Design Balance LLC is a sustainable design consulting firm that works with commercial, educational, governmental and non-profit clients to improve the environmental, social and economic performance of buidlings.   We pride ourselves on bringing practical, encouraging and relevant insights to our clients.  Whether the projects are for small or large businesses, universities, architectural firms, real estate trusts, building owners, contractors, or government agencies, there are affordable and exciting ways to improve overall performance.   It is important to us that our projects not only reach their intended level of environmental sustainability, but also meet the client's requirements for beauty, utility and financial performance.

Kelly A. Karmel, AIA, LEED AP founded Design Balance LLC in 1996 to specialize in high quality sustainable design consulting services.  She had been active with sustainable design issues since 1990 and was an early member of the National AIA Committee on the Environment.   She saw the need in the building industry for un-biased professional assistance for designing more sustainably, and Design Balance has grown along with the sustainable design 'green' industry.  The firm consults on projects all over the United States, including current projects in Washington, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, New Jersey and Montana.  Our projects include new construction, renovation, restoration and historic preservation projects.

Design Balance works with several environmental assessment tools, and has particular expertise with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.  Design Balance currently works with the LEED for New Construction, Existing Building Operations and Maintenance, Core and Shell, Commercial Interiors and LEED for Schools programs.  Please refer to our Projects pages for more details about our LEED Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum projects.  Design Balance also has expertise with the Green Globes program and the Living Building Challenge program.

Firm Services include:

• LEED facilitation and coordination

• Eco-charrette planning and facilitation

• Sustainability guidelines for building design and campuses

• Sustainability assessment

• Net zero energy and water strategic assessment

• Building material and furnishings research and recommendations

• Existing building review and sustainability analysis

• Greenhouse gas reduction and carbon neutrality recommendations