At Hunzinger Construction Company we are celebrating Earth Day! This year we asked every employee to fill out a pledge card and make a statement about how they are going to “make every day Earth Day”.
Hunzinger Continues Its Mission to Educate on Green and Sustainable Building Practices
Recognizing long ago that it is insufficient to advocate change and innovation for green building practices for our clients without also experiencing some of the construction industry’s most challenging endeavors for ourselves, Hunzinger was the first contractor and facility owner in the State of Wisconsin to complete respective Gold and Platinum LEED-CI Certifications of our buildings. Since completion of those projects, Hunzinger has embraced sustainable construction efforts and has been at the vanguard of transforming our industry and our built environment as an educator and advocate for green and sustainable building practices.
Hunzinger has been at the forefront of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) construction practices and administration and today, Hunzinger has over 35 LEED Accredited Professionals on staff and has taken a leadership role in educating and training clients, property owners and facility managers, subcontractors and Wisconsin architects and engineers on green building practices.
Hunzinger created a new division called Sustainable Building Solutions (SBS) for the specific purpose of green education/training, professional consulting, and energy analyses. Hunzinger began offering the LEED AP preparation class to local subcontractors, architects, engineers and building owners and managers. In the 9 years since its inception, Hunzinger has trained well over 1,000 people to better assist them with their LEED AP and LEED Green Associate Exams. The impact that these 1,000 LEED AP’s are having has been significant and has really transformed the landscape of sustainable building and the construction industry in southeast Wisconsin.
In 2006, Hunzinger developed an education course for tradesmen on the Johnson Controls LEED Platinum Campus project that specifically addressed how LEED would affect their day to day jobs. Hunzinger presented this curriculum to over 2,500 field personnel working on the LEED Campus.
Early in 2008 Hunzinger Construction created and continues to hold an annual Green Building Conference. This conference averages 200 attendees and is free to attend. At the conference, Hunzinger staff and invited Green Building experts present various topics in sustainable construction. Hunzinger’s Director of Sustainability has personally presented topics at this conference ranging from a LEED EB: O&M overview and LEED case studies related to LEED NC and LEED Homes. In the years since its creation, over 1,750 people have attended to learn about sustainable building practices.
Hunzinger has also developed a Sustainable Road Show, giving more than 150 presentations on sustainability and LEED in the commercial construction industry to area architects, engineers, building owners, universities, and other professional organizations in the State of Wisconsin. Currently Hunzinger is using this program to present the LEED V4 program. The reach of this educational program has been particularly impactful because the information presented is being used daily by designers and engineers to create a transformed built environment.
“Whether it is culturally driven, mandated by code, or both, sustainable design and construction is here to stay. Those that embrace it will change the way they do business and those that chose to study and learn more about it will be transformed. For our company, “The sustainable movement” has been an invigorating process. Over a decade ago, we decided to take the plunge and embrace sustainable design and construction practices, which at the time were new to this marketplace. Today, our staff consists of over 35 LEED Accredited Professionals and LEED Green Associates and all of our company owned facilities are now LEED Certified. Furthermore, sharing our passion and enthusiasm for green building has led to the implementation of our continuing education and training programs for not only our own workforce, but also anyone else seeking professional accreditation and sustainability enrichment opportunities. “
Jim Hunzinger, Executive Vice President, LEED AP BD+C, LEED for Homes