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AVA Gallery earned Gold certification from the LEED program of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Todd Thompson is proud of the latest
project he has managed. A project manager at Trumbull-Nelson, Thompson has worked on two significant “green” projects recently, tackling Proctor Academy's newest dormitory, the Peabody House, and the new Co-op Community Food Market on Lyme Road in Hanover.
The Peabody House dormitory used extensive amounts of recycled material, including the flooring from Plymouth State University’s old basketball gym, and large portions of the dormitory that previously stood where the new dormitory was built. In addition, the designs for the new dorm utilized geothermal heating and skylights to provide natural light in lieu of artificial light.
The green design of the new Co-op Community Food Market directs water runoff to gardens that help filter pollutants, and it uses skylights throughout the building to maximize natural light. Lighting is controlled with computers that make adjustments based on the time of day and intensity of the sun. And benefits occur from geothermal heating and cooling that keeps the Co-op comfortable and makes it energy efficient. Mr. Thompson's experience working on these green buildings is no fluke. He is LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the result of a dedication to green building and extensive knowledge of efficient energy technology, an accomplishment that required passing a LEED-certification exam.
"The standard defines what a green building consists of, and in the process, provides a green building blueprint."
LEED certification is an increasingly desirable qualification for managers in the construction business. More and more companies and organizations want their newest buildings constructed in an environmentally and energy-conscious manner, which helps the environment and greatly reduces energy expenses. But what is LEED certification? Why is it important to have?
LEED certification guarantees that an individual is qualified to supervise the building of green projects and is sufficiently knowledgeable about the LEED rating system. Certification is gained by taking the LEED Accredited Professional Exam, which, according to Mr. Thompson, “ . . . consists of 80 questions on the subject of green building, focusing on approaches to achieving LEED credits on buildings and organizing a design and construction team in order to implement the LEED process.”
Peabody residence
Formulated in the 1990s by the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED-certification system’s goal was to provide a universal standard for green building. The standard defines what a green building consists of, and in the process, provides a green building blueprint, promoting environmentally responsible construction.
"Since 1998, when the LEED-rating system was introduced, 14,000 certified green buildings have been built around the world."
Trumbull-Nelson has embraced this initiative, with four of its employees—Mr. Thompson, David Harrison, Ed Friedman, and Jason Yehle—joining the ranks of the nearly 50,000 LEED-certified construction professionals worldwide. Other Trumbull-Nelson employees are in the process of preparing for the exam to gain accreditation.
Since 1998, when the LEED-rating system was introduced, 14,000 certified green buildings have been built around the world. With its long history of working on green and LEED-certified buildings, Trumbull-Nelson aims to continue adding to that number. By embracing the future of green building, and by helping the Co-op and others achieve their goal of designing and constructing affordable, environmentally friendly buildings, Trumbull Nelson has demonstrated its commitment to an environmentally conscious construction process from which the entire community can benefit.
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