Photo by Marni Rothschild Durlach

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Whitney Powers of Studio A Architecture has pushed the green edge of sustainable design for over a decade, creating award-winning buildings in and around Charleston that tread lightly on the landscape. Instead of a checklist approach (using X% of recyclable materials, for example), Whitney's philosophy is more natural and intuitive. “Sustainability is about acknowledging the rituals of living and honoring place,” she believes. “If you can capture the poetics of a building and its place, you’re on your way to being green.” From mod houses on Dewees Island to green affordable housing on the peninsula to renovated historic Charleston buildings, Whitney’s designs invite a low-impact lifestyle, capitalizing on natural breezes and daylight to conserve energy, using locally-sourced or recycled materials as much as possible. But above all, they’re fresh, urbane, and beautiful, garnering accolades from The New York Times and Extreme Living HGTV, among others.

Whitney was the visionary force behind greening up one of Charleston's oldest churches. When Circular Congregational Church decided to build an addition to historic Lance Hall, Whitney spearheaded plans to make it as green as possible. The result is a classically mod and simple structure that defers to Lance Hall's grandeur but brings it up-to-date with Charleston's first green roof, geothermal heating and air, a rain-water cistern and plenty of day lighting.To see some of Whitney's work, visit studioa-architecture.com