Victoria Schomer, ASID, LEED AP

“Green Building” is a term we are all becoming very familiar with. New studies tell us that the majority of all building professionals are now including green building principles in their projects. And just in time, our design and building industry is paying careful attention to our professional contribution to global warming. Unfortunately, we contribute more green house gases to the atmosphere than cars do!

My interior design career actually started in 1972 with traditional commercial design work on large corporate projects, medical clinics and banks, with a number of residential jobs as well. And although I am still involved with many wonderful mainstream design and build projects, each year brings more clients wanting to create their living and working spaces utilizing healthy and more ecologically-friendly systems, products and materials.

In 1989, I began researching ecological and health issues as they related to designing and building. Inspired by the information that was beginning to surface addressing issues of environmental concerns such as global deforestation of the rainforests and ecologically preferred products coming out of Europe, I began the first national newsletter for other design and build professionals, “Interior Concerns Newsletter.” In 1992, I assembled the first national listing of material and product resources and published "Interior Concerns Resource Guide." Soon thereafter I founded the nonprofit, Building Concerns, to further broaden the base of environmental design and build education tools and programs I could make available. The work that I have been able to do through Building Concerns continues to be extremely rewarding as well as placing me in the forefront with many wonderful and committed design and building professionals.

After 20 years in the San Francisco Bay area, I moved to Asheville where my husband and I created a wonderful “deep-shade-of-green” bed & breakfast: Asheville Green Cottage. This was, and continues to be, my most personal and exhaustive research project with goals to create a relaxing, happy and healing place to stay, and to offer a community location for the support of people and programs sustaining individual and global health. Please check us out at http://www.ashevillegreencottage.com.


PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALS

• Recipient of the national “Design for Humanity Award" from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

• Core Committee member of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and US Green Building Council (USGBC) partnership program to develop guidelines and educational programs for “Green Residential Remodeling and Interior Renovations” for both building professionals and consumers.

• Member of ASID “Distinguished Speakers Program” offering continuing education seminars on environmental issues for design and build, since 1993.

• Founding and current member of ASID Sustainable Design Council

• Lennox national spokesperson and designer for recipient of their Complete Home Comfort Makeover competition.

• Professional member, ASID (NCIDQ certified) since 1988.

• California State Certified Interior Designer since 1994.

• ASID California North Chapter Board member, 1997

• ASID California North Chapter Board Secretary, 1998

• Founder and editor, 1991-98, of Building Concerns Newsletter, a nationwide bi-monthly newsletter of environmental focus for designers, architects and builders.

• Publisher, 1992-97, of Interior Concerns Resource Guide, the first of its kind and at its time the most comprehensive resource directory of educational information and materials and product suppliers all over the U.S.

• Founded in 1994 Building Concerns, a non profit committed to encourage and foster the understanding and implementation of healthier and more sustainable design and build processes, through educational action such as the publication of Building Concerns Newsletter, Regional Directories, Green Buildings Case Studies Reviews, and other projects and programs.

• International speaker at conferences, seminars, and universities.

• Panelist on the American Institute of Architects' videoconference "Building Connections".

• First green project: 1990 Marin County Designer Showcase Environmentally-Friendly Space, San Rafael, CA.

• Currently completed and participated in dozens of environmentally focused projects (residential and commercial).