Hello, I’m Nate Gillette. By training I am an Architect and I am the Director of Natura Architectural Consulting, where we work with building owners and design and construction professionals to help them understand sustainability and energy efficiency issues in buildings.
BIO
Prior to starting NAC I was a practicing Architect for a sustainable real estate development company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My experience and knowledge base come from my twelve years of experience in the real estate development, architectural, and construction fields.
Not being a stranger to the USGBC and the LEED certification program I have completed numerous LEED projects in LEED-NC, LEED-EBOM, LEED-CI, LEED-CS, and LEED for Homes. I am a Federally Certified Historic Preservation Architect and have won numerous awards for my designs. Adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects have been a specialty in my practice and I have a particular interest in turning historic buildings into high performance energy efficient structures without compromising historic character.
While a member of many different professional organizations, I am a Past-President of the Grand Rapids Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and was a member of the ASTM Workgroup that developed the E2797-11 Standard for Building Energy Performance Analysis Disclosure in Real Estate Transactions and an active member of the West Michigan and Illinois chapters of the U.S. Green Building Council. I am also a writer who has been published in several magazines and blogs and currently serves as an editorial advisory board member and writer for Retrofit Magazine.
My education included earning both a Master of Architecture degree from the Savannah College of Art & Design and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Lawrence Technological University. The credentials I have earned include being a member of the AIA, a LEED-AP EBOM accreditation, and Certified Energy Manager (CEM) designation, a certified Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rater, and Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) field inspector.
WHY A GREEN BUILDING PODCAST?
In an industry that changes as rapidly as the green building world it’s important to have continuing dialog on new technologies, best practices, lessons learned, and honest dialog about how to apply these concepts. As such this podcast’s intended audience is aimed at design professionals and building owners looking to learn more about green building and its practical applications. As a former member of the real estate development field my lens of green building includes cost-effectiveness and return on investment.