#370 Kristen Fritsch on Architecting Sustainable Futures Through Biomimicry and Beyond

The Green Impact Report Quick take: From Midwestern roots to LEED Fellow status, Kristen Fritsch shares how sustainability becomes second nature in architecture and how biomimicry can inspire truly innovative design solutions.

Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion

Kristen (Atchity) Fritsch, AIA, LEED Fellow, WELL AP is a Senior Associate and Director of Sustainability at Elkus Manfredi Architects where she has been implementing initiatives related to the AIA 2030 Commitment, healthy materials and embodied carbon.

Her role also involves advising and assisting design teams with LEED, WELL, materials and systems research, and performance analysis such as solar mitigation and daylighting concepts.

She has led firm-wide training on sustainable design practices and the greening of office operations and practice. Outside the office she has taught design studios at the Boston Architectural College on using biomimicry in the design process and is a member of the Board of Directors for Built Environment Plus (USGBC MA). Kristen is also a member of the LEED Materials Technical Advisory Group for USGBC.

Breaking Ground on Better Building

In this episode, Kristen revolutionizes traditional construction approaches:

Key Insight #1: Sustainability as Second Nature

The Challenge: Sustainability initially treated as an add-on feature rather than an integral part of design
The Solution: Embedding sustainable thinking from project inception, making it “the way we do things”
ROI: When sustainable practices become standard, achieving LEED Gold or Platinum becomes more accessible and cost-effective

Key Insight #2: Biomimicry as Design Inspiration

The Challenge: Traditional design approaches that fail to learn from nature’s 3.8 billion years of innovation
The Solution: Looking to nature for problem-solving inspiration, like self-cleaning paint inspired by lily pad cell structures
ROI: More efficient, elegant solutions that work in harmony with natural systems rather than against them

Key Insight #3: Material Reuse at Commercial Scale

The Challenge: Difficulty implementing material reuse beyond small-scale residential projects
The Solution: Developing systematic approaches to reuse furniture and materials in larger commercial projects
ROI: Reduced embodied carbon, cost savings for clients, and inspiring designs that tell a story of sustainability

Sustainable Soundbite

Your Green Building Action Plan

Transform your next project with these steps:
This Week: Take inventory of what materials in your current projects could be reused or repurposed
This Quarter: Research biomimicry principles that could be applied to a current design challenge
This Year: Develop a comprehensive approach to materials selection that prioritizes health, wellness, and embodied carbon reduction

Connect & Learn More

Connect with Kristen Fritsch: LinkedIn Profile
Read the transcript: Full Episode Transcript
Recommended Book: “Birding to Change the World” by Trish O’Kane