James Scott Brew is a Principal Architect and he jointly oversees the work of the buildings practice area at RMI. He has over 3 decades of sustainable design and construction experience in historic, commercial, institutional, and residential architecture. James is presently co-leading RMI’s Superefficient Housing Initiative, which is aimed at affordable superefficiency in public, campus, military and workforce housing. James is an adjunct instructor at the University of Colorado at Boulder in sustainability, and a frequent speaker at regional, national and international conferences on emerging trends and solutions for sustainable and regenerative housing, buildings and communities. James joined RMI in 2007.
Background
Before joining Rocky Mountain Institute, James was a principal owner and leader of the sustainable design practice at his own Minnesota based architecture and engineering firm—helping to grow the company from a small single-focused team to over 165-people on 7 client-focused teams. His work extends from the U.S. to Asia, Australia and Europe. James spent nearly 7 years leading the successful technology transfer of an innovative and resource-efficient Japanese housing system to the U.S. market. With many regional and national awards for his work, James has consistently been a champion and leader for the advancement of sustainability—moving us toward healthy, regenerative buildings and communities.
Education
- Lake Superior College, Duluth, Minnesota, Architecture, 1981
- University of Wisconsin – Superior, Extended Degree Program, 1991
- University of Minnesota – Duluth, Marketing Certificate, 1994
Qualifications
- Licensed Architect, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Wisconsin
- Certified Passivhaus Design Consultant (CPHC)
- LEED Accredited Professional BD+C
- Certified Construction Specifier (CCS)
- Certified Construction Contract Administrator (CCCA)
- Living Building Challenge Ambassador
Professional Affiliations
- American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- Fellow, Construction Specifications Institute (FCSI)
- USGBC - Colorado | Boulder Green Building Guild
- CSI GreenFormat™ Task Team
- GreenAdvantage® National Certification Standards Board
- Affordable Housing Design Leadership Institute
- Net Impact Case Competition Judge
- Unreasonable Institute Mentor
- Living Building Challenge Ambassador
Publications and Presentations
- An Environmental Living & Learning Center, Environmental Design + Construction
- Keynote: Czech Green Building Council Founders Ceremony
- Transcendence or Transparence, Environmental Design + Construction
- 3 Easy Ways to Save Energy This Fall, Rodale Press
- The Value of Energy Efficiency, TEDx Boulder