Educating LEED Professionals on the possibilities of net-zero energy buildings.
Project
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to improving human health, sustainability, and resilience in the built environment. As part of its initiatives, the USGBC offered grants to organizations for the development of educational content on its new online education platform.
Approach
As a Board Member and consultant for the San Diego Chapter, I applied for and secured a grant to develop an online course that highlights green buildings and sustainability efforts in the San Diego and Tijuana region on behalf of the Chapter. Recognizing an opportunity to showcase the region’s innovations to the green building community, we decided to feature the J. Craig Venter Institute, which is the first net-zero energy laboratory in the United States, located in La Jolla, California.
To create this course, I collaborated with the J. Craig Venter Institute, ZGF Architects, Point Energy Innovations, Integral Group, Chris Giles Images, and the San Diego Chapter. Our goal was to conceptualize and develop a comprehensive course that showcases the key sustainability and LEED features of this innovative laboratory.
Results
Together, we created “Designing a Net Zero Energy Laboratory: J. Craig Venter Institute,” a three-part on-demand course focused on the key elements of the facility. The series includes over 20 videos and interviews with key stakeholders, a “talk show” style discussion with the lead architects, and a guided walking tour with the lead engineer. Given the technical details associated with the net-zero facility, we chose a video-based format with graphic overlays to enhance viewer understanding.
The course achieved a 5-star rating and is available through the USGBC Education platform. It was recognized as a model for online educational programming.
Collaborators
Chris Giles Images
San Diego Green Building Council
J. Craig Venter Institute
ZGF Architects
Point Energy Innovations
Integral Group