Savannah, Ga. — Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) professor Monica Letourneau recently took 18 students out of the lecture hall and into the world of successful design with a visit to Savannah's historic Whitaker Building, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) registered project.

“Design firms around the country use the LEED guidelines to create buildings that are energy and water efficient, and have good environmental quality,” said Letourneau. “Having the opportunity to see a building renovated with LEED in mind helped clarify this process for our students in a way that no textbook could.”

The SCAD students' visit to the Whitaker Building proves that the benefits of LEED are both concrete and intangible. “By showing aspiring designers Whitaker's unique mix of historical preservation and environmentally-sound design, we are planting a seed,” said Colin Coyne, Chief Operating Officer of Melaver, Inc.