Sustainable design has been part of James Bill’s life since he was 14 and he and his younger brother were “contracted” to design and build a small barn for the family’s dozen sheep. The simple post-and-beam structure was built under the guidance of an older craftsman from locally sourced, rough-sawn lumber. The barn still stands.

 

Before attending architecture school at MIT, James was an employee-owner of a design-build firm in Portland, Maine that constructed some of the first super insulated renovations in the Northeast. His lifelong love of green building, and a natural affinity for technology, spurred James to attend MIT where he earned an MA in architecture.

 

James’s many accomplishments include designing the first newly built Passive House in California. He speaks frequently about sustainability in the Bay Area, and beyond, and is an expert in Nonviolent Communication (NVC).