The first oil embargo and fuel crises happened in late  1973 just as I was starting my practice. The lines to  access gas stations stretched for blocks and shocked the  general public.  

That event exposed the vulnerability of our country and  the finite nature of our natural resources. While it was  absolutely clear to our elected leadership and everyone  else that if we kept soiling in our own nest, the path would  eventually lead to the self-destruction of our human race.  This was long before the Republican Party decided that  caring for the planet was a political issue. Richard Nixon  was among the first to advocate and implement  sustainable legislation. 

Yet as soon as the crisis passed, Americans went right  back to doing what they were doing: poisoning with  enthusiasm. 

There were exceptions however, and our office was one of  them. This event and the crisis itself were a wake up call  for me personally. 

I was beginning work on the design of the Cohen  residence in Del Mar at the time of the embargo. I’m  embarrassed to remember that it was the client, not me,  that suggested we build a solar house.

I discovered that I and the architectural profession were  not trained or prepared to address the challenge. I found  and devoured an old copy of Victor Olgyay’s classic  Design with Climate from the 1950s. We re-educated  ourselves and redirected the modest designs currently in  the office with special emphasis on passive energy  techniques. We rented an RV and a small group of San  Diegans joined us on a drive to the Second National Solar  Energy conference in Albuquerque. There were only  around 200 people at the conference but the work that  was being done in New Mexico was inspiring. 

The Cohen Solar House became our first solar-powered  project and attempt at sustainability. It was also our first  nationally published work. Other designs followed in the  late 70s and 80s with “passive design” experiments  

incorporating innovative natural ventilation systems, rock  and water thermal storage, and special “trombe” walls.  Designing with “passive” sustainable concepts became  integrated into the way we approached architecture.  Providing abundant but seductive natural daylighting  became an obsession. I was asked to teach the first  sustainable architecture course at USC and lectured at  many universities on the approach. 

We realize that sustainability was not just about saving  energy or creating comfort, but was a key to achieving our  larger goals of a compelling regional architecture. 

This commitment to a sustainable future has helped to  define our work to the present day. The San Diego  Children’s Museum, for instance, has no need for and  does not contain air conditioning or heating systems in the 

This commitment to a sustainable future has helped to  define our work to the present day. The San Diego  Children’s Museum, for instance, has no need for and  does not contain air conditioning or heating systems in the  main galleries. It relies on natural ventilation and passive  solar design techniques to heat and cool the spaces. The  Museum and Torr Kaelan, the firm’s mixed-used  headquarters, may be the two most energy efficient  buildings in downtown San Diego. The Ocean Discovery  Institute’s Living Lab is a near-zero energy use academic  building. The Sun Field Station for Stanford University  was selected as one of the ten most energy efficient and  environmentally sensitive buildings in the United States in  2005. The West Valley Library became the first LEED certified library in the world and the first of the firm’s  multiple LEED silver-, gold- and platinum-certified projects.