Richard Franko

Rich is a dynamic leader with deep sustainable expertise and a passion for finding unique design solutions merging mission, place and people. His skill in designing places of immersive and experiential learning is elegantly expressed in his concepts for museum and educational facilities. His design leadership for these projects and workplace environments all integrate site and building systems to achieve greater levels of performance. Whether he is sketching system functionality or diagramming next steps on a project, Rich’s drawing and analytical skills keep communication flowing among team and stakeholders. His projects have received awards for both design and environmental excellence, a testament to his integrated approach to achieving client goals.

He has lectured in the United States, Scandinavia and Australia on sustainability, urban design and using green buildings as a tool for teaching. Rich wrote the chapter on “Designing Green Buildings” in the ULI book Developing Sustainable Planned Communities. He served on the board for the Center for Ecotourism and Sustainable Development at Stanford University, and is currently serving on the board for One Planet Living, North America, creating sustainable communities around the world.