Jo Randolph, adjunct professor, interior design; Darla Green, assistant professor, interior design; and Ben Perry, adjunct assistant professor, architecture, have LEED Accredited Professional certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and they all consider it the norm – nothing extraordinary. Not that the preparation and test weren¹t difficult, but they say being sustainable is intrinsic to their professions.

“My hope is that the LEED rating system becomes the standard for all buildings, instead of something special,” said Green, whose LEED AP is in new construction.

The three incorporate sustainability into their profession and teaching. For them, the essence of sustainability begins in design with space planning, product choice and building orientation, structure and landscaping.

“Green design should fundamentally inform the shape of a building,” said Perry who has an AP BD + C (building design plus construction). “The intent of building design should be saving energy, saving resources, maintaining the health of its occupants and being good stewards of the Earth.”

While interior design offers a one-hour credit Sustainable Design class and Perry devotes a class to methods to design for energy conservation, the three faculty say sustainability is woven throughout their teaching. Every semester, Perry takes students to visit local buildings that promote green architecture.

“I incorporate sustainability teaching into every one of my classes and hit it hardcore in Issues in Interior Design, Interior Textiles, Commercial Design and Space Planning,” Green said.

“I weave sustainability into my class wherever applicable – it’s one of the overarching principles of my Introduction to Architecture class,” Perry said.

According to Randolph, JCCC’s interior design program has been incorporating sustainable design into courses since 2006. Green says students need to learn how to discuss sustainability with clients and learn how to evaluate products.

“I think students, and most people, are surprised to learn there is no perfect green product. I have students research a product to see whether it’s made from natural or recycled materials, how much fuel and degradation of air quality is used in its transportation, how safe a product is to the consumer ­ in its installation and maintenance, and what happens to them when you are done with them,” Randolph said.

An issue of importance to all three LEED faculty is “deconstructing” or “repurposing.” “When you do a redesign, you have to think about what happens to a previously used item,” Randolph said. “Are you going to reuse it, repurpose it or throw it into a landfill?” Perry, a project manager and director of sustainability at HMN architects, was a consultant on the college’s new Olathe Health Education Center, which is anticipated to be LEED “Silver” certified at its fall 2011 completion. He says the building’s green features can be used as teaching tools for architecture students and the public.

“There are a lot of studies that show the increased cost of building in compliance with LEED standards is minimal if decisions are made early in the design,” Perry said.

Randolph was one of 30 educators selected to attend the Summer Sustainability Institute, Portland Community College. Her idea, echoed by Perry, is an introductory sustainability course that incorporates the expertise of many college disciplines like interior design; architecture; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); engineering and electrical technology.

LEED AP certification requires 30 hours of continuing education credits every two years.

“LEED certification shouldn¹t be the possibility; it should be the norm,” Green said.