ST. JOSEPH, MICH. - After years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies to promote sustainability in the building and design community, green design expert Mark Johnson — FAIA, NKBA Educator, consultant, residential architect and certified kitchen designer — is taking his message to the blogosphere. This week, Johnson, principal of design and building consulting firm MARKITECT, will debut the GreenDesignGuide blog (www.greendesignguide.com) as a new feature of leading online architecture, engineering and construction portal AEC Daily. The blog’s goal is to connect design professionals with sustainable design resources and generate discussions to further the green movement. “In the traveling I do for MARKITECT, I have seen a need in the design community to stay ahead of the game on several fronts,” Johnson said. “There are some excellent green design tools and certification programs available today, but most architects don’t have the time to research all the options. My primary goal through the GreenDesignGuide blog is to point them to the resources they need and help expedite their research and design process.” The focus of GreenDesignGuide will be on residential design, sustainable building products, online design tools for going green and tips on how to qualify for the latest national green certification programs. The blog will cater to a variety of design professionals, from the designers of custom and spec homes to the designers of home remodeling and addition projects. Material covered will offer something for everyone, with an emphasis on the use of green design case studies, including video Podcasts, 3D virtual models, Google Applications, and LEED for Home projects, as instructional tools. Featured Google applications will include SketchUp, 3D Warehouse, Earth and Trends. “Like most architects and designers, I’m a visual learner, so I’ll be directing the readers of GreenDesignGuide away from words whenever possible and on to engaging online case studies,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of great design projects that never make it into national architectural journals. Hopefully, this blog will give some of these projects the recognition they deserve, while passing on some new knowledge from the project architect or designer to readers.” re:Source, an online network of information on the latest sustainable building and design technologies, will be involved in GreenDesignGuide as a founding sponsor and will air occasional case study video podcasts for the blog. AEC Daily is looking forward to working with Johnson and making good use of his green design expertise. “Having industry experts of Mark Johnson’s caliber write for AEC Daily really adds to the intrigue of the read,” said Jeff Rice, President of AEC Daily. “Mark’s insight on green design and his professional experience are very impressive. He’s a true ambassador and visionary of the green movement, and he has a real grasp on what green design needs to be.” About Mark Johnson – FAIA/CKD/AIBD Mark Johnson is Principal of MARKITECT, a consulting firm serving the design and building industry. His work with two Fortune 500 Companies, Whirlpool Corporation and CertainTeed Corporation, garnered three AIA Continuing Education System Awards for Excellence. Prior to his corporate career, he practiced as a licensed architect, working for top firms, including HOK and Moore Ruble Yudell. Johnson writes and speaks internationally on sustainable design and technology and design trends in architecture. Johnson is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, NKBA Educator for the National Kitchen and Bath Association, Certified Kitchen Designer and a Professional Building Designer with the American Institute of Building Design. He holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture and an MBA degree from Washington University in St. Louis, as well as a master’s degree in architecture and urban planning from UCLA. About AEC Daily AEC Daily is the largest provider of FREE online continuing education to construction professionals. Courses are available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and credits are automatically submitted to AIA, CSI and other organizations. Architects, engineers, interior designers and other construction professionals rely on AEC Daily to maintain their accreditation with ease. www.aecdaily.com About re:Source re:Source is a constantly growing network of information on the latest sustainable technologies and practices being implemented by designers and builders. They use the power of storytelling combined with actionable insight and education to produce videos that help to inspire the entire AEC industry to transform itself. Their goal is simple: Spread the knowledge. www.resourcemedia.tv
