August 15, 2005—The Accreditation in Sustainable Building Design program from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) purports to be the worlds first evidence-based accreditation program for green building practitioners.
The goal of the program is to make clients, policy makers, and the profession recognize the clear distinction between aspiration and delivery in sustainable design, says program creator Sandy Halliday of Gaia Research. Halliday aims to debunk the idea that simply saying you can do sustainable design, or doing a course for two hours, two days, or two years, makes someone competent to really deliver.
Candidates for accreditation through this program submit an application that includes details on up to three recent projects.
The RIAS program is based on achievement in six areas: designing for effective resource use; minimizing pollution; supporting communities; promoting biodiversity; creating healthy environments; and managing the build process.
For more information, visit the RIAS Web site.
