In 2009, Josh Wynne’s Codding Cottage home design in Laurel Park received the highest residential LEED certification in the country; this year, Wynne repeated the achievement with his Power Haus design in the Polo Club, becoming the first homebuilder in the world to receive the top LEED honor twice. The Power Haus also received 12 Aurora Awards from the Southeast Building Conference and, last month, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Outstanding Single Family LEED for Homes award.

For Wynne, who dropped out of college to become a carpenter, the goal is not to build as many homes as possible. “If you haven’t walked into a home that elicits an emotional response, you’re missing out,” he says. He views his client relationships as marriages and refers to his projects as having souls. “I’m afraid that if I were to grow I would lose that,” he says. Deciding which projects to accept often boils down to how willing the client is to try something new.

Wynne, 37, says his “next evolution” involves more collaboration with other local companies, including a project he is excited about on Anna Maria Island. Don’t bother asking for details, though: “I don’t like to spoil the surprise,” he says.