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October 15, 2026

METROPOLIS Celebrates Sustainable Design and Innovation in San Francisco


The 2026 Planet Positive Awards and Synergy Sustainability Lab + Conference brought together leaders from across the built environment to celebrate groundbreaking achievements and explore new opportunities for sustainable design.

By: Metropolis Editors

METROPOLIS brought together architects, designers, manufacturers, and sustainability leaders for two days of celebration, conversation, and collaboration at the Center for Architecture + Design in San Francisco on September 30 and October 1.

The events kicked off with the 2026 METROPOLIS Planet Positive Awards, recognizing the people, projects, products, and ideas advancing a more sustainable, healthy, and equitable built environment. The following day, Synergy, the METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab + Conference, brought industry leaders together for a day of thought-provoking discussions and hands-on exploration of the materials and solutions shaping a better built environment.

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Celebrating the 2026 Planet Positive Awards Winners

On September 30, METROPOLIS editor in chief Avinash Rajagopal hosted the annual Planet Positive Awards ceremony, celebrating 56 winners across the Projects, Products, Innovation, and People categories.

Selected by juries of experts from academia, nonprofits, design practice, and sustainability leadership, this year’s winners represent achievements at every scale—from innovative building materials and circular design initiatives to transformative architecture and industry leadership.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the inaugural Planet Positive Visionary Award to architect Michael Green, founder of Michael Green Architecture. Presented by Rajagopal in partnership with Teknion, the award recognized Green’s pioneering contributions to mass timber architecture and his vision for a built environment fundamentally grounded in nature.

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The ceremony also recognized leaders advancing sustainability through practice, research, and education, including Dan Rockhill, founder of Studio 804, recipient of the Editor in Chief Award; Luke Leung, director of sustainable engineering at SOM, and Eric Corey Freed, principal and director of sustainability at CannonDesign, Sustainability Leaders; and Daid Baker Architects, Firm of the Year.

Across the Projects, Products, and Innovation categories, winners included Snøhetta’s Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Seattle Waterfront Park by Field Operations, Gensler’s Product Sustainability Standards, Kohler’s Anthem EvoCycle, and Mohawk Group’s Hero Rubber made with Nike Grind, among many others.

Explore all the 2026 Planet Positive Awards winners.

Multiple wooden Metropolis Planet Positive Awards 2026 trophies displayed on a round table.

Exploring the Future of Sustainable Design at Synergy

On October 1, the conversation continued with Synergy, the METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab + Conference. Bringing together designers, clients, manufacturers, and decision-makers from across the industry, the day focused on the collective action needed to advance sustainability amid evolving environmental, economic, and business challenges.

Following opening remarks from Rajagopal, acclaimed landscape architect, artist, and educator Walter J. Hood, founder and creative director of Hood Design Studio, presented the day’s keynote. Hood, named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2026, is known for his work at the intersection of landscape, history, culture, and ecology.

Throughout the day, interactive workshops explored how sustainability priorities are reshaping the built environment across multiple sectors.

Real Estate for a Resilient Future featured Shawn Hesse, vice president of sustainability advisory at JLL, and Victoria Dubeau, director of sustainability strategy at NBCUniversal. The discussion examined how corporate buildings and commercial real estate can contribute to healthier communities, resilient places, and regenerating ecosystems while supporting business goals.

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During The Power of FF&E, the conversation turned to the impact of furniture, finishes, and material choices on human well-being, embodied carbon, and circularity. The session highlighted opportunities for manufacturers and designers to drive meaningful environmental progress through interior design.

Higher education took center stage during Building Tomorrow’s Campuses Today, featuring Nathan Jandl, director of sustainability at UC Berkeley, and Kristin Parineh, director of the Office of Sustainability at Stanford University. The workshop explored how educational institutions are testing new strategies and advancing sustainable design across their campuses.

The afternoon’s Experiences for Holistic Wellbeing workshop brought together Jack Coble, vice president of design and environmental stewardship at Urban Villages, and Ashley Michaels, senior manager of product experience at Hilton, to explore how hospitality environments can bring together wellness, culture, and environmental stewardship.

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Discovering Materials and Solutions in the Sustainability Lab

Beyond the conference discussions, attendees had opportunities to explore the METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab, a curated showcase of innovative products and materials designed to make a positive impact on people and the planet.

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Editor-led Sustainability Lab crawls, guided by Rajagopal and METROPOLIS senior editor Francisco Brown, offered small groups a closer look at sustainable products currently on the market. These hands-on experiences connected the day’s conversations with tangible solutions that designers can bring into their own projects.

The conference concluded with a networking reception and reflections on the day’s discussions, reinforcing the importance of collaboration across disciplines and industries.

Together, the Planet Positive Awards and Synergy highlighted both the progress already being made and the opportunities ahead.

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The METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab + Conference was made possible through the support of our sponsors, including premier sponsors Autex Acoustics, Behr, Borrowed Earth, Carnegie, Kawneer, Material Bank, Research, Rockfon, Turf, and Unika Vaev, as well as supporting sponsors Arper, Centria, Duvaltex, Tate, Flora Materials, and Stickbulb. The event was presented in partnership with the Center for Architecture + Design in San Francisco, which hosted the two-day gathering.

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