KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 26, 2025

Kennesaw State University Assistant Professor of Architecture Robin Puttock was recently honored as the 2025 Sustainability Educator at the Metropolis Magazine Planet Positive Awards ceremony, earning national recognition among educators who advance climate-conscious design, resilience, and equity in architecture.

“This award highlights publications, presentations, and research projects, but for me it also acknowledges the personal side,” Puttock said. “To me, architectural excellence is also about service at different scales: to the individual as well as to the community.”

As a faculty member in the College of Architecture and Construction Management (CACM), Puttock has built a reputation for helping students connect environmental responsibility with the human experience. Her work blends real-world community engagement with rigorous studio instruction, exposing students to both the technical and social dimensions of climate-responsive designs.

Puttock said the recognition is meaningful because it brings national visibility to KSU and acknowledges the momentum within the university.

“It is exciting to see Kennesaw State recognized at this level,” she said. “The University deserves this. We are doing the work, and it is wonderful to see it elevated nationally.”

College leadership adds that her achievement reflects the University’s rising presence in sustainable design.

“Professor Puttock’s dedication to sustainability and community engagement makes her an invaluable member of our faculty,” CACM Dean Hazem Rashed-Ali said. “Her recognition reflects the quality of teaching and innovation happening at KSU.”

Before joining KSU, Puttock spent more than 20 years practicing sustainable architecture at firms like Gensler and The Lukmire Partnership. She later taught at the University of Maryland and became an associate dean at The Catholic University of America, where she contributed to shaping the undergraduate design curriculum.

She is currently the chair of the 2025 National American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment Leadership Group. With this title, she positions herself at the forefront of national discussions on climate-responsive practice.

“All of that experience goes into creating courses that connect with students,” she said. “These are the areas students care about: resilience, zero carbon, health, and equity.”

Her teaching at KSU is grounded in deep community engagement. In the Macon-Bibb Refresh and Recovery studio, she guided fifth-year students as they worked with residents and civic leaders in the historic Greenwood Bottom neighborhood. Students conducted site walks, listened to community stories, and developed design proposals focused on housing, mobility, and long-term resilience.

She also led the Biophilic Design in Practice studio, where students collaborated with Serenbe, the award-winning biophilic community in Chattahoochee Hills, to study sustainability at multiple scales.

“I am passionate about teaching students how to listen to communities,” she said.  “I want them to learn how to go into communities, understand what is needed, and bring their design thinking and creativity to solving real problems.”

Puttock continues to share her work nationally. She recently spoke at Stanford University’s Building Decarbonization Learning Accelerator (BDLA)and at the University of Georgia, where nearly 100 engineering and landscape architecture students attended her presentation on her new book, Teaching Carbon Neutral Design in North America.

“I think the future is interdisciplinary,” Puttock said. “Partnerships, collaboration, sharing ideas – that aligns perfectly with KSU’s mission and goals. I love my job. I love where I work. It is an exciting time to be at Kennesaw State.”

– Story by Raynard Churchwell

Photo provided

 

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.