Build Less, Solve More: Where Accurate Data Informs Efficient Design

In a world of over-designed solutions, what if the best answer is to do less, and do it smarter? 

Hosted by MKThink, a pioneer in innovative spatial design for over 25 years, this talk, and interactive workshop explores the power of accurate as a lever for design impact. 

Rooted in the firm’s Build Less, Solve More (BLSM) philosophy, the session examines how data, cultural context, and environmental intelligence can drive decisions that reduce physical footprint while increasing value across social, environmental, and financial dimensions. 

Attendees will hear from MKThink’s design and spatial intelligence leaders as they share recent, local case studies: 

• How Stanford Law School identified the equivalent of 81,000 sq ft of new classroom space, without building, through utilization modeling and environmental benchmarking. 
• How LBNL’s Efficient & Healthy Schools Campaign achieved up to 30.7% energy reduction and 48.5% air quality improvement with targeted retrofits, not renovations. 

Participants will then roll up their sleeves in a collaborative workshop. The challenge? Reframe a spatial problem through the lens of build less, solve more. With guidance from MKThink’s structured spatial analytics model and CARD standards (Clarity, Accuracy, Relevance, Defensibility), teams will shift from “What should we add?” to “What can we solve by building less?” 

• Welcoming and Networking: 4:30 to 4:50
• MKThink Team’s Presentation: 4:50 to 5:15
• Hands-on Workshop: 5:15 to 6:00
• Closing and Networking: 6:00 to 6:30

This session is for designers, architects, planners, strategists, and systems thinkers looking to increase their impact, while reducing their footprint. It offers real tools and real metrics, guided by the idea that just enough is a feast.