Alan Hunter is a licensed Architect and has a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Architecture degree from Texas A & M University.  Alan has worked for architectural firms in Florida and Texas, and has been working in Charlotte at Gantt Huberman Architects since 2000.  Alan is also a LEED Accredited Professional and has practical knowledge in the design and application of sustainable strategies.

Jim Kirby:

In 1982, I was sixteen years old when my tenth grade high school drafting teacher, Billy Hardy, introduced me to a model of a passive solar house design created by the previous year’s senior drafting class and eventually built by the high school carpentry class. At that time, I had never heard of the term ‘sustainability’ but the term ‘green’ was quite common and this marked the beginning of a twenty six year pursuit of knowledge on how buildings work and relate to the environment.

During those twenty six years I have become educated in sustainable architecture through training and practice. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s College of Architecture (now referred to as School of Architecture) allowed me to search for the real meaning of sustainability through exploration and professional practice has awakened me to the realities of designing for real people with a wide variety of needs and concerns.

Both experiences are quite different and oddly similar at the same time. As I was exploring for answers in college I found myself looking beyond traditional boundaries of an architectural education in hopes of finding a connection on how people and nature affect each other. As I have practiced architecture I have found that the traditional role of an architect will not suffice in the pursuit of sustainable design as it requires a global view and understanding of the overlay of forces and conditions that allow our natural world to exist - this includes us and our buildings. For any client who wants to know how their business practices measure in terms of ‘sustainability’ a passionate faith and understanding in the interconnected systems is necessary. It’s in this collective activity of the environment, economy, and people that the real meaning of sustainability exists and it will serve as the core focus of my next twenty six years in the practice of architecture.

Professionally, I now serve as the Sustainable Design Leader for the Perkins+Will North Carolina practice with offices in Charlotte, NC and Research Triangle Park, NC. I am a member of the firmwide Perkins+Will Sustainable Design Initiative and my role in developing green design strategies for all project types has been instrumental in furthering the sustainable design expertise of the North Carolina practice. I am actively engaged in the community serving the last three years as Co-Chair of the American Institute of Architect’s Charlotte Chapter Committee on The Environment. I am also a frequent sustainable design juror and mentor for the School of Architecture at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Personally, I try to serve a much simpler role as a good husband, caretaker, and friend.