Teshima: We are deriving a physical interpretation of a particular need. At the end of the day, it needs to serve its purpose to enrich a community. When it comes to the notion of sciences, which we do a lot of on higher education campuses, there is still a dogma associated with that. A lot of the students that we design buildings for are first generation college students, and a lot of them do not have role models that have gone through the higher education process, and a lot of times they don't have guidance from their families. When we think of that type of demographic, we think of how we can break down the perceived barrier for entry. It is one thing to have a four-story, glazed lobby with an atrium, and it may represent the school in a glamorous way, it may not be appropriate for your audience. It may be imposing and it may create a barrier for students to go to the property. When we look at aesthetics and architecture and how we fit into the community, we certainly look into the social aspect and the socio-economic demographic for which a building may be designed to. That really drives how a building may look and feel. That is tremendously important to us. I don't know if the industry is going in that direction.

GlobeSt.com: Aside from communal spaces, what are some of the other trends that you are bringing to life through architecture?

Teshima: Sustainability is a buzzword that has been around for a decade and a half. We have been designing with sustainability in mind since the beginning of my career. In order to make a difference for suture generations, we really need to design to it now. At times, that requires higher first costs. That requires certain mechanical systems that have a huge impact on the carbon footprint on the building.

GlobeSt.com: You have talked about budgetary restrictions in the past. How do you allocate a capital for these trends?

Teshima: In the public realm, you only have a limited amount of money. From the beginning, if you spend a little bit more, it will save you over the lifetime of the building. In the private sector, there are funds to make it work, but in the public realm it is really difficult. You are required to build x-square-footage for x-program, you have a limited budget that isn't going to grow, and it doesn't account for the lifecycle of the building. Even if there is capital costs for these savings, there isn't enough money for operation. It is a constant battle between what makes sense in the long run and what we can afford now.