Monthly Archives: March 2012

Integrated Design Approach

Posted on March 21, 2012 by ellen

The Conservation Seeding and Restoration company in Rifle, Colorado became our landscape design partner. LEED’s approach seems to be to connect people to their living spaces and communities by thinking in terms of people working together and interacting both locally … Continue reading →

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Building a LEED Project Team–LEED AP for Homes

Posted on March 18, 2012 by ellen

Each LEED for Homes project uses the integrated design process to distribute responsibility for meeting LEED criteria and acquiring LEED points. The project team typically includes experts on green building and sustainability and to gain the point for a full … Continue reading →

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Where to start? Energy Audit!

Posted on March 18, 2012 by ellen

One of the most exciting parts of becoming a LEED project is meeting so many people who are working on sustainable construction and design services. Many are young and just starting their own businesses and they are hard working, dependable, … Continue reading →

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HumaNature Architecture

Posted on March 17, 2012 by ellen

HumaNature Architecture

A LEED project must follow certain guidelines. Some are prerequisites and some gain points towards the level of certification that the owner is seeking. The higher the number of points, the more valuable metal the LEED certification plaque will represent with the most points representing Platinum. Of course there are Gold and Silver, Bronze and Plain certification levels too. Until LEED makes some major changes this year, there are more points available in LEED for Homes than other LEED systems (like commercial buildings which is where they started.)

Of course we aim for Platinum with the goal of having the most energy efficient home, or as close to net zero as possible, but there are several prerequisites just to qualify for a LEED for Homes Gut Remodel that might do us in.

Not building the integrated design team though! That has been really interesting. My first contact was the architect. I just used the Internet to find a sustainable green building architect in the Arvada area who had experience with LEED. Turned out only one really showed up as having these qualities, and I found out he had just moved back to Boulder! But he is willing to travel to work on this project and seems like just the man to have first on the team.

Let me introduce you to James Plagman, whose award winning designs are cooked up in his company, HumaNature Architecture.

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Why LEED?

Posted on March 16, 2012 by ellen

Good question. We bought this house in Arvada, Colorado on New Years Eve 2011. It is earth sheltered on the north and has passive solar windows and a trombe wall to the south. The garage protects the house on the … Continue reading →

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