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Metrics-Driven Design and the Future of Green Infrastructure with Umesh Atre

Author

Charlie Cichetti
February 12, 2026

QUICK TAKE

Umesh Atre shares a powerful journey from India to becoming a LEED Fellow and a Sustainability Leader at Parkhill.

In this episode, he dives into how metrics-driven design, embodied carbon strategies, and infrastructure-focused sustainability are changing the green building landscape — especially in challenging regions like West Texas.

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🎧 LISTEN TO THE SHOW

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🌱BREAKING GROUND ON BETTER BUILDING

In this episode, Umesh Atre revolutionizes traditional construction approaches:

[Key Insight #1] Retrofitting Existing Buildings with New Purpose

  • What's outdated: Demolishing outdated buildings instead of reusing them.

  • The innovation: Umesh helped convert an old high school and a mall into flagship community college campuses in Austin.

  • Impact: Saved embodied carbon, cut waste, and created sustainable, functional spaces for learning.

[Key Insight #2] Building a Metrics-Driven Design Culture

  • What's outdated: Lack of data-driven sustainability strategies in project design.

  • The innovation: Umesh spearheaded a building performance team at Parkhill to embed energy modeling, daylighting, and embodied carbon analysis into every project.

  • Impact: Quantifiable performance improvements that elevate sustainable design outcomes across disciplines.

[Key Insight #3] Pioneering Sustainable Infrastructure Standards

  • What's outdated: Infrastructure often lags behind buildings in green innovation.

  • The innovation: Parkhill, under Umesh’s leadership, adopted Envision and SE 2050 frameworks to decarbonize infrastructure projects.

  • Impact: Scaled sustainability impact beyond buildings to bridges, roadways, and civic infrastructure.

♻️ YOUR GREEN BUILD CHALLENGE

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✅ CONNECT AND CONTINUE

🌿 Access full episode resources: Green Building Matters Podcast 

🗒 Read the transcript: HERE 

📄 Read the transcript: HERE

🔗 Connect with Umesh Atre: