PROJECT ARCHITECT, ADAM R. KERR, AIA LEED® AP, OF CORNERSTONE DESIGN-ARCHITECTS BECOMES A LEED® ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL
LANCASTER, PA (November 17, 2007) Adam Kerr, AIA LEED® AP, a Project Architect with Cornerstone Design-Architects in Lancaster, PA, has become a LEED® Accredited Professional. “LEED® Professional Accreditation distinguishes building professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully steward the LEED® certification process. LEED® Accredited Professionals (LEED® APs) have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and the LEED® Rating System. More than 40,000 people have become LEED® APs since the United States Green Building Council launched the Professional Accreditation program in 2001.” (Source: U.S. Green Building Council: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1584)
Adam graduated from New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2003 with a Bachelor of Architecture, Cum Laude. He was previously employed by LSC Design, Inc. and currently resides in York, Pennsylvania. During his employment at LSC Design, Inc. he participated in both the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center and Sinnemahoning State Park Visitor Center projects, which are currently pursuing various levels of LEED® certification.
The LEED® AP credential represents a thorough understanding of the LEED® Rating System and its application in practice. As a LEED® AP, Adam will facilitate Cornerstone Design-Architects’ integrated design process and streamline LEED® certification of future projects embracing sustainable design goals and responding to clients’ specific programming needs and requirements.
Adam is currently facilitating the Lancaster YMCA in its pursuit of LEED® Silver certification by the United States Green Building Council, which serves as the foundation and development of the design and construction of high performance, energy-efficient facilities, demonstrating a shared commitment to the health of future generations as well as that of our planet.
Regarding Cornerstone Design-Architects vision of sustainable design, Adam offered this statement: “sustainable design is not only a responsive process intended to mitigate the impact of buildings and their corresponding sites on the environment, but sustainable design also meets the needs of the occupants of buildings and spaces. Utilizing concepts such as natural daylighting, monitoring indoor air quality, and providing interior lighting and thermal controls enhances the experience of building occupants. Sustainable design is the responsible approach to designing facilities of the future. In order to begin to minimize the impact of building and site construction on the environment, design professionals, owners, construction firms, and the public need to be informed and educated about sustainable design and its benefits.”
Cornerstone Design-Architects is responding to this design initiative by supporting staff members to become LEED® certified. Cornerstone Design-Architects’ President, Dale R. Yoder, AIA, said, “Since our mission is to responsively and creatively design facilities of significance, we include sustainable design principles when they support our client’s vision, Cornerstone Design-Architects will lead the design team in finding solutions that respond to our client's vision and intentions for their facility. Designing projects that capitalize on natural daylight, control indoor air quality and energy controls provide parallel benefits to both the facility users and our healthy planet.”
About LEED®: LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) provides a national standard for what constitutes a green building. The LEED® system is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance sustainable buildings. LEED® provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals. Evaluation categories include sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design.
The LEED® rating system offers four certification levels for new construction -- Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, which correspond to the number of credits accrued in five green design categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality. Currently, LEED® rating systems include new construction and major renovation projects, existing buildings, commercial interiors, core & shell, and schools. LEED® rating systems are currently under development for retail (new construction and interiors), healthcare, homes, and neighborhood development.
About Cornerstone Design-Architects: Cornerstone Design-Architects, a Lancaster PA architectural firm with architects who are registered to practice in 19 states including Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, offers extensive experience and talent in both design and construction. Cornerstone Design-Architects specializes in creative and adaptive architectural designs for new construction, renovations, historical preservations, redesign, remodeling and additions. Cornerstone Design-Architects provides customized drawings, renderings, campaign collateral and walk through animations for churches, worship spaces, private schools, college design, Christian educational facilities, auditoriums, classrooms, gymnasiums and fitness centers, dormitories, theatres, performing arts centers, healthcare facilities and medical office buildings, commercial and industrial buildings.
Cornerstone Design-Architects has grown into a cutting-edge, yet client-driven design firm during its 17-year history. Originally incorporated under the name of W.N. Marsh Associates Ltd. Architects in January of 1990, as an affiliate of The Horst Group. In February of 1995, the company name was changed to Cornerstone Design Ltd. Architects. In January 1997, Dale R. Yoder, AIA, was named President and in June 1997 became a fifty percent owner of the firm. In May 2007, Cornerstone Design-Architects began a new era of employee ownership with a goal of providing even more dedicated levels of client commitment. Buying out Horst Group's 50% share of ownership, the four managing partners now include Dale R. Yoder, A.I.A. President; Rick Walker, A.I.A., C.C.S., Vice President; John O. Yoder, III, A.I.A., Director of Design & Construction Services; and Julie R. Parker, Business Manager.