About piper: decoding healthy & regenerative design
Piper explores the diverse stories of the designers, architects, builders, brands and wellness experts working to make the built environment healthier and more sustainable for people and planet. Each episode aims to decode the complexities of healthy and regenerative design to make it more accessible to designers of all backgrounds.
Decarbonizing the AIA's Brutalist-style headquarters
In the 1970s, Brutalist-style architecture and the use of concrete in its purest, raw form was the name of the game. It was a demonstration of innovation, cost effectiveness and service to the public good. But now, 50 years later, priorities and needs have changed. Some of the Brutalist structures from half a century ago no longer suit the needs of their occupants or the environment. And that was the case for the AIA headquarters building in Washington, D.C.
The organization needed a building that more accurately reflected their values, the principles of the Framework for Design Excellence and the value architects bring to the table. So, they tapped EHDD, an architecture firm out of San Francisco, to lead the renovation of the existing headquarters and bring it to net-zero carbon.
In this interview, Rebecca Sharkey, principal at EHDD, walks through their approach to achieving zero carbon while staying within budget. And Melanie De Cola, director of Climate Pledge Programs at the AIA, shares what it's like working in the building now.
6 Aug 2026
Taking Circularity 180 Degrees
Making reuse and circularity repeatable, scalable and efficient is not without its challenges. Especially in an economic model and an industry like the built environment, that was set up to move linearly. But after seeing how much waste construction produced, the team at the design-build firm 180 Degrees was motivated to do something about it. Where there were barriers, they saw opportunities––opportunities to expand their services, skill set, and creativity.
Over the past 25 years, after adding building services to their architecture firm, they've steadily taken on more challenging reuse projects. Along that journey, they also added an in-house fabrication team, The Guild, which up-leveled their ability to reimagine materials.
In this episode, James Trahan, AIA, a partner and principal at 180 Degrees, talks about some of the challenges of reuse in the built environment and how mindset (and storage) play a big part in overcoming them.
17 Jul 2026
Raising bale: Building a straw think tank
Thirty years ago, out on the Carrizo Plain just east of San Luis Obispo in central California, 30 or so natural-building enthusiasts met at a deserted motel to explore the formation of a California natural building group.
This initial gathering was a byproduct of the Natural Building Colloquium-Southwest, a touch of serendipity, and a few too many in-flight cocktails shared between three California builders.
It was 1995. Turko Semmes and Greg McMillan, builders from the San Luis Obispo area, had just wrapped up an inspiring week at the colloquium held in the small town of Kingston, New Mexico. They felt like they had found their tribe––people from all corners of the world interested in straw, earth and bamboo building materials, alternative energy technology and natural building systems.
How could they share this with people in California, they wondered?
This is the story of the start of the California Straw Building Association (CASBA), how they sparked a statewide straw bale building movement, impacted natural building at the national level, and built a support network along the way. Now, the founding members are passing the torch to the next generation to uphold the values of the straw bale community while also addressing the needs of today.
Who has been a guest on piper: decoding healthy & regenerative design
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Paul Hickman
Melanie De Cola
Wes Sullens
Matt McMahon
Aaron Dorf
Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100
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