50 Years of Environmental Activism Through Design

On the anniversary of Earth Day, we look back—and ahead—at how architects can fight climate change.

Perched above Lake Geneva, JTI Headquarters is a sustainable building embedded in its landscape. Photo © Adrien Barakat

“Civilizations leave marks on the Earth by which they are known and judged. In large measure, the nature of their immortality is gauged by how well their builders made peace with the environment.”

Building meets landscape

Rendering of Weyerhaeuser Corporate Headquarters, drawn by Carlos Diniz. Courtesy of The Archive of Carlos Diniz / Family of Carlos Diniz.
Photo © Ezra Stoller | Esto
Photos © Ezra Stoller | Esto

Desert design reaches new heights

Inside the atrium at National Commercial Bank. Photos © Wolfgang Hoyt | Esto
Photo © Wolfgang Hoyt | Esto. Section drawing © SOM
Photo © Wolfgang Hoyt | Esto

A modern icon, restored

Photo © Florian Holzherr
Photo © Florian Holzherr

A lesson in sustainability

Photo © James Ewing | OTTO
Photo © Stark Video Inc. | Aerial NY
Photo © James Ewing | OTTO

Timber is the future

Photo © Benny Chan | Fotoworks
Photo © Benny Chan | Fotoworks

Back to nature

Image: CurtisWaltz © AerialScapes, Inc.
Image © SOM
Image © SOM

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We are a collective of architects, designers, engineers, and planners building a better future. To learn more, visit www.som.com.

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SOM

We are a collective of architects, designers, engineers, and planners building a better future. To learn more, visit www.som.com.