Soto's Commitment to Furthering Sustainability

​Amber Robbs Becomes a LEED Green Associate!

Congratulations to Amber Robbs on passing the LEED Green Associate Exam! Amber recently graduated from the University of Maryland with a Masters in Architecture and a Certificate in Historic Preservation. For Amber,  becoming a LEED Green Associate is the beginning of her journey towards reducing her carbon footprint.

One through-line of Amber’s academic and professional work  has been to consider the negative impacts of buildings that have fallen into disrepair. This is exactly what motivated her to focus her thesis on adaptive-reuse. Her thesis at the University of Maryland explores buildings that have fallen into neglect and/or ruin, and studies how they can be revitalized through mass timber construction methods. Mass timber produces less greenhouse gas emissions during the structure’s life cycle while leaving a larger, healthier impact on our climate.
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According to Amber, she is hopeful for our future as more architects are discovering the issues our environment is facing while learning how to be a part of the solution.  At Soto Architecture & Urban Design, we are committed to furthering sustainability, and we value the role it plays in our profession, which is why we encourage our team members and peers to be a part of this conversation. 

If you want to learn more about Robbs’ thesis on Adaptive Reuse and the transformative use of Mass Timber click here: Sustainability Through Adaptation: Reimagining Existing Spaces with Mass Timber Construction.

Great Job Amber and the best of luck!