Scaling Low-Carbon Building Data for Real Impact with Jack Rusk
The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti
Release Date: 01/14/2026
The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti
π The Green Impact Report Quick take: This episode explores how data-driven design can shift the building industry toward true decarbonization. Jack Rusk, co-founder of C Scale, shares how better data at the right time empowers architects and project teams to make real progress toward carbon reduction goals. π Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Jack Rusk is the CEO and Co-Founder of C Scale, a company helping architects integrate carbon data earlier in the design process. With a background that bridges ecological science, hands-on construction, and architectural...
info_outlineThe Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti
π£ The Green Impact Report Quick take: From decarbonization strategies to student-centric campus design, this episode with LEED Fellow Allison Wilson is a masterclass in sustainability leadership for mission-driven institutions. π·ββοΈ Meet Your fellow Sustainability Champion Allison Wilson is a newly inducted LEED Fellow and architect at Ayers Saint Gross, where she champions sustainable, student-focused design for higher education institutions. Based in Austin, TX, Allison works nationally on everything from lab planning to decarbonized campus housing, helping clients...
info_outlineThe Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti
π― The Green Impact Report Quick take: What does it really take to deliver LEED Platinum projects across the Middle East and Africa β at scale, in extreme climates, and without blowing budgets? Newly minted LEED Fellow Dr. Hoda Ibrahim shares how impact-driven sustainability, material transparency, and market transformation are reshaping the built environment worldwide. π·ββοΈ Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Dr. Hoda Ibrahim is a LEED Fellow, sustainability executive, architect, researcher, and global green building leader based in Cairo. With nearly two decades...
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π― The Green Impact Report Quick take: From rural Peru to the skyline of Austin, Texas, Julio Carrillo shares how planners can be powerful sustainability changemakers. In this episode, learn how a LEED Fellow is pushing the green building movement beyond buildings β and into data-driven, community-scale transformation. π·ββοΈ Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Julio Carrillo is a Peruvian-born architect, urban planner, and newly named LEED Fellow based in Austin, Texas. With a passion for sustainable urbanism, Julio has helped launch the Peru Green Building Council, works...
info_outlineThe Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti
π The Green Impact Report Quick take: This episode matters to green building professionals because it shines a spotlight on how grid-interactive buildings and HVAC optimization can eliminate energy waste, generate new revenue, and play a crucial role in decarbonization β right now. π· Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Brad Pilgrim is the founder and CEO of Parity, a Series B company pioneering HVAC optimization and grid interactivity across North America. From his early days as a commercial carpenter to building a 100-million-square-foot energy optimization platform, Bradβs...
info_outlineThe Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti
info_outlineThe Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti
π― The Green Impact Report Quick take: How can we protect people as our buildings face hotter climates and evolving chemical risks? Dr. Christa Wright from ULβs Chemical Insights Research Institute shares how predictive science, empathy in research, and bio-based solutions are shaping the future of healthier indoor environments. π Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Dr. Christa Wright is the Senior Research Director at the Chemical Insights Research Institute, part of UL Research Institutes. A trained environmental toxicologist and strategist, she leads the Center for...
info_outlineThe Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti
π The Green Impact Report Quick take: In this episode, Federico Steinvorth, a newly inducted LEED Fellow from Costa Rica, shares how he's championing sustainable building practices across Central America through early project integration, renewable energy, and a strong focus on community engagement. π Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Federico Steinvorth is an engineer, marathon runner, and co-founder of a regional sustainability consulting firm based in Costa Rica. With a background in mechanical and electrical engineering and a masterβs in construction management from...
info_outlineThe Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti
π The Green Impact Report Quick take: From authentic storytelling to biophilic design and grassroots sustainability, Giuli Ann Schacht shows how creative thinking and a deep respect for nature can transform communities like High Point, NC β and how you can do the same. π Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Giuli Ann Schacht is a passionate creator, businesswoman, and advocate for biophilic design. With a background in brand storytelling, fresh food entrepreneurship, and green real estate development, sheβs now bringing it all together to inspire greener communities through film,...
info_outlineThe Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti
π― The Green Impact Report Quick take: This episode uncovers how acoustics, materials, and design intersect to create healthier, more sustainable buildings. Dana Pucillo shares how listening β in design, leadership, and innovation β is transforming interior environments for human wellness. π Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Dana Pucillo is the Vice President of the Acoustics Division at Carnegie, a leader in sustainable interiors. With a career spanning 30+ years in interior design, commercial manufacturing, and sustainability, Dana champions healthy materials,...
info_outlineπ The Green Impact Report
Quick take:
This episode explores how data-driven design can shift the building industry toward true decarbonization. Jack Rusk, co-founder of C Scale, shares how better data at the right time empowers architects and project teams to make real progress toward carbon reduction goals.
π Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion
Jack Rusk is the CEO and Co-Founder of C Scale, a company helping architects integrate carbon data earlier in the design process. With a background that bridges ecological science, hands-on construction, and architectural education, Jack brings a unique perspective to sustainable innovation in the built environment. Prior to founding C Scale, Jack ****was Director of Climate Strategy at EHDD, where he led groundbreaking work in electrification and embodied carbon analysis.
π± Breaking Ground on Better Building
In this episode, Jack Rusk revolutionizes traditional construction approaches:
π Key Insight #1: Redefining project success through holistic carbon data
- The Challenge: Traditional focus on energy performance alone misses deeper carbon impact.
- The Solution: C Scale provides early-stage carbon modeling, considering operational and embodied emissions.
- ROI: Enables project teams to pitch and deliver on net-zero carbon targets, aligning with climate goals from day one.
π Key Insight #2: Empowering architects with decision-ready data
- The Challenge: Architects lack access to timely, granular data during early design phases.
- The Solution: C Scale integrates carbon intelligence directly into design workflows.
- ROI: Informed material and system choices lead to lower emissions and better project alignment with decarbonization goals.
π Key Insight #3: Bridging data gaps across the design lifecycle
- The Challenge: Data silos prevent continuity from early planning to construction.
- The Solution: C Scaleβs βred threadβ approach ensures data persists across design phases.
- ROI: More consistent sustainability outcomes, smoother collaboration, and increased transparency across stakeholders.
π¬ Sustainable Soundbite
"The goal is not to have a few better projects. The goal is to change the way buildings are delivered as an industry." β Jack Rusk
π Your Green Building Action Plan
Transform your next project with these steps:
- This Week: Review your past project data β see what sustainability insights can be reused.
- This Quarter: Incorporate early-stage carbon modeling in proposal phases.
- This Year: Build a cross-functional team to champion data continuity from design to delivery.
π Connect & Learn More
πΏ Access full episode resources: https://www.gbes.com/podcast
π Read the transcript here
π©π»βπ» Connect with Jack Rusk:
- Website: cscale.io
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusk/
π Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe
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