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Becoming a green building consultant

mbbender | Posted in General Questions on

Out of curiosity, what would you guys suggest as a way to go about becoming a green building consultant? Are there industry accepted certifications people seek out?

I’m rebuilding my home myself and really enjoy researching and implementing these green building techniques. I’m in North Carolina and see new homes flying up with passively vented crawlspaces and quiver. I left a note on one builders foundation “It’s not to late! Please consider http://crawlspaces.org/”

Anyways.. I’m looking into getting a contractor license just for the heck of it I guess, but given that I enjoy this stuff so much I thought I’d see what others considered the state of green building consulting to be and hear any recommendations on ways to assist spreading the word to help make this a better place for my kids kids…

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Michael,
    I don't think there is any consensus on the definition of "green." It's a wiggly concept, so I imagine that there are a lot of people out there who call themselves Green Consultants. I don't think the field is regulated by state or federal laws, but I may be wrong.

    Certainly you should get a contractor license. It wouldn't hurt to have 10 or 15 years of construction experience under your belt before becoming a consultant.

    If you are interested in the Passive House approach, it's possible to become a Certified Passive House Consultant. As far as I know, there are more Certified Passive House Consultants in the U.S. than there are Certified Passive Houses -- meaning that a lot of these consultants have not yet been involved in a single relevant project. (For what it's worth.)

  2. user-2310254 | | #2

    I received this email this morning from Alex Wilson at BuildingGreen. The location may be impractical for you, but the course descriptions might give you some ideas on how to proceed.

    If you are interested in earning an advanced degree in sustainable design, the curriculum offered by the Boston Architectural College (BAC) is one of the most comprehensive available. The eight-week, graduate-level courses are interactive and convenient. You will learn from building industry experts, and these courses may be taken as part of the BAC’s Master of Design Studies in Sustainable Design (MDS-SD), an online certificate program or individually. You can find out more here.

    BuildingGreen has worked with the BAC over the past decade to make the courses offered through their Master of Design Studies in Sustainable Design program and certificate program the best online instruction of its type. For the past two years, I’ve enjoyed teaching a course on Resilient Design, which looks at how to make our buildings and communities more resilient.

    The instructors we have found and the depth and insights offered in their courses never cease to amaze me.

    Listed below are course offerings for the Fall 2016 Term, which starts August 29. Registration is now open for both fall sessions.

    Fall 2016 Session 01: August 29–October 22
    Resilient Design
    The Urgent and Hopeful Future of Sustainable Design
    Marketing Sustainability
    Sustainable Design and Preservation
    Design for Social Resilience

    Fall 2016 Session 02: October 24–December 17
    Green Practice: Energy and Air Quality Principles
    Global Perspectives on Sustainable Design
    Greening Existing Buildings
    Sustainable Communities: Land Use, Trans
    Residential Energy Modeling
    Sustainable Design of Healthcare Facilities

    To learn more about these courses or the BAC’s Masters in Sustainable Design please click HERE, call +1-617-585-0101 or email the BAC's Director of Sustainable Design Michael Fiorillo, AIA, ASLA.

  3. mbbender | | #3

    Thanks Steve! I'll definitely look into this.

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