About Us

We designed our way into this problem…

Since 1998, Barbra Batshalom and her team have led efforts to make green building mainstream. A lot has changed since then, from the early days when the idea of green was laughed at, to the present day when the entire industry is struggling to figure out how to institutionalize sustainability in a real and meaningful way.

After 13 years of consulting on building projects, we’ve seen that “end of pipe” solutions, such as rating systems, building codes and performance targets, don’t drive the wholesale change that we need. They result in “random acts of sustainability” and individual successes, but not complete culture shifts in professional practice. The root of the problem is that we are still clinging to the same old processes, behavior and mindset to deliver a new product. LEED, Net Zero, Living Buildings, 2030 – none of these targets can be achieved without addressing how we do our business at an organizational level – culture, systems, processes and methodologies.

..Now we need to design our way out

Our experience during the past decade of rapid industry change has enabled us to see the success factors that distinguish the truly capable companies from the rest. These success factors include strong leadership, clear and measurable goals, effective strategies to meet these goals over time, systems, tools and processes that optimize project delivery, collaboration, and capacity building to ensure that everyone in the organization can produce consistent, high quality results. These elements come together in our Roadmap to Continuous Improvement.

We meet you where you are and guide you to where you want to go

SPI’s Roadmap to Continuous Improvement makes it easier for your company to go from “random acts of sustainability” to true capability to deliver consistent, high quality sustainability to your clients. Many organizations have some programs and some successes, but need a sharper focus, measurable goals and a strategic implementation plan. As a respected 3rd party, we can help streamline the process and provide that outside push needed to keep efforts on track. We help companies align mindset, culture and capability so that they can achieve better performance and profitability.

  • SPI provides assessment to help you understand your organization’s baseline – where you are, what your strengths are and where the gaps are that keep the organization from realizing more success. The assessment also provides a competitive analysis based on our overall industry data.  Assessment is the first step in charting a strategic course forward.
  • SPI provides education to support success – building technical and communication skills, implementing change management, integrative design process – workshops, webinars and team building to make sure everyone has the skills they need to make the company shine.
  • Our consulting services focus on organizational strategy – working with your company’s leadership to set and prioritize strategic goals, determine metrics and formulate effective implementation plans. We also provide project coaching — using the real work as applied learning to internalize capability and help your company make integrative, collaborative design a basis of project management.
  • Certification is the only 3rd party program that validates your company’s capability to deliver a consistent, high quality sustainability service. As LEED ™ is for buildings, SPI is for firms – recognition that your firm doesn’t just market green, but has truly institutionalized sustainability in the culture, process, systems and methodologies. Your clients know that counting LEED APs doesn’t really tell them what they need to know – but SPI Certification tells your clients that you have what it takes. Companies who aren’t ready to undertake Certification can start with our Assessment and support services to get their baseline and set a course to achieve their business goals of improved performance and profitability – and revisit the Certification path later on.
  • SPI’s Client Report Card is a tool for building owners and others who hire design and construction teams. The Report Card is like “Angie’s List” in that it gives clients a platform for feedback, but unlike Angie’s List, we don’t publish the information, we aggregate it and send it directly to the firms.

Whether your company just wants to be competitive in delivering LEED projects, is trying to meet your 2030 Commitment or pursue the Living Building Challenge, SPI’s programs help you realize these goals. Contact us for more information.