About the author:

Mark Robert Johnson – FAIA / CKD / AIBD mark’s image

Mark Johnson is Principal of MARKITECT, a consulting firm serving the design and building industry. He has led efforts for two Fortune 500 Companies, Whirlpool Corporation and CertainTeed Corporation, to reach the design community, garnering three AIA Continuing Education System Awards for Excellence. Mr. Johnson collaborates with industry leaders like Google, Apple and McGraw-Hill Construction to bring Web 2.0 design tools and continuing education to the industry. Prior to his corporate career, he practiced as a licensed architect, working for top firms including HOK and Moore Ruble Yudell. Mr. Johnson writes and speaks internationally on subjects ranging from sustainable design and technology to design trends in architecture.
Mr. Johnson is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, NKBA Educator for the National Kitchen and Bath Association, Certified Kitchen Designer and a Professional Building Designer with the American Institute of Building Design. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and MBA degree from Washington University in St. Louis, as well as a Master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from UCLA.

Friday, February 27, 2009

GreenDesignGuide – Mark Johnson, FAIA, CKD, AIBD

I’d like to introduce a new blog at AECDaily.com by sharing what I’ll be writing about in weeks to come. The focus will be residential design, sustainable building products, online design tools to “Go Green”, and tips on qualifying for the latest national green certification programs. So whether you design residential custom, production, or home remodel/addition projects, I hope you’ll be inspired by the resources featured at GreenDesignGuide.

Like most architects and designers, I’m a visual learner, so I’ll be directing you away from words whenever possible (a peculiar goal for a blog) to engaging online case studies. I’m a fan of Google and collaborate with them on various projects so you’ll be hearing about the latest “Google Apps” to assist architects and designers.

Let’s start with a superb case study project. You’ll be taking a video tour of a sustainable home in San Diego that I consulted on. The architect is Kevin deFreitas, AIA, a talented architect/developer who designed the home for his family while learning the LEED for Homes program. As the project evolved, Kevin became even more committed to sustainable design & build practices. But I don’t want to steal Kevin’s story. It’s best told in a video Podcast tour of their home. I make a cameo appearance but Kevin tells the compelling story of their family’s journey in Going Green.

You can view the high definition Podcast of the deFreitas Home Tour in two places:
  • If you’re registered on AECDaily.com you can see it bundled with several videos (90 minutes total) and earn 1.5 Continuing Education credits for AIA, AIBD and other associations. Here’s the link to “Two Faces of Sustainability
  • Or you can watch the stand-alone Kevin deFreitas Home Tour at resourcemedia.tv (16 minutes).
If you like GreenDesignGuide, bookmark it and come back next week for another conversation. Click on “comments” and share a suggestion or idea. We want to hear your thoughts. And be sure to share GreenDesignGuide at AECDaily.com with your friends and colleagues. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting… whatever. It’s all good.

Photos courtesy of resourcemedia.tv and Lightworks.