“To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart.” – Sr. Thomas Watson Becoming an architect takes a huge commitment, unrelenting passion, and of course lots of time and money. It can be a rewarding career if you are...

Green roof, vegetative roof, intensive, extensive, sedums – there are many terms and phrases you will  learn in the world of growing vegetation on your roof. This is a niche market, it is new and innovative. Or rather, this is a technology that was developed in Germany in...

I strongly believe in investing in education in order to better my future, my profession, and my community. In order to be able to solve the complicated buildings in our future we have to continue to learn new and innovative solutions. From building energy-efficient structures to...

Proper planning for buildings reduce the need for future renovations, extend the service life of buildings, and make it possible for people of all abilities to have access and function. When designing for accessibility the results often focus on wheelchair use in a building....

Is water destroying your home?

A tangle of spider webs inside your home is usually a strong indicator of air leakage. Spiders travel on moving air and build their webs where there is plenty of insect activity. This usually coincides with gaps and cracks in your thermal envelope. As air leaks in, spiders have a...

When you are selecting building products, you may never find a perfect, green solution. Here are some questions you can ask to make sure you select the best green products: Can I reuse what I already have? Can I donate or recycle what I no longer want? What product can I choose...

Low Impact Development (LID) is an approach to site planning the is holistic looking at a building context and Best Management Practices (BMP) to replicate the natural patterns of the site. LID captures rainwater, recycling it to use on-site or slowly letting it recharge the...

Remodeling or building a new home is a complicated, stressful, and emotional process. The process is usually unclear. There are often many options and no clear right answers. So how do you make it through with the best results? Here is a list of questions that you should answer...

You hear it all the time, but I am here to tell you:: Green does not cost more, quality costs more. Here are 17 tips that will not add to your building costs, but will save you money and protect the earth. Orient building to maximize natural lighting and solar heat gain. Place...