Growing up on family farms in Kansas and Oklahoma was the first major “green” influence on local architect Nathan Good. Farm life inspired a keen respect for the land, an understanding of the consequences of pollution, and knowledge of the complexities of the environment.

“We always said ‘you don’t eat your seed corn,’” Good says. In other words, you don’t destroy or exhaust what you need to keep the system going.

“My aunts and uncles were children of the depression,” Good said. “We didn’t waste anything. It’s almost like it is in my DNA.”

While in college during the 1973-74 oil embargo, Good learned the implications of building design on energy use. Before that, Good explains, energy was too cheap to measure and buildings were designed the same everywhere without consideration for climate or available materials. In 1976, Good attended architecture school in Denmark, another experience that influenced Good’s “green” practices. He saw how the people in Denmark are sensitive to energy, water resources, the products they buy, and, with little land to spare, have an awareness of spatial capacity.

“Europe is a good model for us,” Good said.

As far as Good is concerned, caring for the environment is not a “liberal” agenda, but something that is or should be important to everyone. His clients come from across the political spectrum and yet there are no clear lines as to which ones are particularly interested in eco-friendly buildings.

“What client wouldn’t appreciate a healthy indoor environment?” Good said.

As a U.S. Green Building Council LEED™ Accredited Professional (the fifth person in the U.S. to be accredited), Good has worked as a sustainable design consultant on some of the most esteemed green building projects in the Northwest. He has also received numerous awards including the BetterBricks Award as a “Green Building Advocate” and the National Association of Home Builders’ “Custom Green Home of the Year” Award.

Today, considered one of the top 50 architects in the Northwest by Northwest Home and Garden magazine, Good is focusing his unique vision on actually designing buildings. He finds he gets better results through his designs than consulting or helping guide people to solutions they often don’t implement due to a lack of understanding long-term costs and effects. Having designed buildings throughout the U.S. and Mexico, Good approaches each of his designs with the environment in mind and enjoys the synthesis between aesthetics and functionality. “Green buildings can be beautiful,” Good notes. “I look forward to the day we don’t call them green,” he says, wishing for “green” to be the standard rather than the exception.