Lily del Berrios, President Emeritus, Sizemore Group

In an interview with Focus:, Lily del Berrios, president emeritus of Sizemore Group, discussed evolving priorities in civic and institutional design. “Sustainability, inclusivity, and adaptive reuse are reshaping projects,” she said, highlighting the need for expansive inclusivity and strategic real estate evaluations to align facilities with community needs and long-term missions.

What have been some key milestones and achievements for the firm over the last 12 to 18 months?

We have achieved several significant architectural milestones over the past 12 to 18 months. One of the most notable is the Brookhaven City Hall commission, which stands out due to its aggressive approach to sustainability. The project is strategically located on a brownfield next to a MARTA station to encourage mass transit use, ensuring accessibility for citizens and visitors without reliance on personal vehicles. It uses granite native to the region, and locally mined. Additionally, the design incorporates mass timber in key portions, further emphasizing sustainable construction practices. This project, which has been under construction for over 12 months, is nearing completion and will soon open to the public.

Another major milestone is the design of a new courthouse in Transylvania County, North Carolina, led by our Asheville office. This development represents a critical achievement for the local community. Beyond these brick-and-mortar projects, we have also seen a broader increase in advanced public planning efforts targeted for direct capital funding, particularly in the Atlanta metro area. These initiatives range from visionary, large-scale community planning to more localized strategies based on demographics that include adaptive reuse of existing structures.

A proactive approach to funding has been central to these efforts, with municipalities assessing their real estate inventory and securing community buy-in and financial backing before execution. This trend, previously prominent in higher education, is now gaining traction in civic projects as well. The focus remains on evaluating properties to determine how they can be repurposed to better serve institutional missions and community needs.

What role is sustainability playing in sourcing materials for community design, and what is the demand from clients? 

Sustainability is playing an increasingly central role in both material sourcing and community design, with client demands evolving to reflect this priority. In terms of materials, there is continued emphasis on locally sourced products, particularly for state of Georgia projects. In Georgia, for instance, state-funded work actively encourages the use of materials produced within the state. This local focus not only supports regional economies but also reduces transportation emissions. Beyond sourcing, clients are looking at sustainability through a broader lens that encompasses human wellness and experience. The Brookhaven City Hall project exemplifies this holistic approach, seeking Gold status as a LEED and WELL building. This dual certification reflects how design priorities have expanded from environmental impact alone to include how buildings affect occupant health and well-being.

The concept of sustainable design now explicitly includes creating spaces that accommodate diverse physical, mental, and emotional needs. We are designing dedicated areas where people facing various challenges, whether behavioral, mental, or emotional, can find comfort and solace. This goes hand-in-hand with careful selection of calming materials and colors, sound control, and optimized air exchange systems to ensure healthy indoor environments. The approach represents an evolution beyond basic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance to create truly inclusive spaces that serve all users effectively. Externally, we are implementing pedestrian-first environments that actively reduce car dependency, creating communities where walking and public transit become the preferred options.

With campuses and larger developments, we are seeing innovative approaches to shared infrastructure that represent the next level of sustainable design. These include interconnected utility systems where power redundancies and mechanical distribution networks serve multiple buildings simultaneously. Such smart systems not only improve efficiency but also create more resilient facilities. The most successful projects we see are those that balance all three circles of sustainability: environmental responsibility, economic viability, and social benefit. Our recent work has shown that when these elements intersect effectively, the results are spaces that are not just greener, but also more functional, comfortable, and future-ready. Clients are increasingly recognizing this comprehensive value, which is reshaping how we approach both new construction and adaptive reuse projects.

What challenges and opportunities is the industry navigating, and how are you addressing them?

The industry faces several key challenges that are shaping how we approach projects. Economic factors, including material tariffs and potential labor restrictions, are creating significant volatility in construction costs. We are advising clients to maintain their long-term plans while building in appropriate contingencies for price fluctuations. Contractors are particularly sensitive to these market conditions, requiring us to develop more flexible project timelines, budgets, and approaches to procuring materials. At the same time, we are seeing growing opportunities in helping institutions reassess their real estate portfolios, especially regarding older or underutilized facilities. Many organizations hold properties that no longer align with their current needs or mission, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for creative solutions.

Our approach to these challenges involves guiding clients through a structured evaluation process. We begin by helping them clearly define their core business objectives and identify what their users truly need, both now and in the foreseeable future. This forward-looking analysis often reveals mismatches between existing facilities and actual requirements. For properties that are unsuitable or too costly to adapt, we explore alternatives like strategic leasing or sale, both are options that many institutions initially overlook due to traditional attachment to physical assets. What we have found is that when clients approach these decisions through the lens of mission fulfillment rather than simple facility management, they often identify innovative ways to maximize the value of their real estate holdings. This might involve repurposing spaces for community partnerships or converting underused buildings into revenue-generating assets.

The most successful transformations occur when clients are willing to challenge assumptions about how their spaces must be used today and in the future. We are seeing particular traction with educational institutions and government entities that recognize that their older facilities may be hindering rather than helping their ability to serve their constituencies. By focusing on functional suitability rather than just physical condition, these organizations are making smarter decisions about where to invest in renovation versus when to pursue alternative options. The key insight driving this change is understanding that buildings are tools for achieving institutional missions. When they stop serving that purpose effectively, it is often better to find new tools rather than keep maintaining outdated ones. This mindset shift, while sometimes difficult, is enabling our clients to create more sustainable, functional, and cost-effective facilities portfolios.

What advice do you have for organizations to evaluate whether their existing facilities still align with their current and future mission?

Two critical themes from last year are still relevant. First, the evolving conversation about inclusivity deserves deeper consideration. We must push beyond basic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance to create environments that accommodate the full spectrum of human diversity, including different abilities, behaviors, and ways of moving through space. True inclusivity means designing with intentionality by selecting calming materials, thoughtful color palettes, and creating spaces where all people feel comfortable and supported. This approach naturally aligns with sustainability when we create spaces that endure because they work for everyone.

Second, we need to fundamentally rethink how we assess real estate value. This conversation must occur at the highest strategic level, beginning with core questions: What is our mission today? What will it become? Who are we serving? Only then can we properly evaluate whether our physical assets align with our purpose. We must examine facilities through the dual lenses of both their physical condition and their functional suitability. When mismatches appear, we should courageously consider all options: renovation, adaptive reuse, temporary leasing, or disposition. The most forward-thinking organizations recognize that holding onto underutilized assets often represents the greatest cost of all, as the opportunity cost of not investing those resources where they could better fulfill the mission. These two principles — expansive inclusivity and strategic real estate evaluation — represent where the most meaningful progress is happening in our field today.