How do you approach sustainable architecture in rural America?
Ellen Mitchell, 2026 American Institute of Architects (AIA) chair of the Committee on the Environment, invites conversation with two architects in Texas Hill country to redefine how architects approach the sustainability conversation.
In this interview she speaks with Brady Dietert, AIA, Founder and Owner of Dietert Design Studio in Leakey, Texas. Dietert emphasises that approaching sustainability as a moral practice often drives prospective clients away. While sustainable and energy efficient design is shifting its perception in the mainstream, the conversation should lean towards education rather than staking high ground in a discourse.
Mitchell also spoke to Sara Freudensprung, AIA, Principal at Simply Architecture in Kerrville, Texas. Their conversation leaned towards how sustainability is an everyday design decision in lighting, insulation and maintenance. They discussed framing the discussion on resources and long-term liability, resonating factors in the area she serves.
These conversations enrich the larger sustainable design and building community, opening the dialogue on how these practices are implemented for practicality, not namesake.
“I started this interview series because I believe that we need a wider circle of voices in the sustainability conversation, especially voices from places where environmental realities directly shape life but where the language of sustainability can be irrelevant,” said Mitchell. “Dietert and Freudensprung reminded me that the future of sustainable design may depend less on new technology and more on practiced empathy: listening closely, choosing wisely, and making the best decisions we can, one project at a time.”
