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.

5. 1491 Neptune Encinitas, CA

I do realize that I'm a bit behind on the posts. I am working to remedy that, though.

Number 5 is a beautiful house in Encinitas. It is currently for sale and you can see all the specs here. Don't be put off by what they are asking for this house. The neighborhood this is found in is right on the bluffs above the ocean and it's not an outlandish price for where it's at. It will keep rabble like us from even getting to set one toe inside of it but at least we can enjoy it from the outside. It should be noted that this is the first LEED certified house in Encinitas. Just because of the way that community is I find this surprising but hope they keep up the trend.

4. Claire's on Cedros- First LEED Platinum restaurant in SD

This little bakery holds the distinct title of being the first restaurant in San Diego to be given LEED Platinum certification. Claire's on Cedros  gained its certification just about a year ago and has become a hopping local hotspot. The outdoor garden even has a map so you can walk around and know what they're growing. For all the specs go here.

In addition to holding the prestigious LEED Platinum certification Claire's went a little further and did the Green Restaurant Certification, too. Nicely done!

3. LEED Silver to a gorgeous San Diego Library

I moved to California in 1994. At that time I was young and dumb and interested in just about nothing. Since then, I have lived overseas twice, gone through 3 passports (my current one just had pages added), gotten married, had two kids, walked my dog about a million miles (in more than one country), received my BS, have almost finished my Masters, and have grown a serious appreciation for where I currently live: San Diego. Yesterday, I became even more attached to this great place. To date, I have been getting my LEED photo subjects through Google and other search engines (I am hoping this will change but am happy for now). One of the places Google took me was the Nobel Library and Sports Park in San Diego just off the 805 (East Coasters: here, our freeways are "THE" freeways not just "A" freeway. Don't judge). This place was certified LEED Silver in 2009. It is by far the best Library I've ever been to. It even has a dog park!

The interior was fantastic. You walk in and are greeted by a central walk area completely illuminated by skylights. I wanted to get more photos of it but the place was PACKED! (Don't want to take pictures of people where they can be identified without their consent)

Neat sculpture out in front of the library. 

Could the sun have cooperated more?? This building is a great example of what can be done with LEED. They have reduced electricity usage and water usage, and have provided their employees a healthy place to work. Their employees see sunlight from where ever they are. Happy people miss less work and are more engaged when they're doing a job. I love this building and hope to get to visit it again soon. (By the way, they do take book donations)

2. Terminal 2 at the San Diego, CA airport

This was totally unexpected. Obviously I just haven't been paying attention. I flew out of the San Diego airport yesterday and as I was walking through the newly revamped Terminal 2 I realized the design was exceptional. There was light and an organic feel that was just wonderful. I ended up in this atrium waiting for my flight and saw a sign that read "Green Build." Low and behold, they have designed the remodel to LEED standards and are working towards certification. If the rest of it looks like this there is no doubt they will get it.

PS. It has been brought to my attention that there are those of the opinion that building a "Green" airport is an oxymoron. Although I see their point, people aren't going to stop flying until tickets cost 10K a piece. So why not try to green up what we're doing as much as possible?

1. California Department of Transportation building in San Diego- Gold

I know there are nay-sayers when it comes to LEED design but every time I find myself in a structure designed to meet LEED standards, I just can't believe we haven't been designing buildings like this for years. You take your pick: a cold, square, cement block of a building with tiny windows or this.

Please allow me to introduce you to San Diego's Department of Transportation headquarters. It is a LEED gold building- the second highest level a building can be awarded. Graceful lines and soaring open spaces define this wonderful piece of architecture. The phrase "I would love to come to work here every day" kept repeating itself in my mind as I walked around. Although I was not allowed to photograph inside the building for security reasons, you should be able to tell from the exterior shots that the interior space is flooded with natural light. And as if the structure weren't enough, the landscaping is a beautiful mixture of lush that just made me want to lay on the ground to take it all in.