Friday, September 17, 2010

AIA Dallas EL Meeting – September 17


The seminar was held at the Trinity River Audubon Center, a flagship Center for Audubon’s education and conservation initiatives in Texas. Education programs address the need for students to improve and strengthen their science and critical thinking skills while aligning with the TEKS state-mandated curriculum. The Center, designed by architect Antoine Predock, 2006 AIA Gold Medalist, provides direct access to a myriad of opportunities for the citizens of Dallas: nature viewing, hiking, picnicking. In the Dallas Trails Master Plan, the numerous citywide trail systems are designed to connect to the Trinity River Audubon Center, providing a premier trail destination location. Once this happens, individuals and families from all over the Metroplex may ride, blade, run, or walk to the Center.

The panel included several members from the architectural community and allied disciplines. The focus of the discussion centered on leadership in sustainability and strategies that have helped the panelists in their careers.


Steve Saunders is the CEO of TexEnergy Solutions, US Eco Logic and Tempo Mechanical Services. All three companies are owned by the employees and operate with a philosophy of “Servant Leadership”. They aggressively pursue process improvements to meet the company’s stated purpose of providing outstanding career opportunities for the people who own and operate the companies.

TexEnergy was founded in 2002 to concentrate on understan

ding and improving the energy performance of new and existing buildings. Since 2002, TexEnergy has certified over 36,000 ENERGY STAR Homes and Apartments.

U.S. Eco Logic was founded in 2008 to help provide guidance and verification of sustainable (green) buildings for LEED, Green Built Texas and the National Green Building Standard from ICC and the NAHB.

Tempo is a mechanical contracting firm specializing in service replacement and installation of HVAC systems in single-family homes, multi-family and small commercial buildings. Since 1966, the Tempo Partners have installed and commissioned over 275,000 heating and air conditioning systems.

TexEnergy Solutions has been recognized by the E.P.A as the “EPA Energy Star 2006 Partner of the Year” and in 2004 – 2010 with the Energy Star’s “Outstanding Achievement Award”. TexEnergy is a RESNET Provider and Training Provider, a LEED for Homes Provider, a Commissioning Authority and a participant in the EPA’s ENERGY STAR for High Rise Pilot.

Tempo is a three time National Residential HVAC Contracto

r of the Year (2003- Contracting Business Magazine, 2001 – Air Conditioning Contractors of America and 2000 – the Excellence Alliance). Two-time Southwest Regional HVAC Contractor of the Year (1999-2000 – the Excellence Alliance). Tempo has also been named “The best company to work for” in the HVAC business – by the ACHR NEWS – February 2000, a site visit finalist for the Texas Award for Performance Excellence and a 1995 winner of the National Carrier Distinguished Dealer
Award.

Steve is on the Board of Directors for Texas HERO (serves as Chairman), the Better Business Bureau of North Texas (Serves as Chair of the Audit Committee), the Board of the Service Roundtable and the Green Jobs Council for the State of Texas. He is on the Advisory Board for Contractor Business Magazine. He has degrees from Texas Christian University (History) and the University of Illinois (Finance).

Katie Jensen, LEED AP BD+C, has nearly ten years of

green building experience and has been a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) since February 2004 and Project Management Professional (PMP) since June 2009. Katie’s past experience includes redeveloping both the Commercial Green Building Rating System and Multifamily Green Building Rating System for Austin Energy Green Building, Austin, TX, which were designed to accelerate market transformation of green building practices and technologies throughout the region. Her experience also includes presenting at local, national, and international conferences; the coordination of a monthly seminar series for building professionals; development of program marketing materials; and construction documentation reviews and onsite inspections. Though Katie has been involved in a wide variety of residential and commercial developments, the majority of her work has been with multifamily and mixed-use developments. Katie’s most significant accomplishments include delivering over 7,000 living units that together have saved 3,800 MWh of energy, 10 million gallons of water, and 33,000 tons of construction debris from going to the landfill.

Currently, Katie is responsible for the administration of Oncor’s Solar Water Heating Program and Home Performance with ENERGY STAR®, a part

of their five-year, $100 million DSM/Energy Efficiency Commitment. She also supports the Commercial Energy Audit and Targeted Industrial Program which are also a part of Oncor’s commitment.


Michael A. Kawecki, LEED AP+, GA-C, with eleven years of experience in design and construction, Michael Kawecki has performed various roles on multiple projects including architect, own

er, contractor and consultant. Throughout his career he has had the opportunity to pursue sustainability both in his ‘day’ job as an employee of multiple firms pursuing sustainability and also in his ‘night’ job in a volunteer role in the local USGBC Chapter. Michael found that one of the things he most enjoyed most educating the community and helping move the industry further by sharing lessons learned on past projects, both his and others.

As the Founder of Axiom Sustainable Consulting, LLC, he is a LEED Accredited Professional, Green Advantage Certified, the 2007 Chair of the North Texas Chapter of the US Green Building
Council, and the 2008 Chair of the USGBC South Central Regional Council.

Michael was the Project Manager for the first LEED Certified project in the City of Dallas and was also the LEED Consultant for the first LEED for Schools Certified project in the State of Texas. Michael is proud to be one of the founders of the USGBC North Texas Chapter and to have had the opportunity to contribute to the knowledge of thousands of individuals over the last eight years.


Sean Garman, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, is a licensed architect and the Sustainable Design Leader for the Dallas office of Perkins+Will. For the past 12 years Sean has focused his career in the Higher Education market sector with a specialty in Science Planning and Laboratory Design. Sean has furthered his laboratory expertise by completing the “Guidelines of Laboratory Design” certificate program at Harvard School of Public Health.

Sean’s passion for sustainability is rooted in his education at Montana State University where he received both his Bachelor and Master of Architecture degrees. Sean has just recently served a two year term as Chair of the Events & Education Committee for the US Green Building Council – North Texas Chapter and is still active on the committee today. Sean also sits on the Board of the Dallas Architecture Forum.

Sean has presented topics of sustainability in general terms, specific market trends, as well as in Higher Education in particular, to a wide variety of audiences such as:

Building Professional’s Institute Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Society of College and University Planning (SCUP), American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Dallas Chamber of Commerce Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects (D/AIA), International Interior Design Association (IIDA), University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), Texas Christian University (TCU), Richland College

This year will mark the completion of two recent Higher Education projects, both tracking LEED Platinum; the Sabine Science Building at Richland College and the Student Services building at UT-Dallas.

Deborah Fuller, RID, IIDA, LEED® AP BD+C, is the Sustainable Knowledge Leader for the Dallas HOK office, Board Member for the North Texas Chapter of the USGBC, Associate Editor of Sustainability for the Network publication, and is part of the Collin College Sustainable Design Advisory Committee. Deborah has 28 years of experience in the design industry with the last 9 years focusing primarily on sustainability. Deborah has participated and documented over 24 LEED projects and has assisted HOK, the GSA, the City of Dallas and the USGBC on the creation of educational training materials. She was part of the core curriculum team that created the USGBC LEED CI 2.0 exam. In addition to being a LEED AP, Deborah is also certified by Green Advantage and is part of Green Advantage faculty.

Ms. Fuller attended Texas Tech University and has a BFA in Interior Design. She works closely with clients, consultants, contractors and vendors and consults both architectural and interior teams on sustainability.

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