Greg VanMechelen’s projects include a variety of alternative building materials and healthy building design. He is the co-author of the Revised Master Specifications for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was the Resource Efficient Building Consultant to the City of San Francisco, advising their Public Works Departments, including Architecture and Construction Management, on Green Building Practices. Mr. VanMechelen serves on the National Board of Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR), is a founding member of the California Straw Building Association (CASBA), and is on the Board of the Berkeley EcoHouse.

Service Area (Counties)

Alameda

As a certified Bau-Biologist and Environmental Consultant since 1989, Mary Cordaro has worked with many hundreds of clients from around the country, on everything from simple paint choices to full scale, new construction and major remodeling specifications. Her first major residential new construction project was completed in 1991, when she consulted on both troubleshooting and solving contaminant problems, as well as specifying new building and interior materials.  In addition to specifying healthy, ecological materials and systems, she has also worked with a large base of homeowners who have hired her to trouble shoot and solve indoor contaminant problems, resulting from and including moisture and mold, chemicals, and electromagnetic fields.

Service Area (Counties)

Los Angeles area

We engage in a wide variety of construction practices we’ve developed to minimize waste, promote long term construction solutions, and to avoid the use of toxic sourced products wherever possible.  The USGBC’s LEED rating system formed the basis for the comprehensive reductions of negative environmental impacts achieved at our Oak Glen project.

Service Area (Counties)

Sonoma

We have six green projects in the works: Two under construction and four in documentation. We are using LEED as our standard of evaluation; none of our clients have yet opted to pay for certification. The in-house design objective for two current projects is LEED Gold, and three others are aiming for LEED Silver.  Three current projects are mixed use on brownfield infill sites around the Bay Area. We currently have two LEED Accredited staff members, with three more in the process. 

Service Area (Counties)

Alameda, Contra Costa, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma

Lily Livingston is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional that helps facilitate the complex and integrated process of greening building projects.  As an architect with over 13 years of experience, Ms. Livingston has worked on projects from small to large, from single family residential to urban, commercial, and community public projects. Ms. Livingston is active in the green building community and affiliated with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Architects Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) and the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

Service Area (Counties)

Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz

Miriam Landman's green building experience includes residential, commercial, and institutional green building consulting, writing, public speaking, and policy research. Prior to starting her own firm (M. Landman Communications & Consulting), Miriam served as Senior Associate with Simon & Associates Green Building Consultants, and as Green Building Program Associate with Global Green USA. With Simon & Associates, she consulted on dozens of LEED certified and LEED registered projects as a LEED Accredited Professional. She has also consulted on non-LEED building projects. In addition, she was a producer and reporter for public radio's Living on Earth program. In recent years, her writings have been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, in numerous magazines and online publications, and in the new edition of the book Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing.

Service Area (Counties)

Marin, Mendocino, Napa, San Francisco, Sonoma, nationwide

Since 1989, we have completed six green home projects, including the Ranch House, an 18,000 square foot house nestled into the ridge atop a 300-acre ranch site in the Sonoma hills. The building incorporates green building elements such as straw bale construction, structural rammed-earth walls, and reclaimed lumber from old bridges and wineries. 

Service Area (Counties)

Certainly through California, the West and Minnesota. Other locations TBD.

Since 2002 I have been a LEED 2.0 Accredited Professional.  I’ve worked on green projects such as: Capitol Area East End Complex (Sacramento, CA), California High Performance Schools Best Practices Manual, and Santa Monica Public Safety Facility.

Service Area (Counties)

Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma

Our Mill Valley cottage remodel, one of three homes recently featured in Build It Green’s second annual Green Home Tour, won the People’s Choice Award for Marin County and the Best Home Renovation Award from Build It Green. The house features a photovoltaic system, hydronic radiant floor heat, double-paned windows and Energy Star appliances. We worked with green interior designer Shannon Del Vecchio of Tranquil Spaces to install sustainable finishes throughout the home. Fifty percent of construction waste was recycled, and some of the existing materials were reused in the new construction. Eighty percent of the existing non-invasive plants were also reused and relocated to make room for a turf-free landscape designed by noted landscape artist Topher Delaney.

Service Area (Counties)

Marin county

We first began using natural plasters in 1997, and have completed upwards of 50 green projects. A recent project included application of American Clay plaster to interior walls and natural hydraulic lime plaster to exterior walls of a custom home. Naturalwalls is a member of USGBC.

Service Area (Counties)

Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino.