Stewardship in Action: What “Values-Driven” Design Really Means With Phil Harrison and Lindsey Peckinpaugh

What does it really look like when a design firm leads with values, not simply as a slogan, but as an operating system? In this episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen talks with Perkins&Will Principal and CEO, Phil Harrison, and Lindsey Peckinpaugh, Principal and President, about their impact report, “ Stewardship in Action: A Values-Driven Approach to Design .” Together, they explore how “values-driven” design shows up in the lived experience of a place in things like human-centered spaces, biophilic connection, and design that serves communities for the long haul. They also break down Perkins&Will’s Living Design framework and spotlight Toronto’s Dawes Library, a net-zero-carbon branch library and community hub shaped through Indigenous partnership and co-creation developed in collaboration with Smoke Architecture. Additional highlights include: Why energy modeling should be treated as an ethical responsibility and how firms of any size can act now Perkins&Will’s publicly shared “Switch List” for advanced material health Designing for biodiversity, including ecological literacy and habitat restoration A candid look at client satisfaction vs. staff well-being—and the push to bring joy back to practice A pragmatic take on AI: reduce repetitive work, boost creativity, and keep design a human art

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