Sustainability in Action - From Design Intent to Impact

A Material Bank Event

The goals are clear. The friction is real. And most firms are somewhere between “we’ve started” and “we’re stuck.” Architectural and Design teams are navigating embodied and operational carbon, material health, transparency, circularity, budgets and client pressure - all at once. This session cuts through theory and gets into what’s actually working (or not) on commercial projects right now.

Structured as a dynamic panel discussion, this event brings together leaders from architecture, design, ownership, and construction to unpack:

How teams are reducing carbon without blowing up budgets
Where implementation still breaks down
How to align internal teams and external partners
What small, repeatable actions are compounding into measurable impact

Expect practical insight, honest conversation, and tangible takeaways you can apply immediately to active projects.

If you’re tired of sustainability sounding good in theory but feeling messy in practice - this is your event.

Sustainability in Action: From Design Intent to Impact is a special event organized and presented by Material Bank for KC Design Week!

We have selected each Partner Event to deliver something new, something cutting-edge, something unforgettable, and something delightful to add to our schedule. KC Design Week appreciates Material Bank for their enthusiastic participation!

These events are presented FREE of charge, but advance registration is REQUIRED.

Day Three - April 24

Apr 24, 2026 | 8:00-9:45am

8:00am | Check-in
8:30am | Panel
Light Breakfast and Coffee Provided

HOK
300 W 22nd Street
Kansas City, MO 64108
United States

FREE

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ABOUT

Rebecca Best

Executive Vice President Sustainability
Material Bank®

Rebecca has 20+ years’ experience developing and leading corporate sustainability and marketing strategies within different facets of the construction & design industry. She displays incredible passion in her efforts to integrate sustainability and CSR initiatives into strategic business decisions. Currently, as EVP at Material Bank, her focus leads Material Bank’s commitments to support climate action, as a part of responsible corporate governance. She develops strategies and programs to practically integrate sustainability into design tools. She is consistently driven to create intersections between ROI and sustainability and to uncover new opportunities to bring decarbonization tactics and education directly into construction & design project workflow.

Kara Raasch

Senior Project Interior Designer
HOK

Kara is a senior interior designer specializing in creating spaces that thoughtfully respond to the needs of both people and the environment. She is dedicated to designing workplaces that support wellness, adaptability, and inclusion—particularly within the evolving landscape of hybrid work. Throughout her career, she has designed a wide range of commercial office environments, delivering projects of varying scale and complexity for a diverse portfolio of clients. Naturally curious and forward-thinking, Kara is committed to envisioning and shaping human-centered workplaces for the future.

Vanessa Hostick Rempe

Sustainable Design Leader
HOK

Vanessa Hostick Rempe is a Sustainable Design Leader with HOK, supporting projects across the US. She is the global AIA 2030 manager for HOK and former Working Group past-chair. She has extensive experience in high-performance design working daily to improve the design, planning, and construction of projects through the implementation of sustainable best practices, including energy efficiency analysis, renewable energy integration, occupant wellness strategies, sustainable and low carbon materials, and third party Certification. She works in all phases of design, and also has experience with existing building O&M, life cycle analysis, green policies for operations and maintenance of buildings and campuses. Vanessa is currently Chair of the ICC Code Action Committee for Sustainable / Energy / High Performance (SEHPCAC).

Emily Tilgner

Senior Vice President, Building Performance Solutions
McCownGordon Construction

Emily Tilgner is Senior Vice President of Building Performance Solutions at McCownGordon Construction, where she leads multidisciplinary teams spanning Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP), Structural & Soils, Virtual Design & Construction (VDC), Building Commissioning, Sustainability, and Building Envelope & Enclosure. In this role, Emily works closely with design teams to translate design intent, performance goals, and sustainability priorities into clear, executable decisions throughout the life of a project.

With a background in engineering design and as a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states, Emily brings a systems‑thinking perspective to commercial project delivery. Her work focuses on early collaboration—supporting designers and owners through option analysis, material and system evaluation, constructability review, and alignment between vision and execution. She is particularly attuned to where sustainability ambitions can break down and how small, repeatable choices in materials, detailing, and process can meaningfully improve outcomes without adding unnecessary complexity.

Emily’s teams partner with architects, interior designers, and owners to reduce friction in sustainable material selection, support transparency around performance tradeoffs, and integrate carbon, health, and lifecycle considerations into everyday project decisions. Her approach emphasizes clarity, shared accountability, and practical workflows that help teams move from intention to action.

Active in the Kansas City design and construction community, Emily has served in leadership and advisory roles supporting education, industry collaboration, and the built environment. She is passionate about advancing sustainability through disciplined execution—recognizing that consistent, well‑informed decisions across projects are what ultimately create collective impact.

Audrey Koehn

DLR Group