February 7th evening industry leaders gathered to discuss sustainable and resilient developments during an engaging panel discussion put on by local architecture firm OBM International (OBMI), Urban Land Institute Southeast Florida/Caribbean (ULI), Association of Architects Miami (AIA), U.S. Green Building Council Florida (USGBC) and the Dade County Bar Association.

The Future of Sustainable and Resilient Developments panel included Greg West, ZOM Living CEO; Mark Lunt, Ernst & Young Principal; Liora Haymann, OBMI Managing Director; and Alec Bogdanoff Ph.D., Brizaga President and Co-Founder. The evening was moderated by Jonathan Newberg, General Counsel, OBMI Architecture. The experts from leading companies shared their insights on the outlook on sustainability and resiliency in the hospitality and real estate industry, trends in resilient design, and institutional risks developing properties in coastal locations.  

The development-focused panel took a financial perspective to sustainability with Haymann commenting, “sustainability is a market driver and preserving the environment can bring in profit with proper planning and programming.”  Lunt added, “developments that have taken an interest in sustainability have turned out a higher level of volume.”
Further explaining developers’ interest in building sustainable hospitality projects, West added, “investors are concerned about sea level rise. They want to make sure the site is equitable for a long-term investment, and they want the community to take action towards a resilient future.”

The sold-out event gathered over 100 professionals spanning the real estate and land use industries to hear the expert perspectives. In line with the panel’s theme, experts advised the audience on the challenges and opportunities to bolster resilience in developments, preserve valuable ecosystems, enhance collaboration across consultants, and increase accountability in the tourism and real estate sectors. As stated during the discussion, Bogdanoff reminded the audience “that sustainability and resiliency is not a destination but a journey,” and that a solution for one location may not be appropriate for another location.

OBMI also announced the next event in their expert panel series to take place on October 9th and will focus on wellness in the hospitality and tourism industry. Confirmed panelists include Marianne Canero of Alma Community, Vivianne Garcia-Tunon of Wonder-Flower, and Kevin Fletcher of OBMI.

Thank you to our partners, and sponsors – Sequil Systems and MEP Consulting Engineers, for making this night possible.
For photos of the event visit our Facebook page!