SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN

principles

EVERY PROJECT COUNTS

Every project affects the carbon bottom line and can apply strategies to reduce carbon.

act with URGENCY

Humanity needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions now to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. Operational carbon is important, but reducing upfront carbon should be our priority.

THINK HOLISTICALLY

Sustainability is intimately tied to quality of life, human well-being, community resiliency, a healthy environment,
and social equity.

MAKE THE NEXT PROJECT BETTER

Every project holds the opportunity to advance our knowledge and skills.

The award-winning Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetland transformed a seven-acre tree nursery into an agriculture center for a culturally diverse area of Seattle. It inspires and educates people to safeguard our natural resources while developing an equitable and sustainable food system.

The design incorporates high-performance windows, a ground-source heat pump, and solar panels. Plus, efforts are made to minimize the use of foam insulation.

Adaptive reuse and renovation strategies prioritize the reduction of embodied carbon in existing construction, alongside daylighting techniques, low VOC paints, and energy recovery ventilators. The integration of Declare Red List Free rubber flooring and other specified materials further reinforces the University Cooperative School project’s sustainability commitment.

RiversMeet is envisioned as a template for how buildings can work within Winthrop's westernization code while striving for high levels of sustainability and providing more inclusive housing options.

commitments

MEASURE performance

Assess every project’s performance from Schematic Design through Post-Occupancy. Set clear sustainability goals.

support RESEARCH

Leverage the work of our peers in the industry to stay current on best practices and new ideas, products, and building science. Continue to foster firm-wide expertise, building on in-house Passive House and LEED accreditations.

COMMIT TO AIA 2030 CHALLENGE

Use the Challenge as a framework for reporting progress and understanding how the industry is performing as a whole.

ITERATE ON SUCCESS

Strive to improve measured outcomes with every project and identify obstacles to address.

work with PARTNERS

Engage the whole project team to achieve goals: the owner, contractors, and consultants make valuable contributions.

ADVOCAte for change

Look for opportunities to share knowledge, teach others, and join the discourse around systemic change.

CELEBRATE WINS

Acknowledge that no project will be perfect, but when we identify and celebrate our successes we can better build on them, and prevent them from becoming one-offs.

Passive House certified design: specific elements of Echo include thermal control, airtightness and moisture control, balanced ventilation, and high-performance glazing.

Inspired by our previous project Jansen Court, Echo builds on the goal of increasing density in single family residential neighborhoods through modest sized buildings. Echo has achieved Passive House Design Certification through thoughtful design elements such as robust assemblies to reduce thermal bridging and heat/cooling loads, high efficiency mechanical systems and high-performance glazing.

Hawthorne Hills Three achieved a 4-Star Built Green certification by renovating the main home to preserve embodied carbon and maintain healthy trees on site. By turning one living unit into three, this project is an example of how increasing housing density can help achieve sustainability goals by reducing the average environmental impact of each occupant.

Located on land occupied by the tribe since time immemorial, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s Hatchery combines pragmatic uses with symbolic content—the fishery is central to both the Tribe’s traditional identity and its contemporary outlook.

The resilient design restores the landscape and retains the original building footprint.

The Wildrose Apartments will provide 22 new affordable housing units achieving a high level of integration between the apartment units and the surrounding neighborhood of affordable single-family homes being simultaneously developed by the Methow Housing Trust.

Evergreen Sustainable Design Standard (ESDS)

The Berm House is designed with Passive House principles, using superinsulation, advanced air sealing, cross-laminated timber panels, and a live roof. And, it serves as a common house for its co-housing neighborhood, reflecting a vision of community.

AIA 2030 Commitment

As an AIA 2030 signatory firm, CAST has committed to its goal of carbon-neutral buildings by 2030. The latest climate data tells us that reducing carbon emissions is not enough. To make the biggest impact, we must commit to net zero emissions by 2030—a path that requires strong, immediate action. Since the built environment creates a staggering 40% of the world's emissions, architects, engineers, and owners play a key role.

We are committed to improving the lives of individuals, families, and the community through vibrant and thoughtful design. CAST is at the forefront of sustainable architecture, creating high-performance buildings designed to endure. Our approach prioritizes responsible resource management throughout a building’s lifecycle, integrating climate-responsive design, the best available building science, and site-specific strategies.