"By the silence on this subject....
It is apparent that our professional community is not willing to speak out, yet. That's OK. Like any potentially tragic event, we pause and take a breath... 'it may go away.' Like the 12 things in my "IN" basket. Right! Is it, perhaps, that we are sensing again, a professional thought undercurrent that all of our certification and hard work getting to L.E.E.D. should not be challenged, right or wrong?
Wake Up
Historically Architects have relied on committee motion to evolve. We have not been good about talking with one another. Be it our competitive nature, built from the never-to-be-forgotten Studio all nighters and the critique that followed... that education-embedded claim to our very conceptual thought, being only ours.... and to be protected.
The application of the concept of L.E.E.D. is not new. NCARB was invented when architects failed to help States found a language of reciprocity. NCARB now collects nice fees just to keep records, regardless of your intent to carry license to another jurisdiction. Now, through the professions stroll along the way with NCARB, NCARB has pretty much shut the door on those that lack certificate, yet experientially exceed, by far, those who are just newly licensed.
And, NCARB has made past comment to our profession as being lame.... in that a candidate with only a high school education can hold license as an architect. When was and who addressed NCARB's invitation for critique of our profession, such that this entity that was founded to enable our profession, can now make heard their disdain for the same?
Recently I have worked aside an fine architect - Taliesin/Wright fellow. I need not delve into his ability. It is as if we, even our finest, and because of our silence, are becoming subject of unwarranted critique. Or are we truly scalawags? Nevertheless, our profession's fine creations, even those created by the hand of the so called inept, stand and act as supreme complement to our profession and it's diversity. Where is Ayn Rand when you need her?
OK
The point here is that if applied, one can achieve levels of success that far surpass certification - the label. Or do we rely on the label? For some, perhaps Code is the rule of success. If the jurisdiction's review comments are less than a page, we are doing well. Who designs to code as their standard? And where is that business going?
Now
Upon our doorstep, and invited by similar language or lack there of, is L.E.E.D.
Think about this current legal challenge. Read it. Talk about it in your profession. If it is viable, if it is to be, it will be. Though, like many, I am trying to see the constraints as well as the benefits of L.E.E.D. Perhaps many in our profession will take historic course and wait to see what happens. Perhaps the wake up call will be when we are critiqued on our inability to follow yet one more set of rules..... that is where this is going. It is inevitable.
Last Thought
Since I was a kid, I have had the thought that we would once be portioning air. Maybe we are getting there, faster than I ever imagined. Such, may be the course of L.E.E.D. when put in the hands of the inexperienced. Don't get me wrong, the concept of L.E.E.D. was solid. Although, the intent, by way of legal challenge, is at this point, questionable.
Let's take a closer look at what our profession endorses and why... fad and trend are for levels of design. Some stand the test of time. Our practice is pretty well understood and our profession's historic applications are fairly reliable.
For a label, for a plaque. Where were we before L.E.E.D.? Think back. Better, talk about it and it's relative and future viability to you in your profession."
Zeiler-Pennock Inc.