Transforming Buildings into Material Resources
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Register
- Attendees - $50
Demolition projects have a significant impact on climate change due to the energy and resources required, as well as the emissions created during the process. Material recovery through deconstruction is an unparalleled opportunity for reducing embodied carbon, while also diverting construction waste, reducing exposure to toxic pollutants, protecting natural resources, and creating green jobs. In pursuit of a regenerative future, Genentech and Gensler are pioneering a deconstruction process that transforms aging buildings into resources for future campus projects. By reimagining waste as a valuable resource, their team is creating a circular system that significantly reduces carbon emissions and promotes sustainable development. This session will explore the environmental, economic, and social impacts of deconstruction, showcasing how it contributes to a thriving, inclusive, and cooperative economy while tackling urgent climate challenges in the building sector.
Marcus Hopper, AIA, NCARB, LEED ID+C
Regional Design Manager/ Senior Associate
Gensler
Marcus Hopper, AIA, NCARB, LEED ID+C, is the Northwest Regional Design Management leader for Gensler. With a depth of experience in workplace environments, Marcus is passionate about design’s capacity to shape the built environment with creativity, environmental conscientiousness and material sustainability. He has contributed to Gensler’s Design Resilience team that completed high profile projects for Etsy in New York City and the NRDC space in San Francisco. In 2018, he was part of a research team that studied five Gensler offices that had recently undergone renovation to see how reused materials played a role. The goal of the research was to bring awareness to the circular economy and identify how the industry can bolster and encourage reuse processes within design work. Findings from this initial study were published in the Gensler Research Institute white paper, What’s Old is New Again – Circumnavigating the Circular Economy.
Argelia Bárcena, LEED AP
Associate, Regional Design Technology Lead
Gensler
Argelia Barcena is a design technology leader and advocate for innovation in architecture. She is a Northwest Regional Design Technology Manager at Gensler, where she leads digital transformation efforts across diverse teams and projects. With two decades of experience, Argelia has worked with leading architecture firms and maintains a strong connection to academia by having served as adjunct faculty at Academy of Art University, City College of San Francisco, and California College of the Arts.
She holds an architecture degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and an executive education certificate from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Argelia was recently recognized as one of the “Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business 2024” by the San Francisco Business Times. She currently serves as a Board Director for AIA San Francisco, and Chair of the AIASF Technology in Architectural Practice Knowledge Community, in addition to being Regional Lead for Women in BIM for the Western North America region—roles that underscore her leadership and ongoing contributions to the advancement of the profession.
