From October 22-24, three of SOM’s Sustainable Engineering Studio (SES) leaders presented their work at the 2025 ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Conference in Chicago, where Principal Luke Leung served as chair of the steering committee that shaped the event’s program. The conference, in its fourth year, brought together architects, engineers, and developers across the built environment to exchange ideas on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in new and existing buildings, with a significant focus on strategies for scaling up decarbonization.

Sustainability Directors Marzia Sedino and Shona O’Dea joined Leung in a seminar that explored pathways to go beyond net-zero carbon—from net-positive operations and all-electric buildings to the evolving relationship between human expertise and AI in design. Together, they highlighted SOM’s ongoing leadership in climate-responsive design and decarbonization.