Society is at an inflection point. The intersecting crises of climate change, rising inequality, and systemic racism are driving organizations to rethink their roles in society as they mobilize their resources, reach, scale, and influence to help put humanity on a sustainable course. And there is yet one untapped opportunity for organizations: to leverage their construction and building projects to achieve exponential social good. If an organization is commissioning a multi-million dollar building or renovation, how can it double or triple the social and environmental benefits from its investment?
Many green building standards already exist, but what if it was possible to go beyond them, to design a building process that was transformational in its execution? This report, “Unlocking the Potential of Campus Infrastructure Projects to Build Social Infrastructure“, shows how.
It is a think piece designed to prompt visionary and “out-of-the-box” ideas at the outset of a building or renovation project. It targets Canadian universities but is relevant to any organization anywhere that is commissioning a building or major renovation. It is especially relevant in a world with rising social divisions, inequality, and temperatures. The report is a call to action for organizational leaders, real estate developers, architects, engineers, procurement and facility managers, and others who are planning significant construction or renovation projects to have those projects become catalysts for social change. Following the ideas in this paper as set out below can help builders create social good by mobilizing the building process itself to tackle society’s challenges.
