Episode 028 | Michelle Xuereb: Seeking Out Optimism

In this podcast I talk with Michelle Xuereb, an architect and the Director of Innovation at BDP Quadrangle. In our podcast Michelle and I talk about some of the important strategies for mitigating carbon emissions – both operational and embodied carbon – but also about how we can design to improve our social infrastructure in order to increase climate change resilience, exploring some of the ideas she outlined in her TEDX talk.

Michelle’s passion for the environment and her desire to positively impact communities was the original impetus for her pursuing a career in architecture.  Michelle describes her story of becoming an architect in her recent TEDx Toronto talk in 2020 – which we have provided a link to in our Show Notes– and talks about the importance of being able to bring both right and left-brain thinking to the environmental and social challenges we now face.

In her role as the Director of Innovation, she is the ‘go-to’ person for planning and phasing of her firm’s most intricate renovation work, and its large, complicated projects.

Her larger role in the studio is to keep current with the growing body of knowledge of environmental issues and to ensure that sustainability is embedded in key decisions made by the firm and her team.  This includes reviewing the firm’s internal and external practices to minimize the environmental footprint of projects, and heading up the studio’s Green Team, which consults on projects and strives to provide strategies for targeting and achieving sustainability goals on every project.

Michelle has also been active in many local green initiatives, such as the consultation processes with the City of Toronto for the Toronto Green Standard and Bird-Friendly Development Guidelines as well as The Archetype Sustainable Condo Project with Sustainable Buildings Canada.

As the past Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Sustainable Buildings Canada, she was invited to co-facilitate workshops for the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change’s ‘Paths to Zero’ initiative, a directive that seeks to reach zero waste, carbon, energy and water on provincial buildings. Michelle also sat on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), Greater Toronto Chapter from 2010 to 2012.

I hope you enjoy our conversation!

                                            --------------------

You can read more about this podcast in the podcast’s Show Notes. 

Please Support this Podcast: The Twenty First Century Imperative podcast relies entirely on user support. If you find it valuable please consider supporting us by becoming a patron at our TFCI Patreon Page.

And we now have a new TFCI Online-shop, with all the proceeds going to cover our production costs!  And It has some great products for you! We have organic, fair-trade t-shirts and hoodies, as well as non-toxic BPA-free coffee containers, with great graphics! So, if you like the podcast, please think about helping us out by buying a t-shirt, hoodie or mug for you (and one for each of your friends!!!)