Below are excerpts from the Q&A discussion:

How do you get cost-conscious developers to buy into sustainable design?
"The first thing we do is look at what you don't have to pay for to achieve sustainable solutions. It really depends on where the site is located and some other conditions that are just naturally part of the project, but a lot of times you can get really close to reaching a solution with sustainable components without any real premium at all. If you do that, you realize that with a little bit more money, you can create a much better project."

What are some of the relatively low-cost paths to sustainable design?
"First of all, if you think sustainable we tend to gravitate toward the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) checklist. That's a good, thorough, step-by-step look at all the different parts of the design, construction and occupancy phases of the project. With site selection, for example, by the fact that you've chosen an urban site – you're not going out and taking greenfield sites – you get a point. One thing you have to realize about LEED, which is the adopted standard for achieving a sustainable building, is that there is no one thing you can do that leaps you way ahead. It's one point at a time and fairly incremental."

What are some of the keys to integrating cutting edge architecture into established communities?
"The answer is in having an appreciation for the scale of the area you're in, handling the experience of the street in a way that maintains a sense of openness. Buildings are wonderful when they have retail and restaurants that are open and spill onto the street edge. All the things that make great buildings – the detailing is done properly and the color of the building, the quality of the building – in my mind become the keys to any successful integration whether it's modern or not."

How would you characterize the current state of architecture, especially as it relates to society in general?
"This is a great time for architecture. I just get a sense that architecture is somehow getting noticed by the guy on the street as well as the people who teach it and practice it. I think that's great. Our built environment is starting to have more and more direct impact on our daily lives. For whatever reason, I think this is a great time for the appreciation of the quality of our surrounding environment."

Source: "Seven Questions With HOK's Bill Halter," CoStar Group, July 20, 2006, by Bailey Webb. Read the complete interview.