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 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 energy use as possible, but there are several prerequisites just to qualify for a LEED for Homes Gut Remodel that might do us in. One prerequisite is to put together an integrated design team to work together to create a LEED certified house. Finding a team to lend expertise to meet the challenges of LEED 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 Plagmann, whose award winning designs are cooked up in his company, HumaNature Architecture.

James Plagmann-Architect