williams had to build a new egress and install ramps, but so far, he’s only had the funds to do so on one floor.

“There’s a time cost too. I’m spending money and energy fixing my space and not working on the mission of my organization,” Williams said. “I love that we saved this building and can give it back to the community, which provides more safe space and safer streets, but I would only get into something like this again if I knew I had the bankroll behind me.”

Transforming churches into modern use spaces is capital-intensive and requires vision. But for the right customized project, it’s an opportunity to preserve a community landmark and architectural style that a new build can never replicate.

Michelle Dinsmore sees it as her mission to transform historical buildings with architectural history into modern-day spaces. So far, she has transformed two churches—one into a vacation rental and the other into offices for the marketing studio she co-owns with her husband.

A look inside the offices of Overit.

Comparatively, the church Dinsmore purchased was better maintained than the one the Williams family purchased. With a good roof and structure, they could focus on the interior, which included reusing pews for molding, desks and conference tables. Their adaptive reuse won a Historic Albany Merit award.

One of the biggest challenges in transforming the church was designing the agency’s recording studio. The couple needed to identify architects with expertise in insulating and isolating sections of the 12,000-square-foot church and updating the air conditioning and heating system so that its operation doesn’t interfere with recording.

“You have to have a very clear purpose and understanding to get a budget to create a plan that honors the lineage of the building,” she said.

Repurposing churches may be more viable for private owners than commercial developers. Torres points to the ancient notion of spolia, the idea of repurposing cut stones or decorative elements from old buildings in new construction, as a potential opportunity. One example he points to is the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, once a Christian church, then a mosque, a museum and now again a mosque.

“Many churches have column capitals in carved marble that need to be removed for spaces to be opened up. You can save some of those stone elements and use them elsewhere in a different format,” he said, adding that it’s great “when people take what was there before and put it in a new context and celebrated instead of having it be hidden or demolished.”

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Dive into JE Dunn CEO Gordon Lansford’s leadership style, key challenges in construction and how he balances growth with workforce capacity

As head of JE Dunn Construction, the eighth largest construction firm in the United States, Gordon Lansford is the first non-family CEO of the 100-year-old company. Under his leadership, revenue has grown approximately four times over, from $2 billion to $8 billion. The company’s markets include aviation, semiconductor contracting, education, health care and historical preservation, among others.

As might be expected, JE Dunn has won numerous awards. Fast Company chose the company’s innovative pre-construction tool Align, a project budget estimator, as a 2024 winner of the magazine’s Innovation by Design Awards. That same year, Kansas City Business Journal named the company a Champion of Business.

Lansford said he’s especially proud of winning the Deloitte Private and WSJ Best Managed Company award again in 2024, because “it speaks to how we run our business, how we plan and execute projects and to our employee engagement scores.”

Built spoke with Lansford about his leadership style and what keeps him up at night as a construction executive. Edited excerpts follow.

Built: Why did you choose the construction industry?

Lansford: I didn’t initially. I had planned to be an accountant. After getting my accounting degree, I worked for KPMG for three years and got my CPA while I was there. I fell into working with quite a few construction and engineering clients, which piqued my interest in the industry. I left KPMG and joined JE Dunn, which, while smaller at the time, always had a significant presence in Kansas City and a fantastic reputation. I felt that if I wanted to enter the industry, coming to the company would be a great move. Two years later I became CFO. When the family’s third generation CEO, Terry Dunn, retired in 2013, I assumed someone from the construction side would become CEO, but the board asked me if I would consider the position.

Built: There was something in your background that helped draw you to the field, correct?

Lansford: Yes. My grandfather was an electrical contractor in Wyoming, and I worked with him for a couple of summers when I was in college. I enjoyed working outside on the jobsite with hard-working people and building something.

Built: What’s the best advice you ever got about this industry?

Lansford: William H. Dunn Sr., the second-generation CEO, always said, “Never take on a project if you don’t have the right talent to execute it.” I’d have to say it’s that.

