This podcast features Italian-born architect Renzo Piano, who was commissioned to design the new California Academy of Sciences facility in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. For Piano, the building site is a magical place where the art of construction takes place. He calls his office the Building Workshop, acknowledging the birthplace of his designs in respect to their final outcome: a structure. Ambivalent about tradition, he sees creation as a branch between past and future.

"e²: the economies of being environmentally conscious" is an ongoing PBS documentary series about solutions to the world's most pervasive environmental challenges. The series continues its flagship coverage of sustainable architecture with "e² design season three," featuring innovations in green building and planning from around the globe. Check your local PBS listings for television broadcast dates in your area.

The "e²" series and its video podcasts are produced by kontentreal, and distributed within the United States by PBS. More information is available at pbs.org/e2/ and e2-series.com/