11. Hyatt Place Grand Rapids South

For the job that is currently paying most of my bills I was sent to Battle Creek, MI. As luck would have it, I am here for 2 weeks. This has given me a weekend to play and do what I really love: go shoot things. In particular, shoot things with my camera.

I have a little model with me on this trip (my Fab daughter) and she has been having a blast running around the buildings I am shooting. Another lucky point: Grand Rapids, MI happens to have more LEED certified buildings per capita than any other city in the US (OK. So this point is unverified at this time but there are numerous sites online boasting this factoid).

With the stars properly aligned we checked into the Hyatt Place Grand Rapids South, a LEED certified hotel on the outskirts of town. This is the first LEED hotel I've stayed at and so far I'm loving it. The rooms are really nicely laid out. There's tons of natural light and motion sensor lights in the rooms. They have low-flow water items. The heat in the room was a very comfy 68 when we got here (I actually turned it down a notch). The in-room fridge was off. They only change towels and sheets every third day.

Having been opened for 2 years now, this is the first Hyatt-brand LEED certified hotel. I certainly hope they go for more, even if they retrofit current hotels to LEED standards. They would certainly gain my loyalty.

All images are the copyrighted property of The Littlest Fish Photography 2011. Please ask permission before using.

10. LEED building in Santiago, Chile

I promise to come back and fill in the details on this building. When they started building it they weren't going by LEED standards. When they decided to see what rating they might be able to get they realized there was a possibility for Gold. They are in the final months for trying to get certified and I will update this when I find out what they were able to achieve.

A breakdown of LEED acronyms for ya

I have a theory about the flu shot they gave me this year that is deeply rooted in some serious personal experience: they missed the mark. Since about the 20th of January my family and I have been experiencing, as I know many of you have, bouts of various illnesses that have left us in a variety of states, strewn about the house, moaning and wishing for unconsciousness. Although I believe we are all on the mend at this point it means my camera has been a bit lonely for a few weeks and I have not taken any LEED photos. I did want to give you all who are new to LEED a key so that you know what the different acronyms associated with a LEED certification are.

Rating Systems:
LEED CI = LEED for Commercial Interiors
LEED CS = LEED for Core & Shell
LEED EB = LEED for Existing Buildings
LEED EBOM = LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance
LEED H = LEED for Homes
LEED NC = LEED for New Construction (and Major Renovations)
LEED ND = LEED for Neighborhood Development

Building Types:
C = Commercial (e.g., office, retail, hospitality)
E = Educational
I = Industrial
L = Laboratory
N = Nonprofit
P = Public (civic / governmental / community)
R = Residential

LEED Certification Levels:
Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum

(this was taken from http://www.mlandman.com/gbuildinginfo/leedbuildings.shtml where they have a lovely and extensive list of LEED certified buildings in Northern California)

Next week I am heading up to the Stockton area along with my camera and although the weather is calling for some rain (um, a LOT of rain, actually) I am hell bent on getting some good shots.

9. Silver Certified Mixed-use Space in Encinitas

Pacific Station in downtown Encinitas, CA is the first mixed-use development with LEED certification (Silver) in the area. Anyone who lives here will only have to go down stairs to get their groceries, hit any one of several restaurants or grab some gifts from one of the shops in the center.

Common areas were designed into the space to encourage residents to congregate and interact.

The space is well lit and beautifully positioned for many of the residences to have sunset views. In addition, there are planted areas to breakup what would normally be standard concrete walkways.

For more details on leasing retail space or buying one of these great condos/townhomes go here.

8. The Towers at Bressi Ranch

Here is another example of new buildings putting LEED standards to good use. Located in Carlsbad, CA they are certified office spaces. Want your new office space to be at least LEED certified? This might be a good place to look.

7. DPR Construction Offices in San Diego- PLATINUM!

LEED building design isn't just about reducing water and energy usage. It isn't just about reducing construction waste either. There is a large component that deals with making the space conducive to healthy, happy, productive employees. There are additional points available for making multi-use spaces, too. I had the distinct pleasure of walking into such a space a few weeks ago.

DPR Construction in San Diego did a remodel of an existing building and is hoping to land Platinum LEED Certification in the process (they will know in March. Keeping my fingers crossed!).

There was a San Diego Green Meet held there a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure part of it was to showcase what can be done even with a remodel. I can see why they are ranked one of the top companies to work for in the country. As soon as I walked in I wanted a job there. The space is open, bright and inviting. They have made great use of white "sails" to help distribute natural light. There are comfortable sitting/meeting areas all over the place, too. 

I was also thrilled to see Big Ass Fans in use. I first saw these in the back of an issue of Dwell and really wish I had a room to put one in. (By the way, if anyone from Dwell visits here, I want you to know that I would LOVE to do a shoot for your magazine!! Shameless promotion? Hell ya!)

As if the space wasn't fantastic enough, they put in a wine bar for entertaining their clients. Not a bad way to keep the employees happy, too;-)

6. Viasat in Carlsbad CA

Honestly, I'm not sure if I got the right building on this one. It is quite a complex over there (anyone from ViaSat, please feel free to let me know). Their Building 6 was LEED certified in 2009. It was a 6 month renovation of an existing, 67000 square foot structure. You can get all the details here.