Ohio's green building boom has been good to a Westlake company that has grown on the strength of its expertise in green building strategies.
Humanity's Loom, founded by Laura Steinbrink in 2008, attempts to fill the knowledge gaps between architects, engineers, construction managers and owners who are pursuing LEED-certified building projects, says Steinbrink, the company's president.
Steinbrink says the need for a green construction consulting company became apparent five years ago.
"I was at University Hospitals (in Cleveland) as they were launching their building campaign and it became clear to me that there was a breakdown in (helping) the owner articulate their sustainability goals into a project that made sense," she explains. "The architects and construction managers and owner's reps had a hard time hearing what the owner was saying -- and then rearticulating the value proposition of certain improvements or certain design elements they might make."
Humanity's Loom helps uncover the operational impacts of a building and how they affect project decisions. For example, nearly three-quarters of a building's long-term costs are in its operations. That's a key fact that can illustrate the value of green construction, help demonstrate a return on investment and help the owner operate a business sustainably over the long term, Steinbrink says.
As more green buildings are constructed in Ohio, Steinbrink's company has grown as well -- by 300 percent last year alone, she says.
While things like state mandates for LEED-certified school construction have helped, two other factors have contributed to growth, she says.
"Owners have wised up and realized LEED is not just a plaque on the wall, it's a tool they can use to evaluate the way they run their business. And the second thing is many architects have come to recognize they're good at designing buildings but this LEED process is very time intensive and they are better serving their clients designing rather than documenting LEED."
The company has three full-time employees but expects to add jobs as it grows.
Source: Laura Steinbrink, Humanity's Loom
Writer: Gene Monteith