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. 

Ringing In The New Year!

Happy New Year and Welcome to a full year of LEED certified buildings!

I am Val Cannon, The Littlest Fish Photographer. This blog is my latest project and my attempt to show you all just how gorgeous LEED can really be.

A Little Background Info.

ME: I am a photographer, a Marine Ecologist, and I fully believe we can and should build our infrastructure in such a way that we reduce our impact on the natural environment. I hold a BS from the University of California, San Diego in Ecological, Behavioral and Evolutionary Biology and will have my Masters in Environmental Leadership and Management this coming May from Duke University. I plan to take the LEED Auditor test in the summer of 2011. This project represents my goal to incorporate my photography with my environmental background in a way that may prove useful to others. I hope you enjoy it.

LEED: For those of you who are unaware of what the heck LEED is, here is a brief (VERY brief) overview. The following excerpt is taken directly from the US Green Building Council's website and can be found here:
US Green Building Council Intro

"LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system,  providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO₂ emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fitout, and significant retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves."

My vision for this project:
I want to give you images and information about 365 LEED certified buildings around the US (and the world if I can). If an image is worth 1000 words than what better way to get my point accross than through images? I would love to give you a building a day, but figure the posts will come in spurts as I travel different places to get you more images. I will try not to starve or overwhelm you.


So, sit back and enjoy a year of information and photography devoted to edumacating you all about LEED buildings.