An Interview with Rob Watson, Chairman of The EcoTech International Group and founder of LEED.

Despite having vocal detractors in the industry, the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) standard has become the rating of choice for developers in Asia wishing to demonstrate the green credentials of their development. Green building pioneer and “father of LEED” Rob Watson spoke to Ashford Pritchard about accreditation, performance and the increasing recognition of the role of building and facility managers.

Retail Space

Andy Adams, Vice President of Store Development for Starbucks Asia Pacific, talks homogeny, design and sustainability with Ashford Pritchard.

Bouncing into the store with a zeal that only a caffeine high can give you, Andy Adams’ enthusiasm for all things Starbucks is apparent as he takes me on a tour of the coffee conglomerate’s latest Hong Kong branch on Central’s Duddell Street, which was a collaborative effort with local design doyens G.O.D. First things first, the most obvious and important question of the day must be asked: what is his favourite morning pick-me-up? “Double tall soy latte,” he reveals, “You get the feeling that the soy is good for you, the double because I need the extra espresso in the morning, and the tall so that even if the soy isn’t good for you, it doesn’t have too much sugar.”