Built: What advice do you have for people looking to follow in your career footsteps?

Lansford: The construction industry is exciting; you get to work with a lot of great people and build amazing, beautiful buildings, but what is most rewarding is seeing the end users—whether they’re students walking into a new school, patients being treated a new hospital or employees entering their new workplace. There are so many different roles and opportunities in the field that you may not be aware of. There’s a place for people with almost every degree in our industry, whether it’s finance or HR, or law for example, or no degree.

Built: What’s your favorite part of the job?

Lansford: We give our employees a lot of responsibility at a young age, and I love getting out and seeing our people, our projects and our teams. I try to get to all of our 26 offices at least once a year.

Built: What do you think is the most pressing issue facing the construction industry?

Lansford: The obvious one is the shortage of labor in the skilled trades, especially on mechanical and electrical sides. We rely on these people that we partner with. Beyond that, construction costs have continued to rise with the high interest rates. It’s a tough market for our developer clients right now. Our tech sector data centers, semiconductor work and advanced manufacturing markets are robust right now, but it’s an ongoing challenge to figure out where to focus our limited resource, which is our people.

Built: What keeps you up at night as an executive?

Lansford: It’s the balance of the opportunities with the capacity and mobility of our workforce. We’re an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), family-first company, but we need people to travel to where the work is, so it’s the conflicting values that keep me up at night.

Built: How do you structure your time to fix the most important issues you face in your role?

Lansford: I think we can all be better at that, but I really try to control my calendar because it can get away from you. I deliberately block out time when I can get work done vs. go to meetings. I tell our younger leaders that it’s something they should do as well because if you let your calendar control you it’s hard to have time to think, especially about the long term, when you have issues coming at you every day.

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Roughing it in the great outdoors is a little more luxurious in these cabins, which underwent a painstakingly detailed and complex design and construction process (from 2023)

When it comes to roughing it in the great outdoors, most of us would be excited to spend the night in a simple log cabin or lean-to. But in Australia, which boasts thousands of miles of hiking and camping trails throughout its many national parks and wilderness areas, they do things a little differently.

So when it came time to design and construct the campsites along the challenging 13-day Grampian Peaks Trail route, planners knew they needed something special to match the natural scenery. But how could they create breathtaking structures in remote areas, many of which are unreachable by road?

Nick Griffin, Melbourne Co-Studio lead and associate director at McGregor Coxall, and Justin Noxon, architect and studio partner at Noxon Giffen, were ready to rise to the challenge.

An unmatched location

For Griffin and Noxon, the natural beauty of the site inspired an expansive creativity in the team’s approach to the design process. Also known by its aboriginal name, Gariwerd, Griffin described the area as “a significant landscape,” adding, “The environmental and cultural significance of Gariwerd drew us to the project.”

A look inside one of the cabins. Photo: Adam Gibson.

One of the most biodiverse places in Victoria and home to about a third of all native area plant species, there’s a reason this remote trail has been so perennially popular with ambitious hikers from all over the globe. “With such diverse terrain and unique natural resilience, the landscape and its systems form the primary inspiration for our design response,” Griffin said.

For Griffin and his associates, taking the time to truly immerse themselves in this landscape was an essential part of the design process. “The design team made multiple trips out to Gariwerd to spend time observing and documenting site conditions,” he said. “Immersion in each individual site took place to gain a holistic appreciation for and knowledge of the landscape in different weather conditions and at times of day.”

After spending time within each site, Griffin said the team created structures that mirrored the natural landscape that surrounded them, drawing both visually and materially from the park. “The form and placement of the architecture were inspired by the large-scale sandstone uplift evident throughout the Grampians; this is echoed in the single pitch of roof elements,” Griffin explained.

A cabin overlooks the local scenery. Photo: Adam Gibson.

Each structure even makes use of materials drawn naturally from the landscape. “The design vision included a robust and natural materials palette, considered in response to each individual site’s nature, colors and textures,” Griffin said. “For example, all rock was sourced from within each campsite.”

