The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

Today is a special episode where host Charlie Cichetti shares his "Top 10 Tips to Make Your LEED Project a Success." Many of the tips focus on new LEED projects, but the principles can be applied to some older projects too. Listen to the entire episode to hear Charlie unpack each tip for you! Top 10 Tips to Make Your LEED Project a Success Decide to go for LEED early. IPD. Set expectations of each team member on the design + construction iteam early. Don't just chase LEED points and check boxes. Use the Energy Model as collaboration after getting modeler up to speed on wish list ECM's. Keep a consistent LEED update meeting format and agenda so everyone comes prepared. Partner with the Contractor, share examples, and then have subs sort LEED data to the top. Make sure your LEED Online data is consistent so you don't get flagged (people count, SqFt, etc.). Commissioning (Cx) expectations set early and try to avoid wasted testing visits. When LEED Review comments come back, use narratives and only answer what they are asking for! Market Your Building as a Green Building! To hear host Charlie Cichetti unpack all of his "Top 10 Tips to Make Your LEED Project a Success," download and listen to the entire episode! Helpful Links from the Podcast: LEED Credits Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram Don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes if you truly enjoyed the show. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!

Michael Cichetti, Director of Marketing and Sales at Green Building Education Services (GBES), joins Charlie Cichetti in this episode. Residing in Atlanta, with an entrepreneurial spirit, he is passionate about sustainability in the green building industry. Michael and Charlie are brothers and share the same passion for focusing on the green building movement and environmental sustainability. Michael Cichetti - Early Inspiration Growing up in Blue Ridge, Georgia, Michael fell in love with the outdoors. Most importantly he enjoys the natural wonders of the mountains and the area he grew up in. As a result, he went to college at Georgia State University, receiving his business management degree in 2010 and currently lives in Atlanta. Early on, Michael had one professor that really stood out in an entrepreneurship class. This professor is an angel investor. Hence, he was able to introduce experts to the class to give real world hands-on expert advice. Therefore, Michael was intrigued and was able to apply this experience to his current work. Right out of school Michael was hired on at a real estate law firm as a Title Curative Specialist. He then transitioned to SIG and GBES and focuses on helping commercial real estate professionals be more sustainable which he is very passionate about. "Being able to work toward a good cause like sustainability really makes me feel like I am spending my time in a valuable way." - Michael Cichetti Big Learning Curve Michael initially lead the sales department with Sustainable Investment Group (SIG) and now Green Building Education Services. Michael works on the company's marketing and strives to boost sales to help scale the company. In the early years of these companies, most of the business SIG earned was through word of mouth for doing great work. So, a sales department was new to the company, and Michael, had to figure out what worked best by trying a lot of different things. Therefore, it was very challenging and big learning curve, but he appreciated the opportunity to learn so much so quickly. "I had to throw everything against the wall and see what stuck." - Michael Cichetti As a result, Michael brought in new business to SIG. Furthermore, Michael has an entrepreneurial mindset and is very successful. Most noteworthy, his vast background allows him to share his knowledge which is beneficial to clients' careers. Survival and Sustainability When Michael was young, his interest in a survival course given by Tom Brown Jr. certainly made an impact. Michael explains that Tom Brown Jr. was raised by native americans and they taught him about sustainability and how to rely on the land. This intrigued Michael and consequently he continued to read and explore in this arena. "Taking things from nature, choosing the trees that will actually help the other surrounding plants and animals flourish more." - Michael Cichetti Michael was very fortunate to have the exposure to the outdoors. Because of this exposure, he loves the sustainability story of the native american ways. Michael is a highly encouraging person. He believes the green building movement and sustainability are here to stay. Above all, today there is more of a need for us to be sustainable in every industry. To hear more of Michael's journey with SIG and GBES where he shares his daily routines and rituals that help him be productive and a better employee, download and listen to the episode! Learn more about Michael Cichetti: LinkedIn Tom Brown Jr., The Tracker Hal Elrod, The Morning Miracle John Medina, Brain Rules Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram Don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes if you truly enjoyed the show. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!

Josh Radoff is a Senior Vice President at WSP. In today's episode, he joins Charlie Cichetti to share his sustainability journey, including growing a respected green building consulting firm that has since merged with a larger company. Josh also discusses some pretty advanced projects he is working on and gets us thinking about what's around the corner in this green building movement. Josh Radoff - The Origin Story Boston-born, Josh came from the East Coast, moved to Connecticut when he was three, but eventually ended up in Colorado. He went to college in Maine. With his upbringing, Josh leaned more towards the Red Sox than the Yankees. Josh was a physics major at Colby College, a liberal arts school. Trying to get as much diverse experience as he could, he joined its soccer team. He was also into film, writing movie review columns, and even hosted a radio show with a co-host. Career Start He liked physics but knew he wasn't going to stay at a lab so Josh became a high school teacher in Virginia, handling physics along with earth science. With a new-to-him environment in the South, he went through some adjustments on top of his daily preparations for the job. Convinced that he wasn't learned enough for his postition, Josh furthered his education by earning a Masters in Electrical Engineering. He didn't realize he nursed an interest in sustainability until he sat in a course on energy and found out that it was something he would like to sink his teeth into. "That may have been my first taste into what would be my eventual career." - Josh Radoff The Epiphany The real shift began when Amory Lovins came to speak at his college. Josh had never heard of Lovins, but sustainability had already wormed its way into his brain. After hearing the advocate's words, Josh decided that it was time for a change. "Amory Lovins has a certain way of introducing an idea and transforming the way people think about it. That was certainly true for me." - Josh Radoff on the radical shift of his interest to sustainability To hear more of Josh's sustainability tale download and listen to the episode! Learn more about Josh Radoff and the books we reference: LinkedIn The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes Master and Commander 1491 1493 Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!

Today's show is a special release. Host Charlie Cichetti takes some time today to pause halfway through 2018 and look at the Green Building Industry Trends he sees. Charlie discusses: Statistics in 2018 LEED trends WELL trends Are the LEED exams changing? Resources from today's show: International WELL Building Institute FitWel Green Building Certification, Inc. (GBIC) Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast! Copyright © 2018 GBES

Bill Spohn is a mechanical engineer and the President and CEO of TruTech Tools. The company serves technicians in the HVAC&R and Energy Audit Industries by providing them with advanced tools and instruments. In this episode, he chats with Charlie Cichetti to discuss HVAC, Passive House, building science, and more. "I'm gonna commit to sneezing twice a week, and what I mean by that is: I want to spread the 'germs' of the idea of responsible use of energy and good home performance to one consumer and one technical professional a week." - Bill Spohn Bill Spohn - The Environment, Engineering, and Energy Bill grew up in an Italian-American neighborhood in the small town of Rome in New York. It was a beautiful community with a lot of great food and values, including his family's own sensibilities regarding the environment. With his aptitude in math and physics, he decided to take mechanical engineering, a decision backed up by library books. Putting his natural inquisitiveness to work, he took up a four-year degree at the University of Rochester. Right before graduation, he had a feeling that he would want to pursue a career path related to energy, and so he did. Gaining the Relevant Experience He worked with Kodak for a few years, got a master's degree in mechanical engineering, and obtained his license as a professional engineer. Shortly afterwards, he went to work for an instrumentation company called Fisher Scientific, where Bill worked closely with lab instruments. He then transferred to Bacharach where he led an engineering team focused on HVAC. A couple of years later, with an impressive background of testing instruments under his belt, TruTech Tools came to be. Homegrown Sustainability Advocate Bill has always been active in waste management and energy conservation. It's mostly thanks to his parents who grew up in the depression era. With the lessons imparted to him at a young age, he was able to become the man that he is now. "It's not so much the cost of energy, but it's just being efficient with the finite resource." - Bill Spohn This early exposure to responsible use of energy coupled with his mentors' influence and his penchant for engineering shaped Bill into a leader of the sustainable energy and building movement in his own right. Together with his team, he's helping raise awareness of their advocacy two sneezes a week. To hear more of Bill's story on sustainable building and energy efficiency, download and listen to the episode! Learn more about Bill Spohn and the books we reference: LinkedIn A Pattern Language Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!

