It’s the People Who Make the Place / Emily Mendez

Emily Mendez is the Director of Sustainability for GFF, where she leads our internal committee comprised of sustainability representatives across all market sectors. Emily is a graduate of Texas Tech University, with experience in institutional, faith-based, corporate, and residential design. She is a Registered Interior Designer in the State of Texas, a LEED AP, and a Fitwel Ambassador. She is also an Associate Member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is the 2022 Chair of the AIA Dallas Committee on the Environment.

Emily’s work on sustainability in the built environment began with a simple desire to better understand the materials she selects for interiors projects. She then dove deeper into how all building design decisions affect people and the planet – particularly decisions that impact carbon emissions. Her current efforts center around education: providing awareness and advocacy on a variety of sustainability-related issues and opportunities both to our staff and our clients.

Emily is the co-author of GFF’s Black & Gold List, which is a GFF initiative to source exterior and interior materials that promote environmental and human health throughout the life of a project – from initial manufacturing to end of life cycle. GFF encourages the selection of materials that are responsibly sourced, low in harmful chemical content, and contribute to reduced carbon emissions.

For more information on our Sustainability practices please contact:

Emily Mendez, Associate AIA, RID, LEED AP, FITWELL AMBASSADOR
Director of Sustainability
Associate
Interior Design Leader
emily.mendez@gff.com

Sustainability News

Protecting Our Feathered Friends

As cities grow and buildings become taller, the need to protect the earth's bird population is becoming more urgent. Thankfully, there are solutions to mitigate the problem, including guidelines for bird friendly glazing selections and building design features.

Architecture’s Balancing Act: Beauty, Function, Cost, and Sustainability

In the world of design, finding the perfect blend of beauty, functionality, cost, and sustainability can be quite a challenge. However, as we celebrate the 2nd annual Earth Week at GFF, we aim to demonstrate that these goals can coexist harmoniously.

Adaptive Reuse in an Environmentally Conscious Work Environment

In a post-pandemic world where employees may be reluctant to return to the office full time, the inventory of empty or partially occupied buildings continues to grow.

Can We Go Beyond Sustainability?

Resilient, restorative, and regenerative approaches all rely on a comprehensive team and systems approach to creating better built environments

Our Work