A New Start Finds Sustainability Through Architecture

When Damian Possidente was laid off from the architecture studio he worked at one year ago this week, he took it as an opportunity. The main focus of his work had been affordable, sometimes sustainable housing, primarily in the South Bronx, when the firm had several large projects in the pipeline shelved or canceled altogether due to budget cuts and client hesitation.  Damian remembered wanting to work on his own since college, so while the layoff was unexpected it seemed like a message was being sent to take the leap. Ten days later a project fell into his hands, and the anniversary of this fresh start finds him working solidly, renting out his own studio space, and with more projects on the horizon.

Damian’s venture is called Starch_Sustainability Through Architecture, located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. With a broad range of experience in residential, commercial, and institutional design, renovation, and construction, as well as LEED AP certification, he hopes to be able to influence his projects by bringing an awareness of—and attention to—sustainability from the ground up. We asked Damian to tell us what this all means to him.

"Sustainability" is a buzz word these days. Do you consider it a goal or a practice, and how does it influence your approach to architecture and design?

For me, both personally and professionally, sustainability is practice. Every project and every decision both affects and is affected by sustainability, so it influences my work at every stage. During design, becoming aware of environmental factors from solar orientation, wind direction, and noise (external factors that we cannot control) to internal design factors driven by the program and site, is essential to providing an informed basis for design. From this point, sustainability becomes a matter of balance. How can we maximize the positive aspects of the site and match those to the appropriate program requirements? As the details evolve and the project grows, the factors that influence the sustainability of the project become more tangible: products, materials, engineering systems, and most importantly, cost. Oftentimes sustainable products or system design can break a budget, so realistically we are look for a balance. As sustainability becomes more mainstream, the cost differential is less of an issue, and hopefully even disappear.

Can you briefly explain LEED status, both for buildings and for architects, and why you chose to work towards this certification?

LEED status for professionals is an evolving process. As an architect, I chose to become a LEED Accredited Professional because the US Green Building Council (USGBC) quickly emerged as the rating system with credibility, and the industry followed. This also means I have studied green building techniques and will apply them to projects, whether or not the project seeks out a LEED rating.

LEED status for a building, interior, or neighborhood confirms that it meets or exceeds the standards developed by USGBC for green building. The LEED rating for buildings has various levels, from simply LEED-Certified to LEED-Platinum, and these levels correspond to the degree to which the project meets the stringent standards. Green building is still a contentious issue, and the industry is torn over projects that challenge our sense of “green.” Take, for example, a 6,500 square foot single-family house with a 10-car garage in the Bay Area, which actually considered seeking a LEED certification but opted out because it couldn’t achieve Platinum given the size. The design and technology are sustainable, but the fact that the house itself is more than three times the size of—and will likely consume more energy than—the average American home seems incongruous. As citizens, we should realize that sustainability includes much more than just the materials and systems we use.

Tell us a bit about your personal history, how you came to architecture and to starting your own practice?

I was born and raised in a small coastal town in Connecticut, by parents that have always been left-leaning and environmentally aware, so I grew up with these values. Once municipal recycling and Earth Day became more prominent in the late 1980s/early 90s, my awareness of my impact on the environment grew more acute. Around the same time, a construction boom in our area and a substantial addition to my father's house put architecture and design on my radar.

My public high school had only offered one drafting course, taught by the soccer coach, so I applied to Carnegie Mellon simply because they didn’t require a portfolio. The dean of the School of Architecture, Vivian Loftness, crafted the curriculum towards environmental awareness and technical competence, so she was a clear inspiration for me during my time there.

What would be an ideal project for Starch? Seeing as you just hung out your shingle in 2009, where would you like to see Starch going, and what are you doing to get there?

In terms of urban projects, a new infill townhouse or small commercial building for an environmentally conscious client would be a great opportunity to showcase sustainable urban design. I have always been attracted to making cities better places, and reusing an existing site—or an existing building—is the first step in building a sustainable project. A dream project for Starch would be an off-the-grid retreat that could serve as a testing ground for new materials and technologies while minimizing the impact on the land, located in an area served by mass transit.

Currently, Starch is busy with a major mixed-use building renovation in Tribeca, and preparing work on future projects including a residential apartment renovation in Greenwich Village and a green roof design for a mid-rise apartment building in Brooklyn. You can follow our current and past work on Architizer.