For the composer, conductor, songwriter Steve Hackman, life has been a journey through parallel realities––or maybe, parallel dualities. At a young age, he developed an appreciation for music. And, it was all music. Whether Beethoven or the Beatles, Mahler or Pink Floyd, they all got equal playing time. To Steve, music was an art form that had the power to reach the soul, actuate change and bridge gaps, and he's built a life and career around bringing seemingly disparate genres together in an effort to bring seemingly disparate audiences together.

There is much to derive from Steve's journey––lessons that expand far beyond the orchestra hall. Lessons in being true to one's self, questioning convention, overcoming resistance, turning opponents into advocates and meeting people where they are to inspire change. Lessons that could very much apply to the architecture and design world.

🎵 Music credits:🎵

• Steve Hackman
• "Rewind Time", Clarence Reed
• "Drops of Rain", Cody High
• "The Girl from Boo", Henyao
• "Ga$ Money", Xavy Rusan, Gavin Luke

According to the US Forest Service, 36 million trees are removed from urban areas every year. These trees offer a tremendous opportunity to reduce some of the demand on forests. But, this quality wood that could be used in furniture or the built environment, is more commonly chipped, incinerated or landfilled. Luckily, there are people working to change that.

Paul Hickman, founder of the urban wood consultancy company Urban Ashes, is one such person. Through Urban Ashes, he's working with municipalities throughout the country to create the systems that maximize the life and value of fallen urban trees.

In this episode, Paul shares how going from a design project manager in the Midwest to a forklift driver in the Bay Area opened his eyes to urban lumber and the impact it can have on the planet.

What do a battery-operated induction range, hemp insulation, a straw-based structural insulated panel (SIP), a whole-life carbon visualization tool, and product transparency software have in common?

Well, for starters, they were all at this year's Greenbuild conference. But more importantly, they're all key pieces of the puzzle when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment––and making it healthier and more resilient.

From the products and solutions on the expo floor to the session topics at Greenbuild this year, it was clear that there is a resounding urgency to adopt whole lifecycle design thinking, and simplify and streamline the specification and procurement of sustainable, healthy materials. And Copper, Green Fox, Verdant Panel, C. Scale and Sustainable Minds are some of the innovators working to pave that path.