"It’s better to be ahead of the ‘green’ curve than to play catch-up.  A proactive program to modify your development methods clearly represents an opportunity to increase competitive advantage in civic development projects.  This is the case for Federal Realty where Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings and other environmentally based requirements are mandated by a number of jurisdictions in charge of civic projects." 

                                –Donald Wood, President & CEO
                                  Federal Realty Investment Trust
                                  Real Estate Portfolio, May/June 2007

Lately, Ray Kappe has been getting a lot of attention for his residences designed for LivingHomes, the Steve Glenn prefab company.  Kappe’s first home has been featured all over the place for achieving the highest LEED certification possible, the Platinum rating.  I think his work is incredible, so I was studying his stuff when I came across this list of his, "the ten most important principles that helped make me a successful architect, planner, and educator."  In the interests of learning from those that are remarkable examples of continuing achievement, I thought I would be good to share his list with the JG readers.  Any thoughts?

1. Think positively, not negatively.
2. Accept structure but know that it is to be questioned and broken when necessary.
3. Always be willing to explore, experiment and invent.  Do not accept the status quo.
4. Know yourself and keep your work consistent with who you are and how you think.
5. Maintain good moral and social values.
6. Be humble, honest, compassionate, and egalitarian.
7. Have conviction about your work.
8. Be open and say yes to most ideas and requests. The good ones will be valuable, the bad ones will cease to exist.
9. Allow employees and fellow workers freedom and the ability to work to their strengths. Avoid hierarchy.
10. Money should be the residual of work, not the goal.  But do not compromise your worth.

"Climate change, carbon emissions, greenhouse gases, green design–call it what you will.  The need to change how we inhabit the planet to avoid catastrophic consequences is now widely accepted…in the year ahead I plan to work with the AIA board’s Sustainability Discussion Group to aggressively advance sustainable design and the key role the AIA can and our members must play to engage the great challenge confronting our generation–the future of our planet."  – RK Stewart, FAIA, Principal at Gensler, AIA President

Via Eco-structure

"If people have done any math, they will understand how valuable the green agenda is economically, and that if they don’t adopt it, they are probably not intelligent fiduciaries as developers or owners."  – William McDonough, FAIA, Co-Author Cradle to Cradle, Time "Hero for the Planet," + Founding Principal of William McDonough + Partners