Sustainable design is a high priority for all Design West projects.  While we work hard to design quality facilities within the strict budget constraints of most clients, we also believe that our facilities must make a strong statement to users and the community that saving energy and resources and protecting the environment is important.  All of our project decisions are evaluated on the basis of environmental soundness, efficiency and longevity, impact on the quality of education, and the financial capabilities of each client.  Although we have LEED® Accredited Professionals on staff, we don't recommend the LEED® certification process for every project.  Rather, we carefully analyze the scope and budget of each project and determine if project certification is appropriate.  Even in cases where LEED® and/or other certification programs are deemed impractical, Design West uses those programs as guidelines for implementation of sustainable design features that provide for increased health and safety of building occupants while minimizing impact on the project budget.  

Design West has established a strong working relationship with University of Idaho's Integrated Design Lab, an organization dedicated to ensuring energy efficiency in Idaho's public buildings.  We work together on daylighting studies and facility analysis, constantly upgrading our designs for maximum energy efficiency.   Jim Coles is a 2008 Better Bricks Award Winner, a program to recognize the contribution of industry professionals to the promotion of sustainable design.  He was also an award finalist in 2007.  We strongly encourage our clients to pursue implementation of high performance features in their facilities.  Please click on the links above for information regarding two of our "high performance" projects.