The 2026 METROPOLIS Planet Positive Awards recognizes Luke Leung and WeBank Headquarters. 22 Oct 2026 SOM received two recognitions in the 2026 METROPOLIS Planet Positive Awards. Principal and Sustainability Director Luke Leung was named a Sustainability Leader and WeBank Headquarters in Shenzhen, China, was selected as a finalist in the Workplace category. As a leader in SOM's Sustainable Engineering Studio, Leung has spent his career applying building science to architectural practice, advancing environmental modeling and high-performance mechanical systems to broader industry work on decarbonization. His recent projects and initiatives include building decarbonization and advancing strategies that move projects toward all-electric and net-positive operations. That approach is evident at WeBank Headquarters, a 30-story workplace designed around Shenzhen's subtropical climate. Operable facades, stack-effect atria, environmental sensors, and planted terraces work in tandem to maximize natural ventilation when conditions allow. Solar-responsive overhangs and recessed balconies on the building reduce solar heat gain. The LEED Platinum-building brings these strategies together with flexible workplaces and direct access to light, air, and landscape. The Planet Positive Awards were presented on September 30 at the Center for Architecture + Design in San Francisco, recognizing people, projects, products, and ideas advancing sustainability, health, and equity across the built environment. METROPOLIS editor in chief Avinash Rajagopal hosted the ceremony and presented Leung with the Sustainability Leader award.

Burbank City Council approves progressive design-build contract for new Library and Civic Center Project. October 16, 2026 The Burbank City Council has adopted a resolution approving a progressive design-build contract with Clark Construction Group - California, LP for the New Burbank Library and Civic Center Project, marking a major milestone in the City's efforts to transform Downtown Burbank into a modern civic and cultural destination. The project will replace aging civic facilities, including the Central Library, built in 1963, with a new library and civic center building, parking structure and public open spaces that bring together library services, City offices, educational resources, cultural programming and community gathering areas in the heart of Downtown Burbank. More than a traditional library, the new facility is envisioned as a destination offering residents of all ages new opportunities for learning, creativity and collaboration. Planned amenities include library spaces for children, teens, adults and seniors; co-working and multipurpose rooms; a flexible auditorium; a maker space; a media lab; a music recording studio; a teaching kitchen; and a café. The project will also feature a rooftop event space, modern City offices, a new parking structure with electric vehicle charging stations, and outdoor amenities including a public plaza, event lawn and outdoor reading area. Together, these improvements will support educational programs, cultural activities, community events and access to City services, while creating new public gathering spaces that contribute to the continued growth and revitalization of Downtown Burbank. Clark Construction Group will lead the project, with internationally recognized architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) serving as its design partner. The project will utilize a progressive design-build approach, bringing design and construction professionals together early in the process to coordinate the project's scope, cost and schedule while allowing the City to maintain active oversight throughout development. "Libraries have always been more than books. They're places where we learn, gather and connect with one another. As a former library board member and longtime library volunteer, I'm thrilled that this project will give Burbank a true community hub in the heart of downtown, shaped by the priorities our community shared with us," said Burbank Mayor Tamala Takahashi. The project is expected to be funded through a combination of available City infrastructure funds, grant funds, and bond financing. In 2018, Burbank voters approved Measure P, a local transactions and use tax, half of which is dedicated to fund infrastructure, which renewed the City's ability to advance long-standing priorities including the Civic Center and Central Library. The project has an established design and construction cost limit of $155 million, with any increase requiring City Council approval. The City currently has sufficient funding budgeted for the initial design phase. Once the final project scope and Guaranteed Maximum Price are established, the City plans to issue a lease revenue bond to finance construction, with annual debt service paid through the Municipal Infrastructure Fund. The final Guaranteed Maximum Price and financing plan will return to the City Council for approval before the main construction phase begins. Before any construction work begins, Clark Construction Group is required to negotiate and enter into a project-specific project labor agreement (PLA) with the trade councils that includes a no-strike clause and local hire provisions. City staff will return to the City Council in January 2027 with an update on Project Design, as well as the details of the final PLA. Community input has played an important role in the project's development. Through extensive public outreach conducted from fall 2025 through spring 2026, the City gathered feedback from residents, businesses and community organizations to identify priorities for the new facility. That input informed the project's planned amenities and programming, helping ensure the new library and civic center reflects the needs and interests of the Burbank community. With the progressive design-build team selected, initial design work is expected to begin in fall 2026, followed by construction in summer 2027 and anticipated completion in spring 2029.

Green Building & Design Magazine explores the collaborative effort transforming O'Hare's new Concourse D. 14 Oct 2026 A new vision for the passenger experience and next-generation operations at the nation's busiest airport depends on the careful coordination of hundreds of people. In Green Building & Design Magazine, SOM Principal Michael Lingertat and Chicago Department of Aviation Assistant Commissioner Dominic Garascia discuss how carefully coordinated collaboration at O'Hare's new Concourse D enables decisions that advance efficiency, sustainability, and passenger comfort. SOM is leading the design with Ross Barney Architects, JGMA, and Arup, alongside more than 30 additional consultants with a wide range of expertise. Aligning these disciplines requires clear communication and a shared understanding of how each decision affects the whole. "It's something firms like SOM and organizations like the CDA are set up for," says Lingertat. He describes weekly coordination meetings that bring the team together: "We update everyone, and we hear issues from all the leads of the firms." That approach helped the team develop tree-like structural columns that open up the concourse, while improving operations for the baggage handling system. "And using the most efficient layout for the BHS [baggage handling system] not only reduces carbon, foundations, and steel column sizes but also makes the room the exact size it needs to be for tug cart operation and baggage handling below," Garascia explains. "It was a win-win-win solution." The feature reveals the collective decision-making behind a more welcoming, efficient gateway - and the first major component of O'Hare's broader transformation.