Presenter:

Kelly Lerner, Architect, One World Design, Spokane, WA

Stephen Auigier, Green Hammer Building Contractors, Portland, OR

Theresa Phelan, Living Shelter Design, Issaquah, WA

Convener:

Thor Peterson, Cascadia Region Green Building Council, Seattle, WA

Click Here to download the presentations from this session!

There are 80 million existing single-family homes in the United States and according to Natural Resources Canada, Canada’s single family detached housing stock was responsible for loading the atmosphere with more than 50 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2005. Clearly we must address existing building stock if we wish to counter the ecological damage caused by the built environment. What are the similarities, and what are the unique challenges and opportunities, related to pursuing Living Building designation on a residential remodel?

This session begins with Kelly Lerner presenting her Living Building Challenge remodel in Winthrop, WA (built in the summer and fall of 2007) using principles from Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House. Following the case study, we’ll switch to expert panel mode, where Stephen Aiguier will discuss his latest research into water and wastewater management for residential scale projects, and Terry Phelan will provide her on-the-ground and at-the-drawing-board experience with green remodeling projects.

In the breakout portion of this session, attendees will select a building typology of choice (urban 1900s Victorian home, 1950s urban rambler, 1920s rural farmhouse, or 1920s 12-unit apartment) and brainstorm ideas for transforming the structures into Living Buildings. Teams will identify opportunities and barriers with each building form and program, focusing on the Energy and Water Petals within the Living Building Challenge. Our goal is to rapidly assemble information that will serve as the basis for a remodel resource guide for Living Building projects.

Presenter Bio

Kelly Lerner
Kelly Lerner is co-author of “Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature” and principle architect of One World Design Architecture in Spokane, WA. In 2005, Natural Home Magazine named her one of the top 10 eco-architects in the United States. She received the United Nations World Habitat Award for spearheading a project that introduced straw-bale construction to China and built over 600 sustainable, straw-bale homes. She has committed her residential practice to the design of healthy, beautiful, carbon-neutral homes throughout the northwest. Her ecological design work and writing have been published in, Metropolis, Dwell, Natural Hom, Landscape Architecture , Design of Strawbale Buildings, Alternative Construction, The Straw Bale House, Serious Straw Bale, The New Straw Bale House, Green by Design, and Building Without Borders.

Click here to listen to Kelly Lerner's presentation podcast.

Stephen Aiguier
Stephen is the founder and President of Green Hammer Inc., a Portland-based residential building contractor committed to advancing the highest standards for green building. Established in 2002, Green Hammer is dedicated to building durable high quality homes and remodels that incorporate the use of natural, local and non-toxic materials with the most advanced energy and water conservation systems and techniques available.  Stephen and the team at Green Hammer work diligently to leverage their experiences and accomplishments to grow the green building market in the Pacific Northwest, making responsible materials, techniques and management systems more prominent, efficient and accessible. In 2005 he co-founded the Build Local Alliance as a forum for connecting local forest stewards practicing Forest Stewardship Council certified forestry to builders and architects in the Portland region.  In 2007 Stephen was recognized as a local leader in the green building movement and was elected to serve as Board Chair for the Columbia West Chapter of the Northwest Ecobuilding Guild.

Click here to listen to Stephen Aiguier's presentation podcast.

Theresa Phelan
Terry Phelan is the principal architect of Living Shelter Design, an Issaquah, WA firm specializing in deep green home and small community design. She has served on the board of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild since 2002 and as its Vice President since 2004. Terry has over 30 years experience in the residential design industry, with the last 14 focused on finding truly sustainable solutions for homes in the wide variety of climates and settings in the Pacific Northwest. Her published works have appeared in Mother Earth News, Natural Home, Conscious Choice, Green by Design, The New Straw Bale House, and The Daily Journal of Commerce.

Thor Peterson
Thor Peterson is Research Director for the Cascadia Region Green Building Council. Prior to Cascadia, he was with the City of Seattle for nearly 8 years, where he most recently served as the Residential Expert on the City of Seattle Green Building Team. In that capacity, Thor worked closely with architects, builders, developers and homeowners to help increase the environmental and human health performance of Seattle's residential building stock. Thor is the primary author of the City of Seattle's Green Home Remodel guides, a resource for homeowners that aims to leverage the remodel process to effect positive environmental change. The guides have since been reprinted by the City of Chicago, King County, and the Washington State Department of Ecology.

To listen to the Q&A period for this educational session click here.

Audio edited by http://h2opodcast.com.