Episode 128: Pauline Souza

Pauline Souza, FAIA, LEED Fellow, LFA, WELL AP, LEED AP BD+C, is WRNS Studio’s Director of Sustainability and co-lead of the firm's K-12 and Civic Studio. Her curiosity is her superpower.

She has has led numerous projects with a passion for health, inclusivity and beauty--and for advancing the role of design as a medium for building a more sustainable, resilient, equitable future. Many of her projects are considered important case studies, such as the Sonoma Academy Guild and Commons, a LEED Platinum, Living Building Challenge Petal and Net Zero Carbon project, and AIA COTE Top Ten winner. 

Pauline says that she was initially drawn to school design because it is a project type where equity and advocacy for healthy conditions are considered primary conversations--and these were the conversations that she wanted to have as part of the design dialogue. She brings a tenacious leadership approach rooted in the idea that good design and sustainable design are synonymous and can be achieved at any scale and any budget.

She is a member of the Architecture 2030 Board of Directors. And she is a generous sharer and collaborator who has dedicated time and effort to many peer networks and other groups that have been essential to progress in the AEC space.