Sustainable Design Group - LEED Certifed Green Architects & Builders

SDG President John Spears has been designing and building healthy, energy-efficient, green, solar homes around the world for over 35 years with an emphasis on self-sufficient buildings and communities. He has designed sustainable communities in Mexico, South Africa, and China, including the Beijing Olympic Village. Over 6,000 of John Spears' Earth Homes™ have been built around the world, and he has consulted on numerous LEED projects.

John W. Spears C.E.M., LEED AP

President, Sustainable Design Group
President, CEO, International Center for Sustainable Development

John Spears is the president of Sustainable Design Group and the nonprofit International Center for Sustainable Development in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He is an internationally recognized expert with 30 years experience in energy conservation, renewable energy systems, indoor air quality and sustainable design. Mr. Spears provides design and consulting services in the areas of residential and commercial building energy conservation, renewable energy systems, “Green Building” design, indoor air quality and sustainable community development. As a home designer, his homes have appeared in publications such as Better Homes and Gardens Building Ideas, Popular Science, Solar Age, New Shelter, and Environmental Design and Construction and has been featured on Home and Garden TV (HGTV), Dream Builders and Old Homes Restored. Since 1973 Mr. Spears has been consulting with clients such as The Department of Energy, EPA, Electric Power Research Institute, Gas Research Institute, National Association of Home Builders, utilities and product manufacturers. As the Senior Architect for the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, Mr. Spears headed the energy, indoor air quality and building systems research. As Senior Energy Planner for Montgomery County Maryland in the early 1980s, he developed and managed a comprehensive energy management plan to lead the county to energy self-sufficiency by 2020. Mr. Spears has served on the board of directors and founded local chapters of the American Solar Energy Society and the Energy and Environmental Building Association.

Mr. Spears is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) by the Association of Energy Engineers and was awarded the Environmental Professional of the Year 1995. He is also a member of the US Green Building Council and a LEED Accredited Professional.

Mr. Spears has helped numerous institutions and developers develop sustainable community projects in the USA and around the world. Mr. Spears designed the first passive solar, sustainable community development project in South Africa. www.sustainabledesign.com/rsa-haus.htm This project was presented at the UN Global Warming Conference in Kyoto Japan in December 1997 as an example of how developing nations can grow and prosper while minimizing the emissions of greenhouse gases. Known as a “no regrets” project, this development cost no more to implement than conventional development and creates sustainable economic growth and stable healthy communities.

Mr. Spears has extensive experience working throughout China. Working together with the USDOE and the Beijing Ministry of Science and Technology and local Guanghan, China city government Mr. Spears designed a model sustainable village with approximately 100 new homes, town center and community building, sustainable water, waste and energy systems and a sustainable agriculture system. The concept of recycling village resources has become central to making this a sustainable design, with renewable energy powering the village: solar heating as well as biogas production to provide cooking gas and a biogas-powered generator for electric power. The biogas is generated on a farm, which serves as the main revenue source alongside the agriculture. The village economy and environment is further aided by new enterprises: compressed earth block technology, straw board manufacture, and flexible home designs that allow villagers to operate small shops to serve villagers and tourists. This sustainable village serves as a model not only for villages in China, but throughout the developing world in agricultural based regions.

Mr. Spears has been working with the Chinese Ministry of Health through the World Bank and the GEF to design, build, monitor and evaluate over 30 passive solar health care clinics in 3 north western provinces of China and to train their Design Institutes on energy efficient passive solar building design.

Mr. Spears has worked with 5 cities in China, providing sustainable development technical assistance in both rural and urban development and is playing a key role in the US-China cooperation on Greening Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.