SCAD promotes LEED accreditation

By: Bruce Chong

Published: Friday, June 1, 2007

If you spend any time in Eichberg Hall or around faculty and staff in architecture, interior design or historic preservation, chances are you’ll hear the word “lead” (with a long “e,” as in “leadership”). Undoubtedly, SCAD School of Building Arts folks are leaders, but what you are really hearing is the word “LEED,” an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

According to the United States Green Building Council, the group most responsible for developing and promoting LEED, it is primarily a rating and benchmarking system for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. The USGBC Web site, www.usgbc.org, said LEED promotes sustainability in five key areas: site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor air quality.

The USGBC applies LEED standards to certify buildings and projects that have been registered and submitted to the council in one of nine program areas:

•  New commercial construction and major renovation projects
•  Existing building operations and maintenance
•  Commercial interior projects
•  Core and shell development projects
•  Homes
•  Neighborhood development
•  Multiple buildings and on-campus building projects
•  LEED for schools
•  LEED for retail

The USGBC also certifies professionals interested and educated in LEED standards, including architects, interior designers, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers and construction managers.

That professional accreditation, or LEED AP, is one reason you might hear “LEED” mentioned so often by SBA students. SCAD faculty in both architecture and interior design have been instrumental in the development of LEED training materials, and Dean of the School of Building Arts Crystal Weaver is not only a member of the local USGBC board of directors, but has encouraged both faculty and students to get involved in the move toward green and sustainable designs.

“We’ve had many of our faculty seek LEED accreditation,” said Weaver. “Professional programs such as architecture or interior design are either informed or guided by green and sustainable design.”

Weaver said in the past three years, students have started seeking LEED accreditation as well, and at least 10 students have passed the exam.

“SBA supports faculty training for LEED accreditation, but everyone finds their own way to prepare for the exam,” she said. “Some prefer independent study. Others attend USGBC-sponsored workshops and/or workshops by organizations such as Jules Paulk with Sowing Green, recently held at SCAD-Atlanta, as well as ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) or IIDA (International Interior Design Association).”

Some students in SCAD’s Project Green hold study groups to prepare for the exam.

“We’ve had people compare our study groups, in terms of preparation and quality, with the training workshops the USGBC holds,” said Brian Bessenaire, architecture student and president of Project Green.

At one point, according to Weaver, SCAD had more LEED-accredited faculty than any other college or university, and it was one of the first colleges in the United States — and the first in the South — to become an institutional member of the USGBC.


School of Building Arts LEED-accredited faculty

Architecture:
Michael Moore
Fernando Munilla
LaRaine Montgomery
Sam Olin
Sean Tobin

Historic Preservation:
Connie Pinkerton (completing training/study)

Interior Design:
Deborah Brooks
Tray Crow
Margo Jones
Monica LeTourneau
Helena Moussatche
Shirley Cribbs (completing training/study)


Chong is dean of communications.