Better Buildings For Humans

In this episode of Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with Shawn Houghtling and Bryce Jarman of RH Carter Architects—industry leaders in the art and science of automotive retail design. With a 40-year legacy and partnerships with 17 automotive brands, RH Carter has helped shape the modern dealership experience across Canada.

Shawn and Bryce pull back the curtain on what makes a dealership not just functional, but unforgettable. They explore how architecture supports brand identity, enhances customer experience, and even builds community. From managing complex traffic flows to integrating natural light with Solera® panels for improved occupant well-being, this episode highlights the often-overlooked brilliance of retail design done right.

If you’re an architect, designer, or simply fascinated by how space influences behavior, this one’s for you!

More About Shawn Houghtling and Bryce Jarman

As a Principal at RH Carter Architects Inc. Shawn oversees several National and International Retail Facility Image Programs within the Canadian market. Working across Canada requires extensive travel and the implementation of various design strategies that achieve both corporate branding initiatives as well as addressing local architectural/structural requirements. The ability to work effectively and collaboratively with local architectural and building consultants is paramount to the success of each program as well as the administration and review of construction documents.

As a Junior Associate at RH Carter Architects Inc., Bryce has gained experience as an

Architectural Designer in many different national design programs. Developing and presenting concept designs to retailers across Canada has provided Bryce the opportunity to gain a strong understanding of retailer needs as well as manufacturer image programs and requirements. After taking time to learn the programs and the industry, he was given the opportunity to be the Program Manager of the Ford and Lincoln programs. During this time, Bryce worked with Ford of Canada, and the retailer network, and coordinated the RH Carter team internally to ensure the success of the design programs across the country now and moving in the future.

CONTACT:

In this episode of Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski reconnects with Vicki Worden, CEO of the Green Building Initiative (GBI), to dive deep into their groundbreaking Journey to Net Zero program. With 2024 marking both her 10th year at GBI and one of the organization’s most impactful years, Vicki shares how their pilot program exceeded expectations—evaluating 154 buildings and delivering real, measurable reductions in site EUI and carbon emissions.

Joe and Vicki explore the complexities of utility data, the evolution of their Net Zero Calculator, and why transparency in carbon accounting is critical. They also discuss how policy is embracing net zero, how GBI supports portfolio-wide performance evaluations, and what’s next for the program. Whether you're a building owner, consultant, or sustainability pro, this conversation unpacks essential tools and insights for the path to net zero.

More About Vicki Worden

Entrepreneur, sustainability professional, and now President & CEO of the Green Building Initiative (GBI), Vicki Worden has supported a myriad of industries corporations, government agencies, and international nonprofits to advance sustainability goals while increasing return on investment. At GBI, Worden works with a 15-member Board of Directors and aninternational network of 20,000 individuals and corporations with a vision to provide sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings for all. 

GBI provides robust yet accessible green building standards and certification programs, such as its whole building, holistic certification program called Green Globes®, and this year is celebrating having certified more than 700 million square feet of space globally. Green Globes is one of two green building certifications recognized by the U.S. and Canadian federal governments for use on government buildings, and its global recognition continues to grow as its client base includes multi-national real estate investment trusts (REITs),

corporations, and consultancies. 

Additionally, Worden spearheaded the creation of a decarbonization rating system for commercial buildings that launched in late 2023 with 170 buildings from a variety of asset classes and countries. GBI’s Green Globes Journey to ZeroTM is accessible to all building owners, providing third-party review and progress reports aimed at supporting real estate owners with their investor and government reporting on site energy and emissions reductions towards a goal of Zero certification. 

In her previous role as President of Worden Associates, Inc., Worden provided sustainability

consulting and strategic planning expertise for a diverse range of industries including solar, wind, parking, furniture, mattress, composites, wood products, and rainwater harvesting. She is a member of the U.S. Women Executives in Building and a former Chair of the National Institute of Building Sciences Consultative Council. Worden holds an MBA from Loyola University in Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & International Relations from West Chester University. She resides in Camden, Maine, USA.

CONTACT:

In this episode of Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski welcomes Jenna Mikus, founder of the Eudae Group, to explore the power of eudaemonic design—a transformative approach that moves beyond human-centric design to create spaces that foster true human flourishing.

Jenna shares her unconventional journey from engineering and business strategy to pioneering research in sustainable design and well-being science. She dives into how adaptive comfort theory, smart building strategies, and self-determination theory shape environments that empower occupants, improve mental and physical health, and elevate daily experiences.

From designing cancer centers and neurodivergent-friendly schools to advocating for pragmatic futurists in the design process, Jenna offers a fresh perspective on how architecture can truly support our best selves.

This episode is a must-listen for architects, designers, and anyone passionate about creating spaces that inspire and uplift. Don’t miss it!

More About Jenna Mikus

Dr Jenna Mikus is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Eudae Group, which advises clients on organizational and spatial (both physical and digital) transformational change relating to built environments curated for health and wellbeing. Her clients have included commercial office owners, operators, and tenants as well as military, government, healthcare, higher education, aged care, and more on a global scale, with particular emphasis on the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. 

As an advocate for bridging industry practice with academic theory/research, Jenna is also a Visiting Fellow with QUT's Centre for Decent Work & Industry, an Honorary Fellow with the Centre for Conscious Design, a former Health Equity and current Research Advisor for the International WELL Building Institute, and a contributor to Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program's Flourishing at Work Interest Group. 

Jenna leverages her education across engineering, architecture, and design with her depth and breadth of work experience relating to strategy, change management, and design thinking to encourage multidisciplinary cross-pollination in theory and practice and to guide the creation/curation of intelligent, sustainable, and flourishing environments for all.

CONTACT: