#075 - Ariane Laxo: The Hidden Psychology Blocking Sustainable Architecture

About this episode

Ariane Laxo discusses the psychological barriers to sustainable architecture and the importance of behavior and trust in design.

Why do great designs fail - even when everything is done right? Ariane Laxo, Director of Sustainability at HGA Architects & Engineers, has seen it firsthand: “people take their own customization into a space,” often reshaping even the most well-intended designs. In this conversation, she reveals why sustainability isn’t just about better materials or technology - but about behavior, trust, and the everyday choices people make inside a space. From testing ideas in small ways to understanding why “no one likes to be told what to do,” Ariane explains how real change happens - and why we are no longer designing for one predictable future. If you’ve never stopped to ask, “how could the changing climate impact my project?” - this episode might be the shift you didn’t know you needed. Resources mentioned in this episode - National Climate Assessment https://toolkit.climate.gov/NCA5 - Resilient MA https://resilient.mass.gov/ - Cal-Adapt https://cal-adapt.org/ - University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP) https://climate.umn.edu/ - First Street https://firststreet.org/ - AIA Trust Climate Factsheet https://theaiatrust.com/home/climate-factsheet/ - Class 3…

People in this episode

Host: Ladina Schöpf

Guest: Ariane Laxo

Topics covered

• sustainable architecture
• psychology of design
• climate change impact
• behavioral change
• trust in design
• customization in spaces

Keywords

• sustainability
• architecture
• design psychology
• climate adaptation
• behavioral choices
• trust
• customization

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: HGA Architects & Engineers, National Climate Assessment, Resilient MA, Cal-Adapt, University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP), First Street, AIA Trust Climate Factsheet, Class 3 Technologies, LOCA, WeatherShift

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