Boulder Green Design Firm Joins Rocky Mountain Institute
Two leaders in resource efficiency and environmentally sustainable building design have announced the consolidation of their practices. ENSAR Group has announced that it will become a part of Rocky Mountain Institute's green real estate and development consultancy in a new RMI department, RMI/ENSAR Built Environment.
Rocky Mountain Institute, led by physicist Amory Lovins, is a 23-year-old independent nonprofit group that fosters the efficient and restorative use of resources to make the world secure, just, prosperous, and life-sustaining. RMI earns most of its revenue through private-sector consulting in three areas: energy and resources, integrative design, and green buildings and real estate development. ENSAR Group, led by Greg E. Franta, FAIA, has for 27 years been a leading consultancy in high-performance buildings, and is one of only five U.S. firms certifying LEED buildings (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) under the auspices of the U.S. Green Building Council. Its name is short for "Environmentally Sustainable Architecture."
On August 1, 2005, the entire staff of ENSAR Group joined RMI's green real estate and development consultancy (formerly called Green Development Services) under its new operating name: RMI/ENSAR Built Environment. The new consultancy will aim to help the building industry restore and regenerate natural systems while enhancing sustainable built environments. RMI/ENSAR Built Environment will be based in Snowmass and Boulder, Colo., under Franta's leadership.
The purpose of joining forces, according to the groups, is to provide a more comprehensive approach to green development, from notions developed at the "think tank" level through on-the-ground implementation, resulting in a larger impact on the building industry than either group has achieved alone. The current services of both organizations will remain intact with a new market development opportunity for more comprehensive services for a broader range of clients.
"The work that RMI does, and the work that ENSAR Group does has been complementary for more than 20 years," said RMI executive director Marty Pickett. "Indeed, RMI and ENSAR Group have worked on several green building projects together. Hiring ENSAR Group to become part of our Green Development Services was a logical step in the evolution of the Institute."
Rocky Mountain Institute, led by physicist Amory Lovins, is a 23-year-old independent nonprofit group that fosters the efficient and restorative use of resources to make the world secure, just, prosperous, and life-sustaining. RMI earns most of its revenue through private-sector consulting in three areas: energy and resources, integrative design, and green buildings and real estate development. ENSAR Group, led by Greg E. Franta, FAIA, has for 27 years been a leading consultancy in high-performance buildings, and is one of only five U.S. firms certifying LEED buildings (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) under the auspices of the U.S. Green Building Council. Its name is short for "Environmentally Sustainable Architecture."
On August 1, 2005, the entire staff of ENSAR Group joined RMI's green real estate and development consultancy (formerly called Green Development Services) under its new operating name: RMI/ENSAR Built Environment. The new consultancy will aim to help the building industry restore and regenerate natural systems while enhancing sustainable built environments. RMI/ENSAR Built Environment will be based in Snowmass and Boulder, Colo., under Franta's leadership.
The purpose of joining forces, according to the groups, is to provide a more comprehensive approach to green development, from notions developed at the "think tank" level through on-the-ground implementation, resulting in a larger impact on the building industry than either group has achieved alone. The current services of both organizations will remain intact with a new market development opportunity for more comprehensive services for a broader range of clients.
"The work that RMI does, and the work that ENSAR Group does has been complementary for more than 20 years," said RMI executive director Marty Pickett. "Indeed, RMI and ENSAR Group have worked on several green building projects together. Hiring ENSAR Group to become part of our Green Development Services was a logical step in the evolution of the Institute."
