The Architects Who Don’t Wait For Permission

CannonDesign is building a reputation for designing buildings that eliminate carbon and improve lives. In 2024, Metropolis Magazine recognized the firm as its Planet Positive Firm of the Year for leading the way in net-zero architecture.

It wasn't always this way. As one of North America's largest and oldest firms, CannonDesign had the scale, heritage, and reputation—but no clear sustainability strategy. In 2019, they turned to Eric Corey Freed, one of the foremost voices in green architecture, to embed sustainability into every project and reframe the business case for net-zero buildings.

Freed has been practicing and advocating for better, greener buildings since the 1900s—as he fondly puts it. In 2005, San Francisco Magazine named him Best Green Architect. He literally wrote Green Building for Dummies a generation ago.

CannonDesign's novel approach to designing solutions for today's greatest challenges, combined with Freed's wisdom and expertise in shifting mindsets, has pushed sustainability to the forefront, making it the standard, not the exception. The firm's work showcases how the greenest buildings are not only good for the planet but essential for a future where people and places thrive.

Show Notes

- Guest: Eric Corey Freed, Principal, Director of Sustainability

- Firm: CannonDesign

-Eric Corey Freed's Books on Amazon

- Eric Corey Freed's TEDx Talks: Here and Here

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What is Supercool?

Discover real-world climate solutions that cut carbon emissions, boost the bottom line, and improve modern life. Each week, climate entrepreneur and author Josh Dorfman pinpoints proven playbooks, business models, and technologies accelerating the low-carbon economy in future-forward towns and cities. Hear from CEOs, Mayors, startup founders, policymakers, and other innovators addressing climate change head-on to shape a smarter, more sustainable future.