The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

Dake Wells Architecture is a progressive architectural practice with an emphasis on design as problem solving. Their work is experiential and attempts to define memorable spaces through architectural means while respecting the contextual influences of site, program, the environment, and economy. Jason Hainline has tremendous experience in the green building industry and is a LEED Fellow, the highest honor. In this podcast episode, Charlie finds out more about Jason’s background, his work for client’s like Bass Pro, and more.   Show Highlights  How to create a marriage between design and sustainability on your projects Hiring a dream team to create a green Bass Pro Store launched Jason’s career in sustainability How LEED became the central line in sustainable design for Jason’s company in the early years of LEED being in the marketplace  EMSI helped established LEED in China and other parts of the world as the go-to green building rating system Jason recommends course topics and skills to make students much more marketable, knowledgeable, and ethical when they get out into the world and practice What is the measuring stick green builders need to be making decisions based upon? A LEED Fellow’s advice for decisions on how to emphasize your efforts in sustainability  “It's important for us all to not lose sight of traditional ways of assessing environmental impacts. And, for me, that includes looking back at some of the early pioneers in the late sixties and early seventies and how the tools that they used to measure daylighting design or energy efficiency can still apply today.” -- Jason Hainline      Jason Hainline’s Show Resource and Information Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Dr. Kath Williams, LEED Fellow, is an experienced business leader with a demonstrated history of working in the green building industry globally. Sustainability Consultant for 20+ years. Skilled in Green Building Rating Systems (especially LEED, WELL and SITES Projects). Supports corporations in meeting and documenting their SDGs. Strong business development professional with a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) focused in Conflict Resolution, Adult and Higher Education from Montana State University-Bozeman.   Show Highlights  Lessons Learned of what not to do in a project launched Kath’s firm into becoming a world resource for sustainability. Kath built her business with a golden “Rolodex” and direction from the three (3) biggest influences on her life.  The Green Building Councils’ worldwide impact and influence on sustainability.  The perfect global response to quiet any critic of sustainability. Kath shares what it was like being part of the inaugural group of LEED Fellows working on projects that advance the mission. Some misconceptions about water. Kath provides tips on the complexity of water on our projects and how to utilize this most valuable resource. Kath shares profound advice on COVID-19, politics, culture, and the best part of not being a designer to support the industry and not forfeit the gains to the environment. “It's worth it to put in a time to get the credentials. It's worth it to put in the time to be a resource and learn as much as you can. Practically speaking, experts in sustainability are needed everywhere. It doesn't matter what the industry, it doesn't matter what your background; my degrees are not in environmental anything. In fact, my doctorate is in conflict resolution. It's the idea that we can all work together and we can all contribute.”   Kath Williams        Kath’s Show Resources and Information     Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Jason F. McLennan is an and prominent figure in the movement. He is the Founder and the board of the International Living Future Institute and Cascadia Green Building Council, a chapter of both the and the . He is the CEO of McLennan Design, his own architecture and planning firm that does work all over the world. McLennan is also one of the creator of Pharos, an advanced building material rating system, Declare, an ingredient disclosure label for building products, and JUST, a social justice transparency platform for organizations. In addition, he developed the and the  . Show Highlights  Jason transformed the industry when he launched these projects,  programs, and materials certifications to build on what LEED had started.   Get inspired by a pioneer that really shook up and raised the bar in how a green building can be built and operated. The brilliant thing LEED did for the market and changing the world. How the Living Building Challenge supplements LEED for those that are ready to go beyond looking at levels of certification.  Jason created the Red List to do the “impossible” to create transparency and change the course of conversations for manufacturers all over the world.  2020 is proving to be a year of incredible disruption. Jason gives you humanity’s next 5 assignments we need to default to. We need to find and focus on the end game. Why green building is way off target in every category of impact.  How to go further and faster. Check out The New Climate Pledge Arena. “Mentorship has been incredibly important to me. I think we reach our potential when we learn from others who have been down the paths further...It really pays to listen to elders and learn from those that have walked the path before you. I think too many people now, for whatever reason, discount our elders and that's great peril. They focus too much on themselves and that's what technology and the social communication and everything that we have at our disposal is allowing for sort of a level of narcissism that's unhealthy.” -Jason McLennan  Jason McLennan’s Show Resources and Information Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the ! Copyright © 2020 GBES

