Current and past colleagues describe me as a leader with purpose, driving strategic solutions to healthy, sustainable and efficient buildings and cities.

As a former architect and military technician, I'm drawn to solving problems. Early in my career, I became passionate about solving massive global challenges centered around health and the built environment.

And because the building sector contributes up to 30% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions and consumes up to 40% of all energy (UNEP 2007), I committed to doing my part to move our economy forward and build a more sustainable future.

Most importantly, I love this work!

Fernando Arias Clark Construction Group

Although the term embodied carbon is relatively new, more than a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions are directly linked. So, what does embodied carbon mean, and how can we reduce its impact?

Fernando Arias, Director of Sustainability at Clark Construction, explains why embodied carbon is a critical aspect of the construction industry's thinking about climate change and what the industry has to do to work towards carbon neutrality.

Now, as Clark Construction Group's Director of Sustainability, I've drawn upon more than 20 years of experience in architecture, operations, and construction to shape the company's sustainable construction operations and corporate sustainability initiatives.

Recently, I have been recognized for my leadership in Advancing Health and Wellness in the Built Environment by the U.S. Green Building Council for delivering portfolio level Fitwel certifications for all of Clark's corporate offices. Along with my government volunteer appointments to the U.S. General Services Administration Green Building Advisory Committee, and the District of Columbia Green Building Advisory Council, I also work to give back and be of service to people.

This work has led me to serve on the Fitwel Advisory Council to advise the Center for Active Design (CfAD) on the advancement of Fitwel's content and scientific rigor and serve as a champion for implementing health & wellness strategies in buildings through the implementation of the Fitwel Certification.

Before joining Clark, I advised government, non-profit, and private sector stakeholders focused on healthy design strategies at the Health in Buildings Roundtable (HiBR) of the National Institutes of Health, managed strategic relationships at the Clinton Global Initiative, served in both the United States Navy and the Army, practiced architecture for seven years in New York City and Los Angeles, consulted for Accenture's Resources Group, and worked for the New York City Mayor's Office of Long Term Planning & Sustainability.

I graduated with a Bachelor's in Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and holds two Master's Degrees from Columbia University in Architecture & Urban Design and Public Administration focused on Environmental Science and Policy.

Today I'm launching a new page on Facebook to bring focus and energy to the Adams Morgan Vision Framework plan, so that we can move these great ideas forward!

In this 45min podcast interview with Charlie Cichetti from GBES, I discuss my background and professional experiences, and basically everything that has led me to embrace my career in Sustainability with passion and vision for how to build stronger impact via private sector:

Fernando Arias is the Director of Sustainability at Clark Construction Group. The firm has been named as one of the greenest contractors in the US, with a tremendous amount of completed LEED projects. In today's episode, Fernando shares with Charlie Cichetti the story of his colorful childhood that helped shape the sustainability-minded professional that he is now.

 

This explainer video is one of the best resources to understand how to address closed-loop manufacturing and where the players in the value chain all align (or need to):

This video speaks to the global scale of climate change impacts we are confronting, and will continue to experience in the decades to come: