Michael Carlson Represents Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
SARASOTA, FL - Michael Carlson, AIA, of Carlson Studio Architecture, recently represented the Florida Gulf Coast chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council at a leadership retreat held in Washington, D.C. More than 50 chapters from across the country sent representatives to attend the leadership conference which addressed topics ranging from chapter governance and organization to advocacy and professional development to increase interest and demand for green building. Green building is one of the fastest growing markets in the construction and real estate development industry. In 2004, the annual market for green building in products and services was $5.8 billion, a growth rate of 34% over the previous year, according to statistics released at the USGBC leadership retreat. Since its inception in 2000, membership in the USGBC has increased by a rate of 1,000 percent.
The U.S. Green Building Council is a national coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. In addition to outreach efforts, the organization focuses almost exclusively on developing and expanding a standardized rating system for green buildings known as LEED standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). They also provide training and continuing education for professionals as a means to certification in sustainable design and development.