Ralph Bicknese, Principal, Hellmuth + Bicknese
Founding Member, Missouri Gateway Green Building Council
Description of your work in green building:
I’m a founding partner of Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects. For more than 23 years, we have been focused on bringing the benefits of green building to enrich life to a larger community – by combining design excellence with performance. Daniel Hellmuth and I, along with amazing associates, have been involved with many pioneering projects including over 60 LEED, Living Building, SITES, and Net-Positive Energy facilities – one of which was tied as the first Living Building Challenge certified building in the world. I enjoy taking a leadership role in our specialty services, such as campus and urban sustainability planning, energy and daylight modeling and analysis, and whole building life cycle analysis to help achieve high level sustainability goals.
Even though we are a small firm, we have been able to position ourselves to respond meaningfully to society’s greatest needs as we strive to excel at meeting our client’s needs. We have contributed to projects that engage millions of people a year; like the Gateway Arch Visitor Center and Museum, the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Visitor Center, the Saint Louis Zoo’s new children’s zoo – the Henry A. Jubel Foundation’s Destination Discovery, several projects for Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis Community College, and other colleges and schools. I am especially hopeful our work for schools and our sustainability master plans for campuses will positively impact many multiples of people – young people through experience, and others through shared knowledge.
We have also been able to develop expertise in the innovative use of wood. Several projects include extensive use from on-site resources and some of those and others include mass timber – with the goal of expanding its use. One project includes a bamboo structure, composing columns, beams, walls, floors and roof. Wood and bamboo in buildings are not only beautiful, they help connect people to nature and are good for our climate by reducing the carbon impact of buildings. We are currently working with Pioneer Forest on their new Outreach Center that will feature mass timber and salvaged wood and will explore how the timber sourcing, drying, milling, fabrication and the building’s construction can expand mass timber production and the market in Missouri.
The numerous volunteer activities I have been engaged in since I was a college student and throughout my 45-year plus career are focused on advancing sustainable design and building at local and national levels.
Recent Green Building recognition:
I’m especially proud to have played a role in the alignment of standards for holistically sustainable building materials. From 2016-2021, I served on the American Institute of Architects Materials Working Group which developed the AIA Materials Pledge. As Chair of the MKWG from 2020-2021, I took the Pledge to the AIA board which resulted in its approval. Shortly after, and in collaboration with mindful Materials (mM) where I served on its Content Advisory Board, the pledge’s impact categories were incorporated into the mM Common Materials Framework. They were next incorporated in the LEED V5 Materials and Resources credit Building Product Selection and Procurement. The momentum continued in October 2025 with an agreement between the world’s leading sustainability organizations, including the USGBC, BREAM, WELL and many others, for alignment on sustainable materials standards.
Sustainability passion:
My passion lies in designing and helping others design and construct buildings, campuses and communities that make life better for people – that prove how design can help meet the challenges of climate change, improve equity, and create healthful and supportive environments. Additionally, I love to use design to help connect people with nature and natural processes through daylighting, views, materials, landscapes and more, and to incorporate the use of wood and natural and healthful materials in building exteriors, structures and interior finishes.
Most meaningful experience with MGGBC:
My most meaningful experience with MGGBC was involvement in the Katrina Charrettes at Greenbuild (2005) and recovery efforts in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Louisiana and Alabama. As MGGBC Board Chair from 2004-2005, I approached USGBC national leadership with a proposal hatched by fellow board member Mary Ann Lazarus, member Bill Odell and myself to hold a series of charrettes about rebuilding in the Gulf sustainably. This resulted in charrettes at Greenbuild in Atlanta in November 2005, just a few months after the hurricanes, with the participation from many affected people from the Gulf. I also contributed to The New Orleans Principles – a green/resilience framework for rebuilding Gulf Coast communities. In May of 2006, many members of the USGBC nationally, including Mary Ann, Bill and I, participated in local rebuilding efforts in New Orleans and enjoyed the cultural richness and amazing hospitality in New Orleans.
What will most impact the future of green building:
The biggest impact will be for the overwhelming percentage of designers, builders and owners to commit to green building. It’s time for the fence-sitters and procrastinators to accept the reality of the need and our mutual responsibility and get on with it in the biggest way. The needs are undeniable. The benefits are enormous. And the consequences of inaction are disastrous.
The Future Can’t Wait! What’s one action that individuals or organizations in your industry can take in the next five years to advance greener buildings?
Recognize that our responsibilities are not just to satisfy our client’s building program and that our responsibility as members of the design and building community, as designers, builders, manufacturers, real estate agents, government officials, and building owners and renters is to all people. Using our skills to help all people also requires taking care of the planet we all depend on to thrive.
Favorite LEED (or sustainability) Project:
That is hard to say for different reasons. They are all special. If I had to pick one, I would say The Gateway Arch Visitor’s Center and Museum (LEED Gold) because it is such an icon and because it affects so many people. But for the promise of what can be done, I would say buildings designed to the Living Building Challenge, particularly The Jan Phillips Learning Center and the WUSTL Living Learning Center because they are not only attractive, they go the farthest in meeting the most stringent sustainability goals.
Favorite place in the St. Louis region or Missouri Gateway GBC territory:
My favorite places in the area are outside, in nature. It could be the woods, in a field or grove, or on a river. That may seem counter to being an architect. But as an architect I think most people would love to live and work in a park-like community – where they also had walkable and bikeable access to goods and services and social and cultural amenities. Of course, as a start – that kind of community should have natural infrastructure to ecologically manage its stormwater and blackwater, use renewable energy to provide the energy people need, provide healthful food, and use extensive greenspace to clean the air, provide habitat, capture carbon, provide cooler places to be in the summer, and for recreation. My wish is to help create a place here like that.