Naomi Darling 
Five College Associate Professor of Sustainable Architecture
Location: Cleveland, L2

In this class, Naomi Darling, associate professor of sustainable architecture at Mount Holyoke College and UMass Amherst, will speak about the role of the built environment on climate change and the responsibility of the design professions in designing for a sustainable future at the intersection of culture, climate and materiality. Darling will discuss the role of beauty, sustainability metrics such as the Living Building Challenge, Net Zero projects, and the specificity of place in design.

Additionally, Darling will share several ongoing projects from her professional practice including a new bandshell for the Amherst, Massachusetts town green that was part of Olmsted’s original conception of the space, a design competition for Mosul, and several residential projects.

In Darling’s role as an academic in practice, she has engaged students in projects at multiple scales including two projects for the new Fimbel Maker and Innovation Lab with a strong focus on material reuse, structures for the Town of Sunderland Riverside Park and an ongoing collaboration with East Branch Homes to design net zero affordable housing in Western Massachusetts.