Kath Williams + Associates | Sustainable Building

June 26, 2025

USGBC Building Transformation Forum

Kath Williams and Randy Hafer presented "Sustainable Solutions Across Montana" in a Fireside Chat during the USGBC Forum. Held June 26, 2025 at Montana State University, the two took questions from the lively audience about the progress seen in sustainability since the State's LEED movement began in the mid-1990s.

The Forum was kicked off by Charlie Woodruff, Regional Director for USGBC, giving a LEEDv5 overview. The audience heard an eye-opening to LEED-Cities certification by Louis Engels, Water Quality Superintendent from Billings, Montana's first LEED-Certified (Gold) City. Lizzie Peyton, director of Big Sky SNO, discussed the challenges of bringing together a diverse ski resort. Kristin Blacker and her team from MSU Sustainability Office closed the Forum, taking the group on a tour of the LEED-Platinum American Indian Hall on campus.

April 30, 2025

Montana State President Recognized...

USGBC+ magazine featured retiring president of Montana State University, Waded Cruzado, in an article released today. She will be missed!

Read article here...

usgbc.org/articles/sustaining-future-montana-state-universitys-commitment-green-innovation-through-leed

November 13, 2024

USGBC Leadership Award

The Kate Hurst USGBC Leadership Award is presented to an outstanding leader who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to sustainability in the built environment. This year’s recipient is Kath Williams.

October 1, 2024

25 Years as KW+A

Celebrating 25 Years as Kath Williams + Associates, Inc. today!This Woman-Owned Business (WBE) sprouted from the Montana State University-Bozeman's EPICenter project in the 1990s....

August 21, 2024

2025 Living Future Hero Jury

Kath was honored to serve as a Jury Member for the selection of the 2025 Living Future Heroes. Kath was named Living Building Hero in 2014.

August 19, 2024

KOA Corporate Headquarters Earns LEED-Gold

Kampgrounds of America Corporate Headquarters, founded in Billings, Montana, 62 years ago, has opened its new offices with a gala celebration. Toby O'Rourke, CEO of KOA, thanked the staff and team that kept on target for LEED certification....

January 19, 2024

USGBC LEED Committee

Kath has been appointed by US Green Building Council to serve on the Location and Planning Technical Advisory Group (LP TAG) for LEED.

August 3, 2023

Our New GA

On August 3, 2023, Chloe Naese became a LEED-GA with nearly a perfect score on the exam. This comes on the heels of her earning a Master of Landscape Architecture degree at the University of British Columbia School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture in May of 2023.

April 24, 2023

Climate Week

Under the leadership of the Office of Sustainability, Montana State University student groups organized an Earth Week full of learning and activities. With a noon opening on the Malone Centennial Mall, "1.5 Minute Climate Talks" was a unique event based on the respected IPCC report and gave individuals 90 seconds to speak about their experiences and ideas regarding climate change. The Department of Political Science led the enlightening and informative discussion, as the large gathering explored the urgent need for action and solutions to protect the planet. "Anyone can speak their peace for 1.5 minutes on any topic related to climate change....

April 28, 2022

WSLA Award

The Women in Sustainability Leadership Awards (WSLA) were created to identify, advance, and celebrate women working in sustainability. Award recipients have been some of the most dedicated in the field, making significant positive changes to the planet, demonstrating bravery in the workplace, and mentoring the next group of women leaders.

March 30, 2022

Honors Presents Lecture Series

Annually the Honors College of Montana State University organizes and sponsors a series of learning sessions, with the 2022 topic being Innovation. A student-developed event series is in conjunction with Texts and Critics class, the university seminar for incoming Honors students. Prospective students, faculty, and community members are welcome to join WebEx events or view recordings of past events.

October 6, 2021

University Guest Lecturer

Montana State University School of Architecture invited Kath Williams to present on "Issues In Sustainability" for Architecture 231. The class, facilitated by Stephanie Irwin, former intern for Kath Williams + Associates, draws students from all disciplines across campus. The newest building on campus, American Indian Hall, earned LEEDv4 Platinum and will be dedicated October 17. A photo of the drum room ceiling is shown above.

September 15, 2021

A Dozen Certified Platinums

Over our 20 years of "Making a Difference," KW+A has supported 12 LEED Platinum projects. Today the American Indian Hall at Montana State University joined the growing list of new LEED version 4 Platinums. Congratulations to the owner and the team. It does take a team.

July 22, 2021

USGBC LIVE

"Transitioning to LEED v4.1 using Credit Substitutions" is being offered by USGBC Education. This live webinar on July 22, 2021, will be hosted by USGBC's Lisa Stanley and feature three LEED-APs with experience successfully bring LEED version 4 projects to certification. The focus will be on the process of credit substitutions and the how and why the decisions were made to attempt version 4.1 credits during the project development and documentation.

April 30, 2021

Haven Groundbreaking Ceremony

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Haven broke ground on a new facility which will quadruple their capacity to help out those affected by domestic violence in the Gallatin Valley.

March 16, 2021

University of Hawaii Global Track Short Course

Dr. Kath Williams presented a three-session series of lectures for the ARCH 690 graduate students. The Global Track is a dual degree between Tongji University in Shanghai and University of Hawaii-Manoa School of Architecture.

