Future of Sustainability

Oct 2, 2023

ARCHITECT

For ARCHITECT's September issue, we talked with Portland, Ore.-based real estate developer Anyeley Hallová about sustainable design. Here, Hallová—the founder of Adre—shares her insight.

What does your role entail?
Adre is a Black- and women-owned real estate development firm. The company was founded with the purpose of creating a prosperous life for people and groups that traditionally lack access to real estate ownership and investment through the creation of affordable homes, mixed-use developments, and facilities for mission-driven organizations. My role as founder of the company is providing the vision, leveraging my connections, and finding the resources to get our projects built.

How has the definition of sustainability evolved throughout your career?
I first learned about the term ‘sustainability’ when studying abroad at the School for Field Studies in Costa Rica in 1997. I was fortunate to have received proper instruction early on in the sustainability movement—that a process or product can’t be considered sustainable unless it addresses environmental, social, and economic sustainability and that the ultimate outcome is to have a closed-loop system regarding inputs and outputs. While this definition of sustainability has stayed consistent for me throughout my career, the industry is just catching on to the desperate need to address social sustainability post-2020 and the Black Lives Movement.

What role do architects and designers play in ensuring a sustainable future?
Architects and designers have the unique ability to advocate for a sustainable future with their clients. If design firms embed environmental and social sustainability features and processes into their everyday practices, it will become less necessary for clients to have complete buy-in. Many clients do not want to feel they are inventing the wheel or taking on what they deem as unnecessary risks. Architects and designers can play the role of educator, facilitator, and champion when it comes to ensuring a sustainable future.

What’s your firm’s approach to sustainability?
[As stated on the firm's website,] Adre envisions a future in which our projects help strengthen the communities we work with by promoting social and racial equity. We craft projects for organizational and individual wealth creation and financial stability through utilizing women- and BIPOC-owned firms and providing ownership and vested power in shaping one’s neighborhood. Adre is committed to healthy and resilient buildings for all communities. We plan projects that conserve water and energy; have renewable energy production; reduce waste; and utilize healthy regionally sourced materials. Our projects strive for a minimal carbon footprint, follow a “Path to Net Zero,” and pursue LEED or other environmental certifications.