Buro Happold, the sustainability leader known for creating long-range plans and benchmarks for leading institutions, companies and municipalities worldwide, has been engaged by the University of Southern California (USC) to craft key standards for environmental design and construction performance. The multidisciplinary firm, also recognized for its accomplishments in higher education design and planning, has been selected through a competitive process to develop these new sustainable design guidelines for the urban research university.

“USC has embarked on a collaboration with students, faculty and staff from across campus on this development of laudable and comprehensive sustainability guidelines for maintenance, operations, remodeling, renovation, and new construction projects that impact the campus environment and, therefore, how students are inspired by the world around them,” says Buro Happold architect and associate principal Heidi Creighton, FAIA, who is a LEED Fellow, WELL Faculty member and Fitwel Ambassador.

Buro Happold will lead the sustainability guideline development process for the University of Southern California with its acclaimed human-centric approach — “ensuring that the built environment touches the earth lightly while also caring for its occupants,” says Creighton. She adds that Buro Happold is supported in the work by key consulting partners Perkins&Will, civil engineer Psomas, as well as AHBE | MIG and David Neuman of Neu Campus Planning.

Over recent years, sustainability guidelines and assessment tools have come to be an essential component of long-term campus planning and institutional strategy, says Creighton. Noting their use by scores of institutions, she adds that the guidelines are becoming increasingly sophisticated and valuable. Buro Happold has created campus-wide standards and overarching sustainability plans for other universities globally, for private corporations such as Aviva Partners, as well as for local governments from the County of Los Angeles to New York’s Battery Park City.