Description
Plan and design high-performance, low-impact buildings that meet client needs while maximizing energy, water, and material efficiency; integrate sustainable systems, ensure code and green certification compliance, and lead delivery from concept through construction.
- • Prepare sustainable design specifications, material selections, equipment, and cost and schedule estimates, including life-cycle impacts.
- • Consult with clients to define functional, spatial, and sustainability goals.
- • Prepare contract documents and green requirements for contractors.
- • Integrate structural, MEP, and renewable energy systems into unified, low-carbon designs.
- • Administer construction contracts with emphasis on sustainability performance.
- • Represent clients in bidding and awards, including evaluation against green criteria.
- • Prepare operating and maintenance manuals for high-performance systems and materials.
- • Calculate potential energy savings using energy modeling against IECC/ASHRAE baselines.
- • Design environmentally sound retrofits such as daylighting, high-performance envelopes, green roofs, and rainwater harvesting.
- • Plan green building projects to reduce environmental impact and conserve energy and water.
- • Design to meet LEED, WELL, or comparable green certification standards.
- • Gather and analyze data on sustainability and operational efficiency, including EUI and embodied carbon.
- • Perform feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments to inform sustainable design.
- • Plan and design structures in compliance with building, energy, and environmental regulations.
- • Produce BIM/CAD drawings and details that incorporate sustainable strategies and assemblies.
- • Direct technicians preparing drawings, specifications, and sustainability documentation.
- • Meet with clients and stakeholders to review sustainable design options and trade-offs.
- • Develop proposals and presentations showcasing sustainability strategies and certifications.
- • Develop final construction documents with performance criteria, details, and schedules.
- • Conduct on-site observations and support commissioning to verify compliance and performance.
- • Coordinate specialists—MEP, lighting, envelope, landscape, and commissioning agents—to optimize building performance.
- • Plan building layouts for passive design, including orientation, massing, daylighting, and natural ventilation.
- • Assess sites for solar access, stormwater management, transit, and ecological constraints.
- • Create 3D models and simulations for daylight, solar, and thermal performance.
Related specializations
Interview options
Interview options
Interviewee gender
Interviewee accent
Interview time
Related Pathways
Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
Learn more
Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026