Welcome back to the SERA Workplace series! Have you thought much about social contracts? No? That makes all of us. Prior to this pandemic, it was (hopefully) understood that you shouldn’t take up two seats on a crowded train, trim your nails at the conference table, stand facing the back of the elevator, Reply All […]
Have you seen that feature on the Web about the new plastic dividers between desks and the new social-distancing-conscious layouts for conference rooms? So have we. All fifty-thousand versions of it. We would like to approach the question of our future workplace not from the perspective of furniture layouts, but from the point of view […]
The wisdom of nature and its delicate beauty has long influenced art and design. It changes with the seasons, adapts to sunlight, temperature and rain, and has done so for thousands of years. Nature adapts to the earth’s cyclical processes, and so can our buildings. Enter Biomimicry, the concept of consciously emulating nature’s genius by […]
Covid-19 and social distancing requirements have changed how we engage outdoors, how we commute, travel and recreate — in many ways for the better! Earlier this month, we brought together a panel of active mobility experts in the Bay Area to help answer the question on many of our minds: How do we leverage this […]
In our previous entry, we talked about the pervasiveness of harmful chemicals in our environments, and how the practices of Green Chemistry are leading to creative, healthier solutions. In this entry, we’ll be sharing how another sustainable design movement, Biomimicry, can reduce the transmission of viruses and harmful bacteria in high-turnover spaces such as the […]
With the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on the hospitality industry, how will hotels encourage guests to return once shelter-in-place orders are lifted? While the obvious solution is touting the amount of bleach and cleaning agents used on every surface in the room, we see a long-term emphasis on guest health and safety. In the first […]
Last fall, the Energy Trust of Oregon awarded six area firms a “Net Zero Emerging Leaders” grant to support in-house energy savings reporting on their projects. SERA was one of those six! And while we’ve been meticulously tracking this data as part of the 2030 Commitment for more than 10 years now, staff saw an […]
On May 30, 1975, one of Oregon’s most famous Olympians, runner Steve “Pre” Prefontaine, left a party in his butterscotch MG convertible and at a curve along Eugene’s Skyline Boulevard, flipped the car and died before being freed. The site of his death — at a hard-to-find basalt outcropping on a hillside — became known […]
SERA’s principal group is proud to announce 20 new Associates, with an additional three staff members rising to the Senior Associate level. The Associates program at SERA recognizes high-performing and firm-focused individuals who add value to our practice. The Senior Associates title is bestowed upon employees with an additional aptitude or role in business development […]