In recent years, SERA’s Housing studio added many new faces to our team, including a new Oakland studio to serve clients in The Bay Area. With new talent and expanded geography, the time felt right to revisit some of the goals our studio set a few years back. I saw a unique opportunity for a […]
Every year near Earth Day, SERA hosts a firm-wide celebration in honor of our sustainable workplace culture and project accomplishments. As Chair of the Sustainable Action Committee (SAC), my vision for the celebration this year included a physical timeline of SAC’s 15-year history, an unveiling of our 2020 Sustainability Action Plan, and collaborative break-out sessions to […]
Although nature doesn’t need an action plan to thrive, we’ve found that having a framework to articulate our vision and set a course of action, helps keep us vital. In 2011, SERA created its first Sustainability Action Plan, and we’re excited to announce the launch of our fourth update. Because sustainability plays such a central […]
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 […]
Of all the changes that Shelter-in-Place orders have brought to our lives, I’m struck by what sounds have endured after emptying the city. With our cars parked at home, office buildings closed, and storefronts shuttered, it’s so quiet you can actually hear songbirds on San Francisco’s Market Street. And one air horn. Beginning on March […]
Last week our Lead Visualization Specialist Brian Stevens turned his dining room into a production zone. Brian joined SERA employees across the city — and people around the world — lending their technological capabilities and resourcefulness to produce face shields desperately needed by community and healthcare workers as protection against Coronavirus. After bringing home SERA’s […]
We live in interesting times. COVID-19 has changed the world. The simple rule (or recommendation, depending on your location) to stay home and stop socializing throws many of our deepest held assumptions and habits into turmoil, especially around how we approach work. At SERA, we’ve taken steps similar to many of our peer organizations: we’re […]
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 […]
Last week, in celebration of the Chinese New Year, our teammates shared their cultural and family traditions, food and drink, games and unique customs – all colorful and yummy. Enjoy photos from the event, which included: Wushu (Chinese Martial Arts) When he’s not designing, Travis Dang teaches martial arts at Summit Wushu Academy. Wushu is […]