9/25/2014

This week, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) announced that Design Balance LLC has been designated a LEED Proven Provider for the Building Design and Construction rating system.  The Proven Provider designation was recently developed to reward consistent excellence in administering LEED projects.  Design Balance is one of just 15 firms in the United States to be designated as Proven Provider.

"Quality is at the core of the LEED certification process, and Design Balance has exhibited expertise in helping to bring healthy, high-performing buildings to the market," said Doug Gatlin, vice president of program delivery for USGBC and GBCI.  "The LEED Proven Provider model represents a great partnershiop between Design Balance and GBCI because it allows GBCI to maintain a rigorous certification program and gives Design Balnace the oppportunity to deliver LEED projects to its clients faster."

"We are honored to be one of the first organizations designated as Proven Provider in the LEED program," said Kelly Karmel, Principal Sustainability Consultant of Design Balance LLC.  "We have always made quality and consistency part of our LEED consulting services, and the Proven Provider desingnation is confirmation of the high level of service we provide.":

Organizations that demonstrate and maintain high-quality project submissions through LEED Proven Provider receive significant benefits, such as greater access to LEED reviewers, faster review times and recognition from USGBC for their sustained track records of quality project submissions.

7/18/2012

We are pleased to announce that the University of New Mexico Arena (The PIT) has achieved LEED Silver Certification!  Congratulations to UNM, the Lobo program and the design and construction team.  For more information about the project, click here!

2/2/2012

Marla Wollgast moved into an apartment in the Solstice a couple of months ago, and she's still thrilled about the light in the bedroom closet, her sense of safety and even the paint on the walls.

"I love the colors," Wollgast said Wednesday. "That is what I was so excited about. There's no more white. I told all my kids."

One wall of the home in the new homeWORD building is painted a sage green, and another is the palest color of milk coffee. Wollgast is saving roughly $80 a month since her move into the West Broadway and Russell Street project, which celebrates its grand opening 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

Read more in the Missoulian

11/21/2011

The University of Maryland won this year's Solar Decathalon, with Purdue University and Victoria University (New Zealand)  took second and third awards.  The teams had $250,000 to creat energy-efficient houses that could be transported and built on the Mall in Washington D.C.  Winners were also gauged on individual categories such as Architecture, Market Appeal, Engineering, Affordability and Energy Balance. Check out the interesting designs and lessons learned here.

11/17/11

Billings and the the Billings Public Library Bond Issue received some national press over the weekend.  On the National Public Radio Weekend Edition program, there was a report about Billings' ecomomy, civic pride and the passage of the Library Bond issue.  Go Billings!  Check out the text or listen to the report here.

11/10/11

We are pleased to announce that the Billings Public Library Bond Issue passed on Election Day November 8!  This means Billings will get it's long awaited new library.  Even in a down economy, 56% of the voters were in favor of funding the library.  The design by Will Bruder+ Partners is an energy efficient, daylight filled library full of features to please kids, teens and adults, for generations to come.  Find out more about the vote and future plans here.  Construction drawings are expected to be issued in March 2012.  Find out more about the design here.

In related news, the day before the vote the project was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Kendeda Foundation to help the project achieve LEED Gold certification.  The design team is weighing how best to allocate the grant, but ideas include a solar electric system and/or increased insulation to improve energy efficiency.

10/06/11

We are pleased to announce that Sussex School has been awarded LEED Gold Certification for their Classroom Addition project in Missoula, Montana. This is the first LEED certified school in Montana!  Achieving Gold Certification on their first project is especially impressive!  Congratulations to Sussex School, Oz Architects, Gaddy Construction, Ayers Construction and the rest of the design and construction team.  Learn more about the project here.

7/28/11

Check out the new article on the Fairchild Air Force Base Fitness Center, now under construction:  http://www.fairchild.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123265291  The project is pursuing LEED Gold Certification in the LEED NC 2009 program.

7/25/11

We are pleased to announce that the Central Park Recreation Center in Denver, Colorado has received LEED Gold certification. Congratulations to Denver City Parks and Recreation, Sink Combs Dethlefs Architects, Saunders Construction, and the rest of the design and construction team! Learn more about the project here.

6/23/11

We are pleased to announce that the GLR Building has received LEED Gold certification. Congratulations to Garlington Lohn Robinson, OZ Architects, Jackson Contractor Group, and the rest of the design and construction team! Learn more about the project here.

6/2/11

The Spokane Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) has just received LEED Gold certification in the LEED for New Construction 2009 program. This new facility is the first LEED Gold MEPS, as well as the first, LEED 2009 project for many of the team members. Check out the project case study here.

5/5/11

The American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment (COTE) has named the 2011 Top Ten Green Projects.  The selected projects reflect special attention to social and behavioral issues in addition to more typical green measures such as energy, water and material efficiency.  The jurors noted that the quality and degree of innovation in green design has evolved considerably since they started the Top Ten Green Projects program.  For a list of the winning projects and links to their websites, click here. 

4/25/11

Design Balance has been selected to be the LEED Consultant on the new Parmly Billings Library in Billings, Montana.  The design team is headed by Will Bruder + Partners, an award-winning architectural firm based in Phoenix.  Here is a recent article about a presentation givien by Will Bruder on the new Library Design.

4/15/11

We've created a new tri-fold brochure for the GLR Office Building indicating it's many green features.  It's downloadable from the GLR page of our website here.

3/28/11

Two of our projects, GLR Office Building and the Missoula Federal Credit Union Russell Branch, were recently featured in the Western Montana In Business Monthly publication. The article emphasizes that "Going green is a broad, far-reaching concept, especially when it comes to the world of business. It can be used to model business plans, make money, save money or market a service. Entire workplaces can be fashioned around the concept - anything that improves the state of the environment."

Read more in the Missoulian, Western Montana InBusiness Monthly, April 2011