“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.