Two ZGF Design Leaders Inducted into AIA College of Fellows
Congratulations to ZGF Partner Kathy Berg and Principal Arathi Gowda for their induction into the prestigious AIA College of Fellows, Class of 2025. This honor represents the highest distinction for members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, professional excellence, and a lasting impact on the design profession and society.
Kathy Berg, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C
As a Partner in ZGF’s Portland office, Kathy designs first-of-their-kind spaces that enrich the human experience and push the boundaries of efficiency and performance.
Kathy’s design approach involves leading with listening and research to develop a thorough understanding of diverse perspectives, then deeply studying climate, context, and culture. Committed to uncovering how each design can contribute to improving the human condition and our environmental challenges, Kathy works across a diverse portfolio, including research laboratories, campuses, childcare centers, and professional sports training facilities. Her involvement in this array of project types inspires deep interdisciplinary thinking on her project teams and results in an exchange of ideas and opportunities for innovation on behalf of her clients.
Kathy Berg, pictured far right, posing with the all-female design team for the Seattle Storm Center for Basketball Performance.
The PAE Living Building, designed to meet the world’s most rigorous sustainability standards, is the first developer-driven and largest commercial urban Living Building in the world.
From a net-zero building in one of the country’s coldest climate zones to the first structure to receive full Living Building certification in Portland, Oregon, Kathy is responsible for award-winning designs that balance conservation, resource-efficiency, and human performance.
Kathy served seven years on the Architecture Foundation of Oregon Board and is currently a Trustee for The Nature Conservancy and an advisor to the Colorado Mass Timber Coalition.
For the San Antonio Spurs Victory Capital Performance Center, Berg sought to design a training facility that was bespoke to place and culture while providing a bedrock of health and wellness for the future of the organization.
Arathi Gowda, FAIA, AICP, LEED AP BD+C
Citizen architect and change agent, Arathi Gowda, redefines architecture's capacity to build a sustainable future through real-world action. As a Principal in ZGF’s Washington, DC office, Arathi leads the firm’s East Coast sustainability team and serves as a firmwide resource for the Project Performance Team. She educates and inspires by aligning equitable decarbonization with advocacy, leveraging aspirational design for climate action.
With Arathi’s leadership, over 1 billion square feet of projects across 40 cities have achieved sustainability and decarbonization goals. Arathi’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including certifications for six LEED Platinum and several Net Zero projects.
As an educator, Arathi is committed to training the next generation of sustainable practitioners with past students now spread across six continents, making significant strides in sustainable architecture, engineering, construction, real estate, and renewable energy deployment. She is currently an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Institute for Sustainability and Energy, teaching a course on Net Zero Buildings.
Arathi's 2024 commencement speech for her Alma Matar, Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Architecture.
Arathi is noted for leading climate action that extends beyond design and education. As part of the AIA 2030 Commitment Chicago working group she and her co-chair tripled participating firms in the AIA 2030 Commitment. She is currently the Chair of the climate pledge U.S. Architects Declare, one of 27 country chapters around the world, where she led a 58% increase in signatories. She is also a member of the AIA Government Affairs Committee which encourages public and industry advocacy in the legislative process.
Learn more about Arathi: On A Mission To Design Sustainably: Meet Arathi Gowda | ZGF
Gowda on the panel “Practical Solutions to Transformative, Low Carbon Development” at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC