Archtectural Design & Photography

The Green Movement is everywhere these days, and its role in architecture and construction is huge. Can you tell me what LEED is and what it means to be a LEED certified architect?
Yes the industry is changing with a significant move towards environmentally friendly buildings.  LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a rating system for sustainability in new construction or existing buildings.  There are other rating systems out there but LEED currently is the most widespread.  To be accurate Buildings are certified and people are accredited; that distinction is significant to those associated with LEED.  I often confused the two myself!  I have it straight now that I passed the exam.

What LEED boils down is promoting building owners to consume less energy by being more efficient and creating better interior environments for their inhabitants.  Believe it or not people spend on average 90% of their time indoors and buildings consume more than 30% of the total energy.  That was on the test (in case you are planning on taking it soon).

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How is the Green movement affecting your firm’s work and your current projects?
We are seeing a definite move towards sustainability in the public and private sector of our work.  In the public realm cities and government agencies typically require LEED certification or the equivalent.  In the state of California we have an increased awareness with our state recently passing legislation mandating LEED certification for all future construction including single family residential by 2010-2011.  I don’t know the exact details but it passed just last week.  There is no question it will impact our future work.

Our work in the private sector is becoming more competitive and we see more incentive to go green.  It has become necessary for marketing purposes that a LEED rating be attached to new construction, commercial or residential.

We are currently working on a mixed-use project seeking the highest LEED rating of platinum.  LEED ratings go from: LEED certified to silver, gold and ultimately platinum.  (No metals are awarded, just a certificate and plaque.)  This project will be an exciting challenge for our design team.  Fortunately our client is bringing all kinds of proprietary energy generating systems to the table and our site is located in the middle of an urban environment that is currently a Chinese food restaurant and parking lot.  Site selection and optimal energy systems go a long way for generating points, and so does indoor environmental quality where we will have to achieve high marks.

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Obviously saving the planet is priceless. But that aside, from what I’ve read, going green also means spending more green. – in the way that organic groceries are generally more than non-organic. Is this is true? And if so, how much more expensive is it to build a green building?
Some of the best things in life are free…  There are some points that don’t cost a dime; but going green is going to cost some extra cabbage.  How much is hard to say.  There are increased costs in the documentation process and mandatory commissioning of building systems which can go on for sometime after the project is completed.  There are also added costs associated with materials and processes beyond that of standard building practice.  I would believe the first costs are more significant but the lifecycle costs should pay off over time.  Try selling that to a client who is fighting the bottom line!

Is it possible for the average-income homeowner to build a green house – or at least a partially environmentally conscious house? Can you give us a short list of 5 things a home builder could do that would effectively make his or her home more eco-friendly
Yes, call me and I will tell you.  We have been doing passive solar design in our office before LEED’s inception.  Sustainability is a philosophical approach; LEED is a way of rating your success.

In addition to some notable housing and mixed use projects, you’ve been the lead architect for Chrome Hearts, a set of niche boutique stores specializing in very high end silver and leather clothing, accessories and furniture. The look is sophisticated Goth with beautiful craftsmanship. How many of these stores are there now and where are they located? What has it been like working with a business that is so design driven and unique in their product?
Sophisticated, yes.  Goth, no… according to Chrome Hearts outspoken ownership.  Their products are all handcrafted in an ad hoc cluster of warehouse structures in West Hollywood.  There is no compromise in what they do or how they do it.  This includes the quality of their merchandise and spaces they create.  In that regard they are my favorite client.

We have been their design architect for over 10 years now.  We have worked together designing stores in the USA, Japan, China, Taiwan, France, UK and most recently Russia.  I can’t wait to see where they go next! 

You were one of those architects who adapted to computers mid-career. In other  words, you’re over 35. How has architecture as a profession changed over the past 20 years – good and bad. Besides the eco-movement, are there other changes you see occurring in the next 5-10 years?
I have been practicing architecture for over 20 years now having started as an intern at around 20 years old.  Guess that makes me over 35, but who’s counting?   I remember my architectural design studios at Washington State University focused on hand drawing techniques.  (Since computers hadn’t evolved beyond Pascal and FORTRAN in the early 80’s we did everything by hand)  We learned how to draw with pen and ink on velum.  Constructing perspective renderings and shading with pencil like the masters had done for centuries. That experience has served me well to this day.  While computers and software have evolved in the last couple of decades there are now programs that ironically attempt to simulate hand drawing.  I see the computer as a tool, not unlike the T-square and triangle, just that there is accuracy to the .0000 decimal point.

Of course the internet changed everything…  The ability to research and pull up information and images from around the world instantaneously is amazing.  Google earth is frightening at times.  I pulled up my home address and there is a street view of my house showing the red door I painted a couple of months ago.   It borders on an invasion of privacy - it’s pretty cool.  Probably the most significant development of the last ten years for our industry is the interactive 3-dimensional model.  B.I.M. – Building Information Modeling.  There are a number of platforms available that will allow for several users to work interactively on a single virtual model allowing the interface of all disciplines to work simultaneously to solve complex coordination issues. 

Who are your favorite architects and why?
I don’t know.  It’s like asking who your favorite band is.  While I was never a huge fan of the Beatles, I appreciate their profound impact on music.  And like music, architecture can affect my mood and can inspire me.  Buildings and places do that, I am grateful to be a part of that.  If I had to choose a favorite architect it would be Steven Holl.  I like his name and he does cool buildings.

Stephen Miles is a principal with the MW Steele Group in San Diego, California and an avid photographer. To learn more, please visit www.mwsteele.com

email: steve@mwsteele.com

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