With offices in Houston and San Antonio, Kudela & Weinheimer has been on the leading edge of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified landscape design almost since the program’s inception. Whether utilizing native vegetation, state-of-the-art water efficiency or sustainable site planning, K&W brings years of experience to the design of sustainable projects. Their in-depth knowledge assures you of a more efficient, less expensive to maintain, more marketable and more eco-friendly landscape for either new construction or renovation projects. K&W has been involved in 11 LEED projects as of last year and consistently delivers on the points assigned to the site and landscape. Through careful planning and thoughtful execution, K&W ensures that your LEED and or sustainable projects are properly designed, thoroughly documented and beautiful to behold.
Sustainable principles are inherent in everything that Kudela & Weinheimer produces, but the degree that we design to is determined by the client. We work with our clients to determine how environmentally beneficial landscape design can enhance their particular project and integrate with their priorities. We have completed several projects which have achieved, or are in the process of achieving LEED Certification. However, the LEED certification process is expensive and many clients choose not to pursue certification. That does not mean, however, that client and architect cannot design with sustainability in mind. Green design is good design and the benefits of a sustainable approach are well known as these design principles become a requirement of public agencies.
Additionally, not all sustainably built projects are certified through LEED. Some projects are designed and built to be sustainable but do not have formal certification of any standard. LEED is only one type of sustainable certification. There are other certifications including CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools), Green Globes®, National Green Building Standard and Energy Star®. All of these certifications rate the development’s effects on the environment through water efficiency, energy efficiency, proximity to other developments and public transportation, recycled materials used, local materials used, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.
