As interior designers we know that it is our moral and professional responsibility to provide our clients with environments that are healthy to live/work in and respectful to the greater good of our global environment. While many design professionals have achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accreditation, we often find that our clients aren’t always willing to go the distance required to achieve a LEED rating on their project. Other designers have expressed a readiness to provide their clients with “green” design alternatives but don’t have the time to take on the extensive preparation required for the LEED exam. With exactly these types of challenges in mind, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) in partnership with the ASID Foundation launched REGREEN in 2008.
What Can REGREEN Do for You?
•REGREEN Residential Remodeling Guidelines. Download (free) 180 pages of green remodeling best practices and case studies organized by project type. Find the tools and tips you need to help your client conserve energy and resources, preserve good indoor air quality and make responsible decisions that impact the environment in a positive way! http://www.regreenprogram.org
•REGREEN Strategy Generator. Can’t bear the thought of browsing 180 pages? You will love this little widget! Just plug in your project type (bathroom, kitchen, bedroom etc), select a sub topic (water conservation, materials and resources etc), and in less than one minute the website will produce a list of tailor made eco-friendly recommendations just for you!
•Green Product Checklist. This two page downloadable document provides valuable questions to ask manufacturers when researching products that are marketed as “eco-friendly”. It also provides a short list of websites that represent “green” vendors. Just keep in mind that not everyone who promises environmental responsibility is actually delivering it- it’s your job to dig deep and choose carefully.
•Green Home Assessment Form. A super in depth, whole home evaluation form for use by design professionals. Covering everything from insulation to artwork, pets and composting this fourteen page worksheet can be used as the starting place to evaluate an existing site.
•Green Home Guide. USGBC’s green home renovation website offers interior designers and other green service providers a chance to join their professional network free! Visit http://greenhomeguide.com
• REGREEN Trained. For design professionals who want to explore green strategies in more detail REGREEN offers a number of webinars, presentations, on-line courses and traditional in-person classes. Designers who complete 35 hours of designated course work are eligible to receive a REGREEN Certificate of Completion.
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The Regreen Project is very interesting, it brings back the importance and necessity to creating a green home. Many families should consider remodeling their homes. I took a quick read on the REGREEN guidelines of the Kitchen and Bathroom. It is definitely more efficient installing a on-demand hot water recirculation system. It is quite wasteful having the water run until it turns hot.
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