Meet Our Director of Sustainability

BVH Architecture is pleased to announce the appointment of Tim Hemsath as Director of Sustainability, strengthening the firm’s leadership in high-performance design and advancing its commitment to sustainable, resilient buildings.

This new leadership role enhances BVH’s ability to deliver integrated sustainability strategies, deepen building performance expertise, and elevate high-performing design solutions across all markets. It further reinforces the firm’s position as a national leader in design excellence while expanding its capacity to help clients achieve ambitious environmental and performance goals.

A Nebraska native and University of Nebraska–Lincoln alum, Tim brings a distinctive perspective shaped by his roots and forward-thinking approach to sustainable design. Over the past five years, he has been a driving force within the firm—championing architecture that supports both people and the planet. From advancing Zero Energy Ready Homes in Omaha to exploring cost-effective net-positive solutions, Tim consistently challenges teams to think bigger and build better.

His passion, innovation, and commitment to meaningful impact make him a natural fit for this role. BVH looks forward to the continued leadership and vision he will bring as Director of Sustainability and the next chapter of transformative work ahead.

 

Q+A

What drew you to sustainability in the built environment? Was there a defining moment?

It wasn’t a defining moment—it was a mindset that built over time. Recycling, picking up trash, composting, spending time outdoors—those weren’t exceptional acts, they were just habits. That shaped how I think about responsibility and the role we play in taking care of the environment. As I moved into architecture, that translated naturally into the work. The built environment has a long-term impact, and the decisions we make every day either reinforce or challenge that. Sustainability, for me, is just an extension of that mindset applied at a larger scale.

What is one misconception about sustainability you’d love to change?

That sustainability is treated as a premium. Every design decision has a cost—so it’s worth asking why that expectation gets applied so heavily to sustainability, when the goal is fundamentally about our ability to live and operate into the future. It shouldn’t be positioned as an upgrade or an add-on. It should be the baseline we design from. The real issue isn’t cost—it’s how we define value.

What is our biggest opportunity?

Our biggest opportunity is to actively reshape the world in the way we want it to be. We have the ability, through design, to influence how people live, how buildings perform, and how communities evolve over time. The opportunity is to be intentional about that—to align our work with a long-term vision and follow through on it consistently. That’s where sustainability moves beyond strategy and becomes impact.