Nancy E. Clanton, PE, FIES, FIALD, LEED Fellow  Nancy is CEO of Clanton & Associates, founding the sustainable lighting design firm in 1981. Nancy speaks throughout the nation on topics relating to sustainable design, energy efficiency, and light pollution, and has been an instructor at the University of Colorado at Boulder.      Her notable work includes: Served as the Lighting Group Leader for the 2009 C40 meeting in Seoul Korea Topic editor for the 9th Edition IESNA Lighting Handbook and her committee was responsible for the production of the IES Recommended Practices on Outdoor Lighting Group leader for the "Greening of the White House" initiative and received the 1999 "Contribution to the Built Environment Award" from the Colorado North Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Received the International Clean Design Award 2013 Received ACEC Colorado Outstanding Woman Engineer Award 2013 Served as a final editor for the Advanced Lighting Guidelines, California Energy Commission Chairperson for the IES Lighting of Public Spaces committee Past chairperson for the IES Outdoor Environmental Lighting Committee, Mesopic Committee and joint IDA/IES Model Lighting Ordinance Task Force Past member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Lighting Designers Past member of the Board of Directors International Dark Sky Association (IDA) Past member of the Board of Directors of the Illuminating Engineering Society Voting member of the ISO TC 205 WG7 Past member of the USGBC EQ TAG Nancy obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Architectural Engineering with an emphasis in Illumination from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is a registered Professional Engineer in the states of Colorado and Oregon. She is a Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES), International Association of Lighting Designers, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).   Show Highlights  Nancy shares what it was like to be part of the first charrette.  Understanding the importance of daylighting and bringing back what electric lighting should be. Hear how Nancy is preparing the States to get cities ready to become “smart cities.” Nancy’s essential questions every green builder should ask themselves will motivate and transform your career. World designing guidelines in helping educate and bring back green design to every single project. Number one, but access to views and daylighting number two.  Learn what’s important to people’s productivity to create new design and how the shape of buildings function. “Go for it. Question. Question things. Question the way they’ve always been done, and explore brand new ways of doing it, but also get feedback after you've designed something. Go back and talk to people that are using your buildings.”  -Nancy Clanton     Nancy Clanton’s Show Resources and Information   Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Nico is a founding director of Atelier Ten’s New York City office and member of Atelier Ten’s US and international leadership group. He consults on a wide variety of large scale residential, commercial and institutional buildings, as well as on masterplan and renovation work in the United States, Europe, South America and Asia. Nico specializes in the application of advanced building analysis including facade optimization, daylight and shading analysis, and in the optimization of building systems. Recent work includes, among others, the first LEED Platinum condominium high rise in New York City, the sustainability framework and first two significant buildings for Columbia University’s new Manhattanville Campus, the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Brasilia, the Masterplan and Phase 1 for the Fulbright University Vietnam campus, the new wing for the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the new LEED Platinum-target Comcast Research and Innovation Center tower in Philadelphia. Nico has held teaching engagements at Harvard GSD, Pratt Institute and Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation with a focus on building systems integration and sustainability. He is a LEED Fellow, and served as an industry representative member on the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Green Building Advisory Committee from 2011-2016. He also serves on the board of Urban Green Council and Storefront for Art and Architecture. Nico holds a Dipl. Ing. in Architecture from the Technical University in Munich, an M.S. in Building Technology from MIT and a DDes from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.   Show Highlights  Nico embraces being both technical and creative as a leader in sustainability in Germany and the US. Essential questions on performance and design that help influence Nico’s career and move the industry forward.  What it is like to work for Atelier Ten and clients who want to push the envelope with environmental design and energy systems to be more “human centric.” Why the LEED Silver and Gold levels have really become a baseline for projects. Nico shares why architects will need to educate themselves with the dynamics of the utility grid. Nico breaks down the plan, obstacles, and shifts for electrifying buildings and decarbonizing our grid. Why building trust and building relationships takes both technical prowess and social skills. “Trust in a design team is incredibly important because everybody's taking risks all the time because nobody's ever done this before (on a highly advanced sustainability project). So the importance of personal relationships and really being aware of that and understanding stakeholders and people I work with on the client side on a deeper level.”  -Nico Kienzl       Nico Kienzl's Show Resources and Information     Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Be sure to check out the Green Building Matters Community where you can have unlimited exam prep for any of the professional credential exams. You're tackling next as WELL as putting your continuing education on autopilot, saving time with GBES reporting your hours on your behalf. Check it out .  Today's gonna be a little different format. I'm actually just going to give a PSA, a public service announcement. I can't believe it, we're halfway through 2020, what a wild and crazy year it has been for all of us. What I want to cover today is just some stats, some trends in the green building and now healthy building movement.  We want to make sure you understand what's happening on the LEED front, WELL, FITWEL and other programs. We want to talk about credentials, credential trends, and online learning. Want to tell you a little bit about how my company's in this green building movement have been innovative during the pandemic time. I want to open up for some feedback on the podcast. So first, I know everyone's been impacted a little differently here with the pandemic and COVID-19, I hope you're okay. I hope you and your family are healthy. I hope your carriers and jobs are intact. I know some have been drastically affected much more than others. I know, I'm still working from home. My boys are out of school now for the summer. I'm based here in Atlanta, Georgia, and we're definitely fortunate to be able to keep most of our work. Most of our projects, most of our learning going both from remote work and we're doing the best we can on all fronts. I know we're still in the middle of the pandemic as we record this podcast, but I just want to give you some encouragement and just say, I hope everything is okay with you. Show Highlights Learn the latest on LEED   LEED Professional Count Speciality Credential Growth Big news on LEED and WELL exams WELL and healthy buildings Accredited Professional Which version of WELL is on the exam? Credential count updates WELLness real estate programs How to become a Fitwel Ambassador. Projects LEED square footage certified statistics Protip for registrations Best practices and protocols from each program WELL came out with a Health Safety Rating Our Top 10 COVID-19 resources Innovations during the pandemic     Show Resources and Information .com     Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

Hannah is the sustainability and sales operations manager at Recycle Track Systems (RTS). She is an experienced senior sustainability programming and training professional who manages and executes comprehensive sustainability and waste diversion data analysis and programming for RTS’ Mid-Atlantic Region. Hannah earned her MA in Environmental Resource Policy from George Washington University and has a LEED AP O+M Accreditation.   Show Highlights  Hear how Hannah molded her policy degree to focus on internal company policy compared to federal policy.   Give yourself permission to discover your place in the green building movement by learning to use internships, certifications, and collegiate experiences to build a career you love.  The benefits of Recycle Track Systems (RTS) to divert from landfills.  Hannah’s pro tips from the broad range of clients from stadiums, office buildings and being part of the first university in the US to reach carbon neutrality.  How to increase diversion rates by creating long term education programs to fit the clients and tenants needs.  Exciting new technology available that fits the big picture in a circular economy.  Sustainability is less of a battle in United States because of two factors.   “What's exciting now is that you can find a job basically anywhere in any industry that's focused on sustainability.  I think it is such an exciting time to be in. If you're interested, you can find a sustainability sports job or find a sustainability education job. There's so many different ways that you could be part of the green (building) movement in all different aspects.”  -Hannah Moskowitz     Hannah Moskowitz's Show Resources and Information   Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES

For over 12 years as a LEED consultant, Mr. Wenmin Zhu has dedicated himself to creating and promoting green and sustainable buildings. Through exceptional projects, leadership, education, and advocacy, he has become a prominent voice for the green building development in China. Mr. Zhu started his green building career as an Energy Simulation Specialist with Beijing Das Daring Energy Technology Co., Ltd. back in 2007.  As the Deputy General Manager of Das Daring from 2017 through today, Mr. Zhu has continuously led the green building consulting units of the company for over 10 years. Mr. Zhu works directly with business leaders, universities and policymakers on issues related to LEED certification, high-performance design, net-zero building, green building policies.   Show Highlights  What it's like to work with clients under mandatory regulations. Conversation with Charlie Zhu, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design During Charle Zhu’s postgraduate studies, he learned and used energy pass building performance stability simulation software to analyze micro and HP systems. Determined the need to pursue green building path through various projects and recognized it was the way of the future. Number of green building projects doubled that year in China Charlie discusses the different green building programs like RESET Charlie’s projects leave a big impact in China Rejuvenation of Cities: Renovating pre-existing buildings and incorporating green building concepts to create new offices, hotels, apartments, etc. Way to jumpstart sustainability. Charlie Zhu’s time management rating system for accountable productivity  “The first thing is I think we're in a good industry. It's very new in comparison to other industries. So there are a lot of potential and opportunities in this industry. I hope that young people can join this industry and find a lot of fun and success in this industry.”  -Charlie Zhu     Charlie's Show Resources and Information   Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the ! Copyright © 2020 GBES

