After a couple of months of sitting in the office, I finally got a chance to go out to the jobsite for a project that I have been working on for the past 3 years. Construction is scheduled to be completed by May of 2010, and we are targeting a LEED Gold certification for the project.
So here are a few photos that I thought I would share from my recent site visit.
For most of us in the architectural profession, this past year has been painful. Many have lost their jobs, and a good amount of us have had pay cuts, which is equally stressful with the amount of strain it puts on our families. However I have taken the attitude that even though the time is difficult, you just need to push through it. Because even with the few jobs that are out there, the competition is fierce. I interviewed for a new job a couple of weeks ago to try and get my salary back to normal just to be able to provide for my family better, and I was up against 15 other people. That was just how many they interviewed, who knows how many resumes they actually received. Because I think the latest statistic that I heard was that close to 30% of the architectural profession is without a job.
I also believe you need to prepare for the worst. Now for a lot of us, stashing money in a savings account is not an option. But there are other things that can be done. My local AIA chapter (AIA Columbus) recently held a seminar for the recently unemployed on various issues to consider if you decide to work for yourself. Believe it or not, a lot of architectural firms get their start during a recession (article). Attend AIA meetings and other events and start networking with colleagues. Let them know who you are and what you are up to. Even though they may not have work to take you on at that time, keeping an open line of communication with others will put you in the loop when new jobs are available and that personal connection may help you get your foot in the door. Because it truly is not always what you know, but who you know.
“A LEED rating system does not confirm sustainability,” Susan Kaplan, CSI, CCS, a specifier for HLW International in NYC, explained to CSI’s Sustainability Practice Group during a recent meeting.
LEED is not a complete roadmap for running a green project. There will always be new material and system requirements, regulations and standards, etc. These are all LEED “special needs.”
Although it uses a great organizational method that covers attributes including Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality, LEED does not cover the entire life cycle of the project. www.storyofstuff.com was mentioned to emphasize that one needs to view the project from the stand point of the entire life cycle.
In the future, LEED will move toward a multi-attribute focus. ISO standards are beginning to address these attributes through LCA, and to look at products more comprehensively. Today’s owners do not necessarily understand that the products they are getting are not as green as they are made out to be. Michael Fuller, CSI, AIA., NCARB, CDT, LEED AP, member of the GreenFormat Program Management Task Team, believes that in the future, there will eventually be more comprehensive definitions of what constitutes a green or sustainable product.
Continue reading the article at CSI Blog
I debated for a long time whether I should re-post this article or not, because it definitely belongs in the Burning Bridges category. However this is not representative of all builders. My primary reason for re-posting is for consumer education. If one potential new home owner reads this and questions their builder on something/anything. Then re-posting this was worth it.
by Mr. Dorris via Consilience: The blog
As I have previously posted, the 20% of homebuilders who build 80% of all homes are not in the business of building homes, they are in the business of making money (increasing shareholder value) and, therefore, do not necessarily know how to build.
Continue reading the article at Consilence: The Blog