ArchitectChats‘ Timber on the Rise series highlights innovations and innovators in wood design and construction. Listen to more episodes here.

As part of ARCHITECT’s in-depth multimedia story “Redefining the Green Campus” that examines the net-zero design and operations of Hampshire College’s R.W. Kern Center—certified as a Living Building by the International Living Future Institute—I recorded a podcast episode with two key project stakeholders: Hampshire College past president Jonathan Lash and Bruner/Cott Architects principal Jason Jewhurst, AIA, who helped lead the Kern Center’s design.

This episode offers insights and anecdotes that could not fit into the article written by David Hill, but that help answer the increasingly asked question, “Could we make a Living Building?” Here, Lash and Jewhurst explain how architecture firms should—and should not—pursue a commission targeting the rigorous performance standard, the experience of returning to the drawing board after the thrill of a net-zero project, the role of wood in the Kern Center’s success, and the environment’s current prominence in everyday discourse among the higher ed and design communities.

Episode 26: Timber on the Rise, Part 9 – Behind the Scenes at Hampshire College’s R.W. Kern Center, featuring Hampshire College past president Jonathan Lash and Bruner/Cott Architects principal Jason Jewhurst, is available on SoundCloud and on iTunes.

This episode of ArchitectChats was brought to you by Think Wood, and produced by Wanda Lau, Lauren Honesty, and Daniel Tayag.