James brings project management, commissioning and sustainability consulting experience to the Elementa Engineering team. His strong connection to water and nature, fostered by his love of surfing, led him to explore a career in sustainability. After implementing an award-winning sustainability program at Forbes-rated five-star hotel focused on energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, and sustainability education projects, James has transitioned to a career as a sustainability consultant and commissioning agent. James strives to support his clients by understanding their needs and developing strong relationships, resulting in buildings and spaces that are loved and enjoyed by those who occupy them. He enjoys the challenge each project brings, from water and energy efficiency to healthy materials. He has worked on many “deep green” projects including the Living Building Challenge targeted Gulf State Park Interpretive Center and Zero Net Energy targeted TreeHouse Sustainable Home Improvement Store. Show Highlights  Surfing after the rain brought James to sustainability.  The significance of USGBC meetings and local chapters on your career. Taking the untraditional path to success.    James created Net Zero water calculator. The changes and priorities you can expect regionally.   How James straddles new and existing builds?  The impact of the Green Financing Program from multifamily builds.  “When I was younger I didn't take chances on things because I didn't think I was prepared and I was maybe afraid of failure. I look back now and I see how much that held me back because anytime I've taken on a big challenge, it's really just taught me how much I'm capable of and you have to be your own champion. You have to believe in yourself.” -James James's Show Resources and Information Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the ! Copyright © 2020 GBES

Kristina earned both her Master of Architecture and her Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee along with certificates in Sustainable Design and Historic Preservation. A LEED Accredited Professional since 2008, Kristina is also a self-proclaimed credential junkie. She was the fifth person in the world to obtain all five LEED AP specialties as well as being an early adopter in the WELL AP program.   Kristina has a wide array of experience in sustainable design including traditional architectural practice/design, performing official LEED reviews while working at USGBC/GBCI, and acting as a sustainable consultant. Her experience includes work on both new construction projects as well as existing buildings and spans the gamut of the commercial real estate sector including offices, higher education, healthcare, and community buildings. Kristina has successfully led over 100 projects to achieving their LEED certification goals and has also worked on a variety of projects pursuing WELL and LBC certification. Kristina serves as the Chair of the Minnesota Wellness Collaborative, an industry volunteer group aimed at developing market demand and industry capacity for wellness in the built environment.   Kristina Bach serves as Vice President of Innovation with Sustainable Investment Group (SIG). In this role, she provides insights into emerging trends, software and technology within the built environment. Her focus is on developing new resources for SIG’s consultant teams as well as cultivating new opportunities to better support our clients in meeting their sustainability initiatives.   Kristina utilizes her background in the traditional architectural design and construction realm to help clients integrate sustainability practices within their projects. Her pragmatic approach to certification ensures that clients are incorporating the practices that will best serve their organization’s needs and goals. As a former LEED Reviewer for GBCI, Kristina has helped hundreds of projects achieve LEED certification. Additionally, her project management experience extends to guiding projects through various other sustainability systems including WELL, Living Building Challenge and local standards.   Kristina’s wealth of project experience and in-depth knowledge/background in the nuances of sustainability certifications enables her to be a strong resource to project teams and individuals wishing to get more involved with the sustainability movement.  Show Highlights  Pros and cons of being a credential junkie Linking the construction realm for new projects with functional designs Avoid getting pigeonholed by challenges different industries and sectors face  Changes the current pandemic climate is making on the industry  Ways to leverage best practices to benefit the clients Sneak peak into what Kristina’s working on industry Learn valuable tips from LEED reviewer    “Figure out what you can do to move the sustainability needle just a little bit for every client. We help move the industry by pushing on that frontage as opposed to just the jewel projects that get all the resources thrown at them.” -Kristina   Kristina’s Show Resources and Information   Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES   GBES is excited our membership community is growing. Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more assurance that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community!   If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on .  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the !   Copyright © 2020 GBES