Gordon Gill and Kathy Tholin interviewed by Lynn Osmond on sustainable architecture and urban design, from Chicago to Dubai. Introduction by Lance Pressl.

Gordon Gill is an architect who has contributed to the sustainability of cities through the design of the world’s first net Zero-Energy skyscraper, Pearl River Tower, in Guangzhou, China. Currently, his firm is working on the Masdar Headquarters in Abu Dhabi, a mixed-use building that will overcome the challenging desert climate to generate more power than it needs solely through sustainable systems.

Kathryn Tholin is the CEO of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, a 30-year-old nonprofit center in Chicago for innovations promoting sustainable cities and regions. She leads the organization in research, demonstration, and policy management in energy, transportation, community development, and climate change mitigation. In 2008 she served as Project Director of the Illinois Smart Grid Initiative, a collaborative project to develop a consumer-centered approach to smart grid development in Illinois.

Lynn Osmond has been President and CEO of the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) since 1996. Under her leadership, public involvement with CAF has quadrupled with more than 476,000 people annually participating in CAF tours, exhibitions, adult and family programs, and education programs. In 2005, she was recognized as an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects for her contribution to the field.

Hosted in partnership with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the 2009 Innovation Summit brought together influential innovation experts, business executives, academics and government leaders to discuss innovation and accelerate Chicagoland's development as a globally recognized center for innovation. The summit was a collaboration between Illinois Institute of Technology Institute of Design and InnovateNow, the CCCF's innovation initative.
summit.innovatenow.us