For the latest episode of the Design the Future podcast, Lindsay Baker and I had a fun, wide-ranging conversation with Miranda Gardiner, who is Executive Director of the iMasons Climate Accord (iCA), a non-profit trade association focused on decarbonization of digital infrastructure. She has an architecture background and has worked in a range of organizations -- design firms, professional associations, tech companies -- so she has a special perspective. She is part of multiple industries and communities.
We asked her about what advice she has for young professionals, especially as someone who has navigated into a field at the vanguard. She quoted the late Dr. Paul Farmer, who called his worldwide healthcare work as "doing hard things with friends." Miranda says, "That's it. We get up knowing that it is a challenge every single day. The advice I give is to remain consistent -- keep learning and asking questions and sharing the stories."
Miranda shared about challenges in the digital infrastructure realm right now, and mentioned data center work that she is watching with interest, including urban sites in existing buildings and with innovative water and ecology strategies. "Water and the water-energy nexus are issues we're looking at right now," Miranda says. "I am excited about the potential of this focus and how it relates to how these buildings relate to their communities."
Listen at https://www.designthefuturepodcast.com/episodes/miranda-gardiner or on your favorite podcast platform.
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Kira Gould Hon. AIA
Kira Gould CONNECT
Mission Hills KS
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