Ideas

Our design process guides us to plan for today’s requirements and prepare for tomorrow’s unknowns. Here we pull back the curtain on our practice to share that process with you.

Creating PLACES: The Next Generation of Building Evaluation

PLACES is more than just an evaluation method—it’s a cultural shift. It invites institutions to go beyond operational performance and consider how their spaces foster connection, learning, wellness, and inclusion. With this new framework, Princeton Facilities is redefining what it means for a building to succeed and setting the standard for others to do the same.

Methodology
January 08, 2026

Built to Evolve: How Developer-Driven Labs Are Reshaping Academic Research Spaces

Higher education institutions across the country are adopting the developer-driven lab model for its adaptability and long-term value.

Research and Tools
September 12, 2025

Is the Hospital of the Future Made of Mass Timber?

Explore strategies and solutions for implementing mass timber in healthcare settings to reduce embodied carbon, while improving outcomes for patients and staff. 

Research and Tools
October 14, 2024

A Walk in the Forest: A Documentary Short Featuring the Design Thinking Behind PDX Airport

Learn more about Portland International Airport's reimagined new main terminal.

Sustainability
August 14, 2024

Cultivating a Replicable and Transparent Wood Supply Chain at PDX Airport

Portland International Airport is the first major airport in the US with a mass timber roof.

Sustainability
August 13, 2024

Updated Design Solutions to Prefab Mass Timber Construction in Canada

The updated guide provides additional guidance for 7 to 12-storey mass timber buildings in BC and outlines considerations for projects up to 18 storeys.

Sustainability
June 12, 2024

We All Need Rainbows: An Educational Comic About Cincinnati Children’s Spectral Lighting System

ZGF and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center developed and illustrated an original comic book to educate families and staff about the novel spectral lighting system in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Research and Tools
November 10, 2023

The Early Bird Gets Violet and Blue Light

ZGF and the University of Washington Applied Research Consortium (ARC) have released Lark Spectral Lighting v3.0.

Research and Tools
September 20, 2023

Download: Low Carbon Concrete Guidelines

Download "Concrete: A Pragmatic Approach to Lowering Embodied Carbon," an easy-to-use interactive guide for reducing embodied carbon of concrete in the built environment. 

Research and Tools
September 11, 2023

How to Drive Rapid Decarbonization With a Few Easy Tools

Using a few easy tools, along with a growing body of product-specific data, architects and designers can drive immediate decarbonization on projects large and small.

Research and Tools
June 21, 2023