Part of the Qatar Green Building Council, Hamoda Youssef is also a member of the USGBC. An architect by heart, his journey in sustainable building started upon pursuing a European education. Now a proud member (and leader) of the LEED movement in his region, Hamoda shares with us how sustainability has become an integral part of his career. Sustainability in Education and Career Hamoda grew up in Cairo, Egypt, where he studied architectural engineering at Cairo University. His early career was spent as an interior design architect before he moved to an architectural engineering multidisciplinary consultancy firm. Somewhere down the road he took up environmental planning for his graduate studies in Italy, which exposed him to the (USGBC's) LEED movement through an internship. This is when it became clear that sustainability was a path that he could take, when back in college it was mostly a concept attached to loads of coursework. LEED Held The Answers Earlier in his career, Hamoda met a lot of people who advocated for sustainable building which allowed him to see how groundbreaking the LEED movement was for the built environment. Before LEED, there was no framework to validate sustainability designs. There was no way to convert designs into actual, usable (and recognized) products in the marketplace. "It's not about technology advancement but how smartly [we] combine things and integrate them together from a multidisciplinary approach to enhance our overall design and products." - Hamoda Youssef LEED gave the answers. There was no skyrocketing upgrade of technology involved, but a genius understanding of how best to approach the ultimate goals of the sustainability movement. Challenge as a Mentor Stereotypes dictated that architects must possess excellent freehand sketching skills and handwriting. Hamoda had neither, so he took it upon himself to fill in the niche of computer design and 3D software. This first challenger, he said, was also his first mentor. "If I have a good imagination, I can be a good architect. It's a matter of finding a right tool to represent." - Hamoda Yousef From there on, he had several mentors, in the form of (growth) challenges and people. To hear more about Hamoda's journey as a LEED expert, educator, and project manager from Egypt to Qater, download and listen to the episode! Learn more about Hamoda Youssef: USGBC Profile QGBC Website Follow him on Twitter Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram Don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes if you truly enjoyed the show. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!

Daniel Dreher, Founder and Principal of Tecreation, LLC, joins Charlie Cichetti. Although primarily located at New Orleans, Daniel has projects in regions as far as India. Throughout his career, he has completed multiple projects with great partners and also has been able to overcome the challenges of hurricane Katrina. "Sustainability is a shift in consciousness. It's an evolution in our consciousness as individuals and as a collective. And when that starts to happen, other things start to follow." - Daniel Dreher Daniel Dreher - Sustainability Consultant Daniel's passion for sustainability traces back to his college years. He was studying Architectural Engineering at the Ohio College of Applied Science when he learned about Frank Lloyd Wright. His innovative architecture inspired him so much. "LEED offered to really take a lot of these things that are intangible that I knew were good design principles and formalize them." - Daniel Dreher Daniel later went to pursue a business degree. In 1986, he returned to Phoenix for his practice. By 2009, he became a LEED AP. The Boulders Resort is among the notable projects he completed with his partners. Hurricane Katrina Experience In 2004, he had another project. It was the renovation of the student campus of Tulane University. 2005 came and they were right in the middle of the project when Katrina swept over the US. Nonetheless, they completed it in 2006 and was awarded LEED Silver certification at this building. Inspiring Mentors and Partners Daniel sends his thanks to his mentors. Some of which he never got to meet in person, like Frank Lloyd Wright. He also learned a lot from his partners in the field. Among them are Allen Eskew and Ray Manning, with whom he had the privilege of completing great projects, namely, the IMAX Theater Aquarium, some of Xavier University, and an art village. To hear more of Daniel's sustainability success story, download and listen to the episode! Learn more about Daniel Dreher: LinkedIn Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!

Leslie Montgomery, Education Director at Green Building Alliance (GBA), joins Charlie Cichetti in this episode. Residing in Pittsburgh, she helps host events in the region to promote high-performance green buildings. Leslie is also an educator who shares the same love for teaching and sustainability as Charlie. "I am sort of one of those green building nerds who's so much in awe of the people who innovated this industry and championed sustainability and green building." - Leslie Montgomery Leslie Montgomery - A Child of Nature Leslie lived in Baltimore, Maryland until college when she went to Winthrop University in South Carolina. A few years after getting her communications degree, she went on to get her master's degree in sustainable systems at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. While she didn't formalize sustainability as a career path until graduate school, Leslie admits that her love for the natural environment bloomed at an early age. Growing up, her mother would take the family to trips to undeveloped places. Her grandfather was also a huge nature lover who hugged trees in the backyard, a habit that Leslie emulated. Shifting Interests During her undergraduate years, Leslie's interest was in non-profit work. She did all her internships at non-profit organizations and landed a job in the same line upon graduation. It was around that time when she was first exposed to green building. Upon her move to Pittsburgh in 2007, her interest in green building peaked. She wanted a career change, but she knew that no one would hire her unless her credentials bore 'sustainability' in them. She took a shot at going after what she wanted and went through workshops on green remodeling to find out if it was for her, and it was. "I loved it and it felt like I was with my people. I was exploring what I wanted to do." - Leslie Montgomery The Definitive Move She went back to school and took up her master's. She didn't have any design and construction background, but she was able to get into a program that let her discover everything that has to do with green building. Eventually, she got involved with Green Building Alliance through a professor, marking the turning point of her career. To hear more of Leslie's journey with GBA, her geek-level love for sustainability and teaching green building, download and listen to the episode! Learn more about Leslie Montgomery: LinkedIn Green Building Alliance Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram Don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes if you truly enjoyed the show. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!

In this episode, Charlie Cichetti talks about LEED and WELL history and statistics. Along with a bit of storytelling, he discusses the latest numbers, trends, and LEED professional exams. By listening in, he hopes you can take the next step towards becoming part of the LEED movement. "Maybe you have a colleague or a friend… or a student you know needs a little nudge to finally go ahead, study, take the exam, pass it, and advance their career." - Charlie Cichetti LEED AP Exam: A History There's been about eighteen years' worth of LEED projects, but the first LEED Accreditation Professional Exam first came out a year later, in 2001. The exam wasn't updated until June 2009, the last time anyone could take it LEED NCv2.2's exam. Three tiers to the exams rolled around one after another, more advanced, specific, and challenging. Updated LEED AP Exam LEED Green Associate (GA), Tier 1 of the new version of LEED exam, came out that summer. Everyone starts with this hundred-question exam, but not everyone opts to take the other tiers. Following the GA exam, Tier 2: Specialty was launched. People taking this exam get to be accredited in their desired fields of specialization. Tier 2 can be taken on the same day as the GA exam, provided that they pass it first. Sometime later, Tier 3: LEED Fellow also came out but is for 10+ year industry leaders and is not exam-based. Statistics of LEED This April 2018, USGBC updated their interactive overview of the number of holders of LEED credentials. LEED Professionals have risen in number for the past eighteen years. Worldwide, they are now about 202,000 in total. While this number may look huge, you must keep in mind that this is almost two decades' worth of exams passeed. There's no need to worry about how this can potentially hinder your career growth with a lot of competition because these credentials will stay with you as an individual. All it takes is a different perspective to see the benefits of taking this exam. "These LEED Professional credentials really are gonna help you in your career, make your company more competitive for that next bid, help you ask better questions." - Charlie Cichetti To hear more firsthand information regarding the LEED and WELL credentials, statistics, and trends, download and listen to the episode! Learn more about LEED and WELL: History and Statistics: LEED Professional Exams USGBC LEED Professionals at a Glance WELL Certification Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram Don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes if you truly enjoyed the show. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!

LEED and WELL AP Lauren Wallace has been the Certifications Department Manager at Epsten Group since 2010. Her team has tremendous experience with Architecture (including Zoo Projects), LEED Consulting, Third-Party LEED Reviews, Commissioning, and more. Not just LEED, she is out in front with SITES, TRUE, and more rating systems/certifications. Today, she shares the story of her architectural journey as well as her love for a community running on sustainability, with our host, Charlie Cichetti. Lauren Wallace - A Series of Changes Originally from Long Beach, California, Lauren grew up mostly in San Diego. Over 25 years ago, though, she transferred to Atlanta, where has spent most of her life. Lauren lives intown and walks to Epsten's LEED Platinum HQ. She had a passion for the medical field back in high school. Lauren had biology-based classes, trained to get certified as a lifeguard, and even volunteered for the hospital. Lauren knew she was going to become a radiologist, but a drafting course in her last semester of high school changed it all. Meant for Architecture Taking a drafting course for additional credits opened Lauren to her creative side. Designing, which has always been in her blood thanks to her father's genes, became something that she embraced. "When it's science and math, there's always an answer. And doing something in the design field tickled my brain in different ways because you're never done." - Lauren Wallace While she signed up for both medicine and architecture, her letter of acceptance at Georgia Tech was all that she needed to know that she was meant to design. An After-College Sustainability Mindset Lauren spent a lot of her college years in studios. At these studios, there were a lot of people who influenced her to explore sustainability, the community, and built environment, but she didn't get heavily into sustainability until after college. By the dawn of LEED rating systems, she'd gotten her degree in architecture. It all began from there. "I think there were some projects that kind of pushed those buttons, but there was not a lot of connection from the studio to the real world. And about that time, it was the birth of the LEED rating system... I think I'm not surprised that as soon as I graduated is kind of when I started to explore some more of that." - Lauren Wallace To hear more about Lauren's story and her passion for the environment and sustainable communities, download and listen to the episode! Learn more about Lauren Wallace: Connect with her on LinkedIn Epsten Group Profile Serenbe - Sustainable Community Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram Don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes if you truly enjoyed the show. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!