The Integrated Design Lab directors who operate the  BetterBricks funded Integrated Design Lab Network are among the best and brightest in the high performance building community.  It’s no wonder then that two of these superstars made headlines with recent accolades and honors.

Charlie (G.Z.) Brown was recently recognized with a PLEA Award – an honor conferred upon a regional figure or organization of international distinction only once a year.  PLEA, which stands for Passive Low Energy Architecture, is an annual international conference focusing on sustainable architecture and urban design.  Charlie is the founding director of the Energy Studies in Buildings Laboratory at the University of Oregon and a nationally recognized educator, author, and researcher on daylighting and energy use in buildings.

Secondly, Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, assistant professor of Architecture at University of Idaho and director of the Boise Integrated Design Lab has recently been elected Chair of Governor Otter’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Task Force.  This Task Force is part of the Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance, which is a state-wide effort to develop effective and long lasting responses to energy challenges.