Richard Cook

Preservationist and Futurist

Awards

• MASterworks Award, Best Residential Restoration (2006);
• Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award, New York Landmarks Conservancy (2006);
• Excellence in Historic Preservation Award, Preservation League of New York State (2006);
• Merit Award, New York Construction News (2002);
• Charter Award, Congress for the New Urbanism (2002);
• Winner, Soling Competition; Norman J. Wiedersom Fellowship

Recommended reading

The Bible; Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (1851)

Q&A

What started you on the path toward sustainability?

In 1998, my firm worked on a project called the Center for Well-Being in East Hampton, New York. It got us thinking about eastern and western concepts of health and fitness, and how buildings can enhance their occupants' well-being. More recently, we designed 14 residential buildings in a designated historic district, which were all heated and cooled with ten 1,500-foot-deep, standing column geothermal wells. It seemed natural to make the connection between the goals of historic preservation and environmental conservation. But the real change-when it really hit home-was when my wife and I adopted twin Khmer boys. Our lives were forever tied to Cambodia, and our family instantly became global citizens. It became clear that the "developed nations" have set an unsustainable standard for the rapidly urbanizing nations.

Who inspired you, or nurtured your talent?

Dean Werner Seligmann of the Syracuse University School of Architecture, by his passion for constantly digging deeper into the meaning of architecture. My uncle, Vernon Blanchard, by his love for the land, the sea, and his garden. And Bob Fox, by making me aware that someone can be a mentor, friend, partner architect, ally to his clients, and advocate for the environment, all at the same time.

What gives you hope in your industry?

The youngest generation, the students-I see a passion in their eyes for a fundamental change in the role of architects and designers. They understand that the shift to environmental stewardship is a conceptually different way of viewing architecture and social responsibility.

What worries you most in this area?

The design schools have tended to view this work as a technological evolution or a fringe interest. What concerns me is that this attitude is lacking the urgency required to provide leadership to this generation, and to set a sustainable course for the future. Albert Einstein said, "The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them."

What advice do you give to young people who want to make a difference in the world?

To have confidence that one person can make a difference. To me it's remarkable that so many "conversion experience" stories involve a child and a parent-it shows you what can happen when someone honestly starts caring about the impact of his or her actions on future generations. When you think about someone else before yourself, you start to see a remarkable, open dialogue about design and the environment, and a free sharing of information. In 1972 Rene Dubos stated we should "think globally, act locally" and I think that is still incredibly valid today.

What is the role of technology in sustainable design?

Architecture and technology have always evolved hand in hand. The very tools we have available to make architecture are tied to technological advances. The faceted crystalline shape of One Bryant Park, which we view as being inspired by nature, would not in fact have been possible without the advanced 3D modeling software available to us as architects, engineers, and contractors. The glass we are using-highly transparent, low iron, "low-e" with a custom-silkscreened ceramic frit-was not commercially viable for a project of this scale just five years ago.

I still believe that the next technological breakthroughs in sustainability and architecture will come from studying natural processes and biology. Janine Benyus speaks of this as biomimicry. Quite simply there is no substitute for looking at the miracle of nature for inspiration.