Paul Shafer

PS

RA, AIA, CSI, GGA

The Hudson Valley’s geography is dominated by its wide river valley, deep gorges, and the nearby Catskill Mountain forest. It was here that Paul developed his great appreciation for nature’s extreme beauty and human impacts. “There’s a feeling of age and gentleness to the landscape, but the river was so polluted that we weren’t supposed to go near the water to swim or fish,” Paul recalls. “Now the Hudson River is crowded with people enjoying the water. I’m trying to contribute to efforts like that to restore and protect nature and take our future in the right direction.”

Paul started thinking about the larger issues of environmental responsibility in the late 1970s. While working as an architect in the commercial interiors industry in Manhattan, he was shocked by the incredible materials waste he saw. Now living in New Mexico, Paul is a consultant at Edificycle where he promotes a more thoughtful consideration about the interplay of environment and construction.

Paul enjoys being part of the Green Globes Assessment team and seeing the range of projects in different locales. Initially, he became an assessor to expand his repertoire of skills. Helping teams reach their goals, however, is what keeps Paul continually engaged. He leverages his 40 years of design expertise to bring judgment and perspective to a wide range of projects. “A lot of the assessment activity centers on helping people and answering questions. I get to show them where their accomplishments are, what’s not working, and how to improve,” Paul says. “Green Globes makes a difference, and all of these efforts add up. That’s important to me.”