Faculty Spotlight:
Sustainable Design & Construction Practices

Todd C. Lukesh
Manager of Sustainability at Webcor Builders / LEED AP, Assoc AIA, CGBP, GPR

As Manager of Sustainability at Webcor, Todd Lukesh brings Environmental Sustainability management experience to the design, preconstruction and construction phases of a project. Mr. Lukesh is integral in Webcor's Virtual Design & Construction group to develop material carbon footprint analysis tools, embodied energy measurement, LEED documentation, and facility and operational management tools.

Previously, Todd worked in national and international architect offices, and initiated a Green Building program for a leading Bay Area high-end residential property developer. Collaborating with several regional authorities, his influences provided support and development to Alameda County's Multifamily Green Point Rated system.

Todd holds a Bachelor of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a minor in Construction Management and concentration in Environmental Sustainability. He has been a LEED Accredited Professional since 2003, participant of the USGBC local San Francisco and Los Angeles chapters, an advanced Certified Green Building Professional (CGBP), a Green Point Rater (GPR), member of the national Design Build Institute of America (DBIA), certified by the National Association of the Remolding Industry (NARI), and adjunct faculty teaching Sustainable Design & Construction Practices within the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Southern California (USC).

SF State Extended Learning asks Todd Lukesh:

What interested you in sustainability initially, and what "sustains" your interest?

I have always enjoyed plants, nature and outdoors and coming from an architecture background my interests began in wanting to bring outside inside and harmoniously integrating designs with nature. The average American spends over 90% of their time indoors; I wanted to find ways to make it feel like indoor spaces were outdoor spaces. Moving forward, I was introduced to the idea of sustainability while working for an architect in Australia and have never looked back. My interests are sustained by the continued evolution of this field…new technologies, innovations, advancements, and new ways of thinking keeps me interested in the field. Sustainable design and construction will eventually become industry recognized standard practice. General education and awareness is a vital first step towards achieving that goal.

Why is sustainability such a buzz word right now and where do you see its possibilities in the future (especially with new government initiatives)?

The terms “sustainability” and “green” are buzz words. You see them in magazines, Hollywood, fashion, building industries, etc. People find that “green” is hip and popular, but they fail to recognize the real impact or full circle of what it is, how it works and why it is so important. Understanding the full implications of our daily lifestyles and the general wastefulness we live by as Americans has got to change. Green building is now a public requirement in the city of San Francisco. LA, Chicago and NY are also embracing sustainable best practices incentives and mandates. Eventually Green Building will become a standard and just like it is illegal to not follow building code today, it will become illegal to not build green.

What are the three main reasons people in relevant positions should attend your SF State Extended Learning course?

1. General awareness, advocacy and public education is critical to better understand the impact we have on the local and global environments and economies. This course will address what we know today and where we are headed in the future as the topic of Green Building and Sustainability continues to evolve and innovate. We are still on the forefront of a green revolution; we want to create industry leaders and experts to motivate the masses to follow their footsteps.
   
   
2. Cross-pollination of industries and approaching sustainability as an integrated team is the key to success. Historically, architects, builders, developers and owners think only of the risk they have in a contract. “Thinking outside of the box” mentalities need to be embraced to achieve successes in this industry. When an architect can think like a builder and vice versa, we will approach a more seamless integration that ultimately produces higher quality, reduces waste and manages a tighter schedule and budget.
   
   
3. Practical application of skills developed is critical. Participants of this course will learn the how-to approach toward developing a green project from a multi-disciplined perspective. They will be left with a general knowledge that will leave them wanting more. Inspiration to continue education in this field is my ultimate goal. A 16-hour course will not make a participant an expert in the field of sustainability and green building; however, it will provide enough knowledge to hopefully leave course participants the drive to learn more and apply the newly gained skills to their practices within the industry.