Name: Inspiration Through Systems with Kaitlin McCoy by Good, Thoughtful Hosts
Duration: 19 min 26 s
Description: Cushing Terrell Architect and Sustainability Specialist Kaitlin McCoy explains how she problem-solves by stepping back and considering the full system, rather than hyper focusing on an issue. She'll also discuss the systems found in nature that inspire her to look at the big picture.

Beginning June 1, 2022, new episodes of Good, Thoughtful Hosts will be published every other Wednesday. You can find Good, Thoughtful Hosts on SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Or listen to and read transcripts from past episodes on our podcast webpage: cushingterrell.com/thoughtfulhosts

Season 1 Trailer

In our debut episode, we discuss the concept of reimagining existing and sometimes historic structures, a practice known as adaptive reuse. Ava Alltmont, an architect and project manager who leads Cushing Terrell's historic preservation team in New Orleans, helps us better understand what adaptive reuse means, who benefits, and how it all works.

Adaptive Reuse with Ava Alltmont

What exactly is a refrigerant? How can be harmful to the environment if it escapes into the atmosphere? And what some other eco-friendly options? On this episode, we look at the importance of refrigeration management with Nick Doherty, director of Refrigeration Engineering and associate principal at Cushing Terrell.

Responsible Refrigeration with Nick Doherty

The office environment can be a cold, unfeeling place. But as Dayton Rush, a landscape architect at Cushing Terrell, explains, using the concept of ecological design thinking allows us to see the connection between our natural and built environments. You offer workers access to good sunlight, a view of nature, and other elements that tie the outside in, which in turn inspires them and improves their ability to create and collaborate.

Ecological Design Thinking with Dayton Rush

Vibe mapping sounds like a new age practice, but it’s actually a tool that designers are using to determine where the action happens in a space — and how to better facilitate the tasks at hand. Cushing Terrell Senior Interior Designer Sandi Rudy and Associate Interior Designer Jennifer Moore describe how this human-centered design approach can create office spaces that transition in a way that’s most beneficial to its workers.

Vibe Mapping with Sandi Rudy and Jennifer Moore

Randy Rhoads, an architect and the executive director of affordable housing for Cushing Terrell, says the affordable housing of yesteryear cut residents off from their communities, often making the most important resources inaccessible. As the field has worked to correct course, the resulting homes have made major strides in a number of areas — including the health of residents. Now, these affordable housing developments consider what it means to design for inclusivity, for personal wellbeing, and for the entire community’s physical and mental health.

Affordable Housing with Randy Rhoads

In the first of a three-part series on urban sprawl, we talk with Keith Walzak, Director of Planning and Landscape Architecture, about how public perceptions play a role in how we develop outward. As Walzak explains, it’s easier to imagine how a factory or other large business may be affecting climate change, but a lot harder for Americans to understand how a new subdivision can also do harm to the environment.

Land Use with Keith Walzak, Part 1: Public Perception

In the second of our three-part series on land use with Keith Walzak, Director of Planning and Landscape Architecture at Cushing Terrell, we get into the financial incentives (or disincentives) to urban sprawl. We discuss how local policies, lending practices, and financial risks all shape whether developers choose to build outward or explore greener options.

Land Use with Keith Walzak, Part 2: Financial Incentives

In the third and final installment of our three-part series on land use and urban sprawl, Keith Walzak, Director of Planning and Landscape Architecture, discusses the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the benefits of mixed-use development, and how a 15-minute walkable city can benefit ourselves and our environment.

Land Use with Keith Walzak, Part 3: How We Do It Right

WAIT! As we did at the end of Season 1, we'd like to share a postscript episode where moderator Sarah Steimer once again becomes a guest on her own show. Producer Travis Estvold spins the mic around and asks Sarah about her takeaways from season two — and we unveil a bonus question that was asked of each guest this season.

Bonus Episode: A Chat With Your Host + Favorite Fictional Cities

Cushing Terrell Architect and Sustainability Specialist Kaitlin McCoy explains how she problem-solves by stepping back and considering the full system, rather than hyper focusing on an issue. She'll also discuss the systems found in nature that inspire her to look at the big picture.

Inspiration Through Systems with Kaitlin McCoy

On Good, Thoughtful Hosts, Sarah Steimer explores the built environment on the notion that a designer’s role is to anticipate the needs of their guests. Join us to dig into the ways in which the built world can influence people’s feelings and experiences — and how. Beyond the traditional requisites of form and function, hear firsthand from architects, engineers, planners, and more on how they imbue designs with health, well-being, user experience, and other modern priorities. Interviews and discussions will include project case studies, profiles of designers, trend reports, and much, much more.

Inspiration Through Systems with Kaitlin McCoy

Good, Thoughtful Hosts

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