1. M.Shane Totten, AIA, IDEC, IIDA, LEED AP (BD+C), NCARB

Principal


Shane Totten’s professional career has been one of experiencing design and construction from many perspectives. He has worked in municipal government as a historic preservation planner and downtown revitalization program manager. He has pursued graduate studies in urban planning and public administration.


He has practiced architecture at several metro Atlanta firms, with each firm contributing toward his understanding of design, construction, and the conditions that drive development and revitalization. Building on his strong practice foundation, Shane worked as a real estate consultant with a nationally recognized due diligence firm. There Shane consulted for individuals and even multi-national corporations, such as General Electric. In the consulting environment he was exposed to literally thousands of properties and came to appreciate the construction and financial realities necessarily associated with even the most modest design project and how those realities shape project agendas- sometimes for the better sometimes for the worse.


Shane brings together these many perspectives to offer considerable depth, and breadth, of experience to his practice and OffGrid’s clients. His continuing goal has been one to make the built environment, and the world, better. By improving the life and performance of even the most humble building, the built environment taxes the natural environment a bit less. By working with clients to reach their goals, Shane aspires to share with them the potential for buildings to be better- better for the owner, the occupant, and the planet. Whether it is through designing a high performance, or “green,” building, or assessing user behavior of a property, Shane is committed to helping both his clients and our planet.


He actively participates in volunteer efforts to further realize those goals. He helped Georgia Interfaith Power & Light develop a “low-hanging-fruit” audit program for congregations, whereby volunteers could quickly identify readily achievable measures to improve their resource efficiency. Shane volunteered with Sustainable Atlanta, representing the AIA, to help draft the proposed Atlanta Sustainable Building Ordinance. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) Academy, a charter school of the Fulton County School System.


Shane’s passion for design education led him to teach in the interior design program at SCAD Atlanta, where he is currently the associate chair of the department. He teaches primarily graduate design and thesis studios, courses on sustainability, and he also coordinates the course offerings in furniture design and historic preservation.

Education

North Carolina State University

  1. Master of Architecture, 1995

  2. Bachelor of Environmental Design, 1989

East Carolina University

  1. Extensive coursework in Urban Planning and Public Administration

Registrations/Accreditations

Registered Architect

  1. Georgia

  2. North Carolina

NCARB Certified Architect

LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C)


Professional Affiliations

American Institute of Architects

Interior Design Educators Council

International Interior Design Association         

US Green Building Council

Recognition

GIPPY Award for Service

  1. GIPL, 2007

Commitment to Excellence Award

  1. EMG, 2006

Outstanding Leadership Recognition Tundra Portfolio

  1. EMG, 2005

Service Recognition, Board of Directors

  1. Atlanta Community ToolBank, 2002

Design Technology Award

  1. N.C. State School of Design, 1995

To see Shane’s thorough LinkedIn profile, click