Designing with hikers in mind

The team knew how its structures needed to respond to the landscape—but what about the people who would be using them? Griffin said that throughout the project, the design team kept the specific experience of hikers at the forefront of their processes.

“The experiential design of all campsite elements was mindful to be specific to that of a hiking experience, therefore the comfort target for architectural elements sought to elevate only slightly from that of a tent,” he explained. “The aim was to feature architecture that would grow in parallel with the nature that surrounds it, minimizing harm to environments and keeping Gariwerd’s stunning landscape as the hero.”

Noxon said this commitment was clear from the moment the team read the key parameters that would define the project. “The brief called for the campsites to ‘touch the ground lightly,’ minimizing the impact on the environment and maintaining Gariwerd’s iconic, biodiverse landscape as the hero,” he said. “The structures were built to provide comfort and amenities for hikers, using materials that would blend into the landscape over time. Structures provide the essentials of weather protection and basic shelter, collect water, treat wastewater on-site and provide solar-powered battery charges for hiker safety for mobile phone navigation and safety within the context of a remote hiker trail experience.”

Photo: Adam Gibson.

Where and how the cabins were constructed was as important as the amenities they contained.

“Off-grid campsites are designed with mindfulness to guidelines and tracks—intuitive circulation allows for more sustainable campsites that minimize public access to dense vegetation,” Noxon said. “Accommodating to a variety of users, abilities and intensities, the walk will conserve and protect Gariwerd’s beauty, achieving the highest possible grade of environmental sensitivity through the protection of site-specific conditions such as biotope preservation, overland flow management and microclimate.”

Construction complexities

Once construction began, Griffin said the complexity of the project became clear. “The remoteness of the 11 sites represented a lot of obstacles,” he said. “One of the major challenges was to ensure a consistent quality was achieved across several sites under construction concurrently.”

Collaborating closely with their contractor and Parks Victoria, which backed the project, Griffin and his team made regular visits to the Gariwerd sites throughout the construction process, which used a modular approach that allowed for the prefabrication of all of the elements, which could then be transported via airlift or vehicle to their designated sites.

Several sites were constructed concurrently as part of a prototyping process whose lessons would be applied to the next batch of sites—a unique method that allowed the team to meet their timing and budgetary goals. When lockdowns made in-person site visits challenging, the team figured out how to do virtual inspections from afar, so construction could stay on track.

Photo: Adam Gibson.

Now that the project is open to the public, Griffin and Noxon say the response has been enthusiastic. “The feedback that the project team have received on the project has been largely positive,” Griffin said. The campsites provide a great level of amenity for hikers without inhibiting the sense of nature. The campsite interventions are true to the brief of being subservient to the natural landscape; they simply add a layer of comfort to those seeking to immerse themselves in the magical Gariwerd landscape.

Noxon added that he hopes the structures will enhance hikers’ appreciation for the beauty of the region. “The campsites are designed to support the hiker experience of Gariwerd; to become part of the landscape; to promote connection and understanding of Gariwerd,” he said. “The architectural response fosters a slow, gentle and quiet interaction, an elemental experience of place.”

Stanley "Dirt Monkey" Genadek

Contractor. Landscaper. YouTube Star? Go inside the wacky world of this industry internet sensation.

The Marcus Performing Arts Center redevelopment is set to redefine eco-friendly architecture with the tallest mass timber building in the world

It’s safe to say that mass timber is having a moment.

As building teams strive to create more sustainable and faster-to-build projects, with reduced costs and less environmental harm, this earth-friendly and aesthetically pleasing favorite is gaining ground on traditional construction methods.

Now, mass timber is reaching new heights in a project by Michael Green Architecture in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Once completed, the structure will be in the running for designation as the tallest mass timber building in the world—an ambitious feat of earth-first design and engineering.

MGA Principal Michael Green walked Built through the redevelopment of the Marcus Performing Arts Center, sharing his enthusiasm for mass timber and providing the details about what this ambitious redevelopment project will entail.

