Welcome to the latest GGLO news.

8/05/2015

GGLO at the Post Alley Hooley!




Hooley ('hu:li): A wild or noisy party


Come on down to the Harbor Steps tomorrow, August 6th from 6-9 pm for the Third Annual Post Alley Hooley! Join GGLO and fellow hooligans as we partake in the live music, beverages, games and art installations from locals across this great city. GGLO's Emerging Professionals Group is participating by creating a string art installation at the midpoint of the Harbor Steps. This installation is an exciting opportunity for young designers at GGLO to reach out to the community.



The EP group's vision for the installation is to create a winding and weaving flurry of bright fluorescent chords. Taking inspiration from the activities and spaces along Harbor Steps, these chords twist hither and thither to create a composition of energy and motion. The artfully strung string will spread and connect banisters, railings and columns to create a gateway into Post Alley from the Harbor Steps. 



The installation will be complete by 6 pm just in time for the Hooley to kick off. While the event will only last until 9 pm, GGLO's installation will remain up throughout the weekend and possibly longer. Stop by, check it out and say hello to the GGLOers who have put a lot of hard work into this awesome piece!


8/03/2015

GGLO Recognized as a JUST Organization




“Design that stimulates community goes beyond the project design of great buildings and places. Our commitment to community begins right here at home with our own at GGLO.” – Jeff Foster AIA, Managing Principal, GGLO

We are proud to announce that GGLO is now part of the International Living Future Institute's (ILFI)JUST Program. It is a program that provides a transparent platform of disclosure - a "nutrition label" - for socially responsible organizations and corporations. We invite you to learn more about GGLO and JUST at gglo.com and the JUST label website.


"In a relatively short timeframe since our program launch, the JUST Program has garnered worldwide interest and is helping organizations to develop better employee engagement policies and community stewardship practices. We are very happy to see GGLO join the ranks of JUST labeled organizations with the distinction of being the first design firm in Washington State to earn the JUST Label." - Francis Janes, JUST Program Manager, International Living Future Institute.

ILFI's Living Building Challenge (LBC) now requires at least one JUST organization to be a 'major team member' for projects targeting LBC v3.0 certification. GGLO has been the Landscape Architect for two projects for LBC certification, and is currently working on its third, Eastern WashingtonUniversity's new Sustainability Center in Cheney, WA. The Sustainability Center's landscapes will act as an incubator for resilient, high-producing sustainable research and practices.

GGLO qualified for the JUST label through internal policies in key JUST categories such as diversity, equity, safety, employee benefit, local benefit and community stewardship. For example:
  • Diversity: GGLO’s gender diversity firm-wide (50% male / 50% female) and in senior leadership (56% male / 44% female) garner the top - Level 3- recognition in the JUST program’s Gender Diversity indicator for high levels of gender balance.
  • Worker Happiness:  Because GGLO is frequently highlighted in Seattle Best Places to Work, and high levels of newly hired staff come from current GGLO employee referrals, it is no surprise GGLO earns high marks in the worker benefit category of JUST.
  • Charitable Giving: Our deep commitment to community in our practice, our support, and our staff’s contributions has been recognized by AIA Seattle with an Honor Award for Community Service in 2011; by Puget Sound Business Journal’s list of Top 75 Corporate Philanthropists for 2013 and 2014; and highlighted in our 2012 ‘Giving by Design’ publication which highlights our staff’s involvement in causes & organizations; and also contributes to the stewardship category of JUST. 

“The JUST program helps organizations meaningfully address the triple bottom line. Of the three pillars of sustainability – Economics, Environment, Equity – our industry is exploring ways to address equity. JUST promotes the equity discussion beyond projects with a public use or affordable housing program element, and is helping create a common language for equity issues.” – Alicia Daniels Uhlig NCARB, Principal, Director of Sustainability

The Living Building Challenge was the first green building program to incorporate equity criteria with the launch of the Equity Petal in 2009; version 3.0 of the standard further highlights impacts on communities with the addition of new imperatives. GGLO is participating in the JUST program in support of elevating the equity conversation in all organizations that shape our community, not just those who manufacture products and construct projects.

We look forward to working together to promote equity discussions in every aspect of our built environment.

For any inquiries or comments, please contact info@gglo.com.