Archive for 'Shameless Self-Promotion'

Mark English in the San Francisco Chronicle

Posted on 20. Aug, 2009 by Rebecca Firestone.

There’s more than one way to be green, and the San Francisco Chronicle has featured Mark English touting old-fashioned thrift over more showy forms of environmental non-consumption – even the very same stuff we were talking about only last week.

So yes, reuse where you can, and make your home more efficient first, before you put in those solar arrays that will make your neighbors “green” with envy. Then when your neighbor is showing off his new solar roof tiles, you can counter by saying that your home uses so little energy already that you decided to put your money towards a “living carpet” instead.

Continue Reading

Mark English Architects and Green Compliance Plus featured in “AIArchitect This Week”

Posted on 14. Jul, 2009 by Mark English, AIA.

Does it pay to be nimble, light, and alone these days? As the reeling economy continues to wreak havoc on the design and construction industry (2,000 fewer people were working at architecture firms in the month of April alone) architects are being bounced from their jobs at traditional design firms and wondering where their skills fit into the economy’s seemingly willful refusal to build buildings. Experience from other sole practitioners and small firms that offer services to architects and architectural clients suggests that the best business model today allows architects to use their diverse skills wherever they see fit—plugging their expertise into hyper-specific micro markets that are too small for a large firm to work in, yet large enough to keep paying the bills. Four Bay Area architects have been doing just that, often after long and familiar experiences with large, traditional design firms. Though their practices are vastly different, they’ve all found that the freedom and flexibility of their consulting practices have allowed them to bob, duck, weave, and advance in a worsening design market.

AIArchitect This Week | Consulting Practice Niches Create Shelter for Architects in a Thorny Economy

Continue Reading

Non-Residential Title 24 Now Offered

Posted on 20. Jun, 2009 by Alan Huguenot, CEPE.

Here at Green Compliance Plus (GCP) we also offer NON-RESIDENTIAL TITLE 24 Compliance Services, as well as Residential and Non-Residential Building Systems Commissioning Services for new construction, and re-commissioning for existing buildings. [...]

Continue Reading

Alan Hugenot Re-Certifes as 2008 Title 24 HERS Rater

Posted on 15. Jun, 2009 by Rebecca Firestone.

After a challenging 5-day training class, Alan passed the exam for Title 24 HERS raters on June 4, 2009 – this time for 2008 Title 24 HERS Rater Update.

“What I enjoyed most about the CalCERTS HERS-Rater classes was working with CalCERTS great instructor, Russ King, PE. He really knows California Energy Compliance and keeps the classes interesting by inviting class participation in the discussion both during the lectures as well as the laboratory work. So, consequently with my coming to class with my background as a CEPE and CABEC Certified Energy Analyst, and with the classes occurring during the height of change over from the 2005 to 2008 in Title 24, he and I kept up a stimulating and challenging discussion for the five full days of classes.”
[...]

Continue Reading

Mark English Architects Wins Watermark, Gold Nugget Awards

Posted on 02. Jun, 2009 by Rebecca Firestone.

Not to brag or anything, but Mark English Architects has won two national awards this spring: a Grand Watermark Award from Builder Online for an extravagant and theatrical master bath featuring shimmering iridescent gold glass tile, and a Gold Nugget Merit Award from Hanley Wood Media for an airy and serene whole-house remodel in Sausalito.

[...]

Continue Reading

Title 24 and HERS: The Only Two Key Project Roles

Posted on 25. May, 2009 by Alan Huguenot, CEPE.

We often get asked, “Who does what with Energy Compliance?” with regard to new residential construction and existing residential remodels. The traditional roles of Architect, Building Contractor, and Sub Contractors are well understood. But, as energy efficiency has become more regulated and the documentation required by the California Energy Efficiency Code (Title 24) has become more complicated…

[...]

Continue Reading

Alan Achieves HERS Rater Certification

Posted on 25. May, 2009 by Alan Huguenot, CEPE.

Our editor, Alan Hugenot, who is also Director of Energy Compliance at Mark English Architects, is now a Certified HERS Rater with CalCERTS. This now allows him to verify the energy efficiency of the heating and cooling installations on completed projects. And this provides our Title 24 clients with ONE STOP SHOPPING when it comes to energy efficiency.

Continue Reading