December 31, 2020

University of Hawaii DArch Committee Appointment

Wenzhu Li, a doctoral student at University of Hawaii at Manoa, has developed and is completing her D.Arch project during the 2020/2021 academic year. Her project, "Ecological Performance Evaluation and implementation approach in existing community regeneration," is based on an analysis of five international ecological rating systems, including LEED for Neighborhood Development. The project focuses on applicability of a rating system, perhaps hybrid of the five, to a 1940s neighborhood in Shanghai, her hometown.

October 29, 2020

IGBC Congress 2020 is VIRTUAL

Kath Williams has been invited as a special guest for the Indian Green Buildling Council Congress 2020. The annual Congress was to be held in Mumbai, India. It will now be VIRTUAL.

September 14, 2020

Mount Rushmore Earns LEEDv4 Platinum

MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL (KEYSTONE), SOUTH DAKOTA – September 14, 2020 – Mount Rushmore National Memorial is known for colossal stone carvings of four American presidents, Thomas Jefferson vanilla ice cream, and now environmental sustainability. The park concessioner, Xanterra Travel Collection, recently earned LEED® Platinum certification for the entire concession building and 4-star Certified Green Restaurant® status for Carver’s Café....

August 5, 2020

Green Building Matters Podcast Guest

https://www.gbes.com/green-building-matters-podcast/dr-kath-williams-from-montana-to-india-taiwan-and-more/

February 1, 2020

NorthWestern Energy Green Power Stakeholder Advisory

Kath Williams has been asked to join the NorthWestern Energy Green Power Stakeholder Advisory Group.

January 27, 2020

Project Wins State Award

Montana Contractors Association announced its Building Excellence Awards for 2019. Each year, the MCA takes time out to look back at the exceptional work of its members and recognize those who have excelled at their craft in the categories of building, concrete, environmental, and highway....

December 31, 2019

Norm Asbjornson Hall Wins AIA Award; USGBC-Montana Award

Norm Asbjornson Hall project has received the AIA Montana Honor Award for design distinction. The Honor Award is the single highest design award for the state of Montana and only given to one project. It was in competition with over 43 others. The jury, who are all distinguished architects from the Seattle area, noted the project is one of the most innovative and forward-thinking buildings they reviewed.

December 4, 2019

USGBC-Idaho Christmas Party

fantastic turnout at the new KW+A Boise Office (located in Wheelhouse) for the USGBC Idaho Famous Holiday Social with ULI Idaho and Idaho Smart Growth!

November 19, 2019

Greenbuild 2019

Richard Dykstra and Kath Williams attended Greenbuild 2019 in Atlanta.

November 18, 2019

KW+A Selected As Exhibitor

State of Montana Department of Commerce Review Committee has chosen KATH WILLIAMS + ASSOCIATES to represent Montana in the state's pavilion in at BuildEx, February 12-13, 2020 in Vancouver, BC, Canada

October 21, 2019

And the Award goes to...

As a Founding Board Member of the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories, Kath Williams got awarded for helping to launch I2SL and providing six years of dedicated service. The I2SL community and the board of directors and officers were deeply appreciative of her commitment to energy-efficient and sustainable laboratories....

October 20, 2019

Moderator of session...

The I2SL Annual Conference and Technology Fair is the leading international conference focused on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in laboratories and related facilities. Through technical sessions, demonstrations, and exhibits, lab owners, operators, designers, engineers, safety mangers, and users exchange information covering the life cycle of the laboratory from design to use to disposal of products and packaging. Kath was chosen to moderate a session on financial incentives for researchers in university energy-intensive laboratories....

September 2, 2019

Rotary's Paul Harris Fellowship

Kath Williams was honored by the Bozeman Noon Rotary and inducted as a Paul Harris Fellow.

July 5, 2019

Highlights of Greenbuild Europe 2019

The second Greenbuild Conference in Europe 2019, held in Amsterdam, Netherlands was an unprecedented success. The event, organized in partnership with USGBC, witnessed a stellar line-up of industry leaders, speakers, green building professionals, stakeholders and a large number of attendees....

March 20, 2019

Talking about Behaviour Change

Kath tells us what the words 'Behaviour Change' mean to her during the EnviroSustain video lounge at Greenbuild Europe 2019 in Amsterdam. Watch the whole video HERE.

March 18, 2019

Greenbuild Europe here we come..

This week, KW+A will not just attend, but also exhibit at the Greenbuild Europe conference: Human Nature in Amsterdam. Greenbuild Europe includes a variety of green building topics from general LEED sessions to in-depth technical sessions on materials, water, energy, site selection and planning, human health and performance....

July 5, 2017

Energy Innovation Center at Idaho National Laboratory National Winner of "Greenest Project" 2014

The Energy Innovation Center (EIC) was targeted to be LEED-GOLD from concept stage, under the leadership of Developer and Contractor REL Facilities, Inc. and Ormond Builders.

October 24, 2013

IGBC Hall of Fame Award

On October 24, 2013 the Indian Green Building Council honored Kath by recognizing her as the first inductee into the IGBC Hall of Fame.

October 23, 2011

World Green Building Council Recognized WGBC Founding Leaders

Kath Williams was one of three early officers/leaders of the World Green Building Council at a ceremony in Toronto October 2011. Chairman Tony Arnell from Australia presented each with the council's CHAIRMAN'S AWARD for services and support of the council during its formative years.

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