Why laminated timber matters

Laminated timber has been an environmental darling since the introduction of its predecessor, cross-laminated timber, in Australia in 1995. Not only does mass timber require less energy to create than other building materials, but it could also absorb carbon from the atmosphere—a huge advantage over traditional materials like cement, steel and concrete with a huge carbon footprint. “Wood is the best principal material available for building structures when considering total energy use, carbon emissions and water usage,” Green said.

Mass timber construction can also be considerably more affordable than its conventional counterpart, with some claiming it’s as much as 5% cheaper than steel and concrete construction. Additional cost savings can also be realized through a shorter construction time, thanks to the use of prefabricated panels, less labor needed for the installation process and savings on foundation costs thanks to mass timber’s reduced structural weight.

So what actually does this material consist of?

“Mass timber construction utilizes large solid panels of wood engineered for strength through laminations of layers,” Green explained. “These cross-laminated timber—or CLT—panels are layers of solid wood set at 90-degree orientations.”

A rendering of the plaza at the base of the Marcus Performing Arts Center (right).

As the name implies, these panels are considerable in size. “They can range upwards of 64’0” x 8’0” and be of any thickness from a few inches to 16 inches or more,” Green said. “These very large, very dense solid panels of wood are ideal for construction, meet or exceed all safety regulations and provide a warm and healthy environment for living and working.”

An ambitious undertaking

According to Green, the Marcus Performing Arts Center redevelopment project might feature the world’s tallest mass timber structure once completed, in addition to being the tallest building in the state of Wisconsin at up to 55 stories and 1.2 million square feet across the development.

Green said the project “aims to set a new global benchmark for mass timber construction,” representing an investment of more than $700 million.


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The project will include multiple mixed-use buildings, which will be completed in several phases of construction. Once completed, it could include up to 750 residential units; 190,000 square feet of office space; 40,000 square feet of retail space; 300 hotel rooms; parking spaces; and a variety of public plazas and walkways, each designed to bring energy and a sense of public ownership to the reimagined center.

Green said that this project represents the way that smaller cities like Milwaukee are leading the way when it comes to innovation and sustainability in construction. Some industry observers have recommended America’s smaller- and mid-sized cities use environmentally inspired projects like this one to bring together climate resilience, environmental justice and equity, as well as green economic development in a process called green regeneration.

Another rendering of the building (left) that includes an outdoor cafe.

“This ambitious development underscores Milwaukee’s capability, alongside other smaller US cities, to lead in innovation and sustainability,” Green said. “Smaller cities have unique opportunities to embrace cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices, setting examples for larger urban centers.”

Green’s hope is that the completed project will inspire other cities to tackle greener redevelopment projects of their own. “By pioneering projects like this, [cities] can become hubs of economic growth, cultural vibrancy and environmental stewardship, demonstrating that transformative urban development is possible regardless of city size,” he said. “Milwaukee’s commitment to sustainability and innovative construction techniques highlights its potential to inspire similar initiatives nationwide.”

Partnering with purpose

To complete the project, MGA will partner with The Neutral Project, a regenerative development company that, Green said, “crafts financially responsible, sustainable living spaces that foster healthy lifestyles and friendly neighborhoods.”

Green was drawn to partnership with Neutral due to their shared belief that “the traditional model of endless growth at the expense of the environment is unacceptable. It’s time for a differentiated and thoughtful approach.”

Instead of endless, mindless expansion, MGA and the Neutral team strive to create what Green calls “thriving ecosystems”—living spaces that actively improve the environment. Whereas traditional construction can create structures that have a net negative impact on their environments, Green said he hopes to create buildings that regenerate and renew their surroundings.

These regenerative developments are designed to go “beyond sustainability,” balancing the needs of their human tenants and users with design decisions that benefit the natural world, enabling the art of living well with minimal environmental impact. With increasing numbers of consumers making more environmentally focused decisions about where they live, work and spend their time, these types of structures will doubtless become more common in years to come.

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