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Eco-Architect LaVerne A. Williams, AIA, LEED AP
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Since 1975, he has focused upon quality of life matters for homes & community.
His passion? Cultivating and Applying Green + Sustainable Living Concepts & Practices.
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LaVerne is an Architect, Building Ecologist, Bioneer, a LEED Accredited Professional, and the CEO & Founder of ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATES, Architects & Consultants, whose pioneering green building practices is demonstrated by over 35 Years of Leadership in creating Healthful, High Performance Green Homes and Remodeling and other works.
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Brief Bio:
Recognized as one of this nation's dedicated green building pioneers, LaVerne's concerns since the 1970's about the "Living Cost" of our homes, buildings and communities, and their effect upon our overall quality of life and health has led him to focus his efforts upon where it matters the most, on our homes and community; as this is where we spend most of our lives and where we each have the most control over decisions which profoundly affect our quality of life and health.
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As the architect of many innovative and precedent setting green homes and a frequent guest lecturer and speaker regarding green home and green living matters, Environment Associates' (EA) work has been awarded the preeminent national and local green building program awards available, as well as his being the recipient of many professional and personal honors.
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Each year, EA is responsible for the site planning and design of many new healthy green homes and remodeling projects, plus healthy living & green design counseling and consulting for scores more. EA has also advised governments and officials at many levels, businesses, other architects & professionals, not-for-profit citizen and professional organizations.
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LaVerne is a designated national & local "Houston Hero for the Environment", and has been inducted into the Conservation History Association of Texas "Texas Legacy Project".
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Identified as one of Houston's "City Brights" by the Houston Chronicle, Houston's main newspaper, watch for his Houston "EcoArchitect" blog online coming soon on www.Chron.com.
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More:
Example projects include: the design of Houston's Passive Solar Demonstration Home in 1979 (sponsored by the Southern Solar Energy Center); a remodeled home in Bellaire TX, where, even with an addition that doubled its interior volume, the energy bills were reduced to about half of what they were before the addition was constructed; and a new home in Houston TX which has an interior volume equivalent to at least a 5800 sf home, but with only a $137 energy bill (without solar PV assist) for the hottest 30 days (June 15 -July 15, 2009) ever on record. In 1993, EA was awarded the coveted Hershey Foundation's "Hershey Conservation Award" and the Houston Audubon Society's "Egret Award"; and in 2002, the Austin Green Building Program's Five Star Award for the Hardin Residence, its highest award. Two awards in early 2008 include the First LEED® Certified Home in the Central Texas Hill Country in Hunt, Texas (Silver certification), and the First LEED® Certified Platinum Project (and Home) in the birth place of U.S. Green Building programs, Austin Texas (being awarded the highest ratings of Platinum and Five Star respectively by both green programs). This Austin home also enabled EA to become the First Houston-based entity to complete a USGBC Certified LEEDŽ PLATINUM project anywhere on the Planet.
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Involved in the founding of numerous non-profit organizations concerning buildings and the environment, LaVerne helped co-found the Houston Solar Energy Society and then in the founding of the Texas Solar Energy Society; was a founding member of the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association; and helped start the Houston's Advanced Research Center's "Cultivate Green" educational organization, serving as a board member and lecturer. In 2005, he was also recognized by the Citizens League for Environmental Action Now as a "Houston Hero" for the Environment, locally and nationally, and in 2007, was nominated as a "Hero for Humanity" by The Art of Living Foundation, an international organization. He has been inducted into the Conservation History Association of Texas "Texas Legacy Project", an online repository that documents and honors the people who have shaped and continue to influence the protection of Texas' natural resources. He also served as a juror in Washington DC for both the American Institute of Architects "AIA Housing Awards 2007" and "AIA/HUD Secretary's Housing and Community Design Awards 2007".
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In the late 1970's, he served as an advisor to the Advisory Committee for both the Texas and the Governor's Energy Advisory Councils and later served on the Board of the Houston Citizens Environmental Coalition. Chairing the Houston AIA Energy Committee, he also helped co-found the original Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment (HAIA-COTE) and is the only Texas architect outside of the Austin TX area invited to be part of the world-renowned Austin Green Building Program, the original green building program from which all other green building programs (including the USGBC and their LEEDŽ programs) have evolved. He help found Texans for Urban Sustainability - a Regional Organization for Organic Technology and Sustainability (TexUS ROOTS) and is active with Transition Houston, USGBC Houston, AIA Houston, Texas Bioneers, and many others.
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Recently the demand for his lectures and EA's services has soared due to their relevance. As a practicing architect, he weaves together art and science into practical and aesthetic buildings solutions and melds building science with wide ranging building design experience, years of construction experience, applied building technology, and pioneeering green building experience. As we enter further into this Age of Consequences and Possibilities, his lectures convey insight into quality of life issues, in-depth knowledge about climate change and about the Earth's carrying capacity (biocapacity), and most importantly, ideas and solutions for this national and global "mess" we find ourselves in. Recent lectures include "Going Beyond Green" at the World Future Conference in Washington, DC, July 2008; "Beyond Green" at the NeoCon World's Trade Fair in Chicago, June 2009; and "Thriving by Living Green: Creating Your Sustainable Home & Future" as the Keynote Speaker for the Renewable Energy Stampede & Green Living Fair in Salado TX , April 2010.
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