Presenters:

Alli Kingfisher, Green Building & Sustainability Specialist, Washington State Department of Ecology

David Eisenberg, Executive Director, Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT)

Kelly Lerner, Principal Architect, One World Design

 A session in three acts.

Act One: Throughout the world, vernacular buildings, built before industrialization, exemplify the principles of the Living Building Challenge. What can we learn from traditional indigenous buildings that will apply to the modern context both here and in rapidly developing countries?

Act Two: In 2008, Sichuan Province, China suffered an earthquake that killed 70,000 and left up to 11 million homeless. In 2009, Kelly Lerner and Alli Kingfisher designed and built two strawbale homes as part of a feasibility study to evaluate the use of strawbale for housing reconstruction. Using the Living Building Challenge as a guide, the project strives to create low-carbon, net-zero energy, positive-impact housing using locally available resources and people while addressing seismic safety, long-term sustainability and climate change.

Act Three: Session participants, in guided conversations with presenters and participants, will examine how vernacular architecture achieves the goals of the LBC and explore the challenges that are faced as rural communities develop. How can we incorporate the lessons learned and inspiration we gain from the beauty of traditional architecture back into our ‘modern’ world? What role does international development play? Let the conversations begin!

Session Format:  BREAKOUT SESSION

Presenter Bios

Alli Kingfisher

Alli is the Green Building/Sustainability Specialist for the Washington Department of Ecology in Spokane, WA. Alli is a LEED AP, a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor, a NCI Certified Charrette Planner/Manager and a presenter for Al Gore’s Climate Project. A former Peace Corps Volunteer, she worked for Jamaica 4-H Clubs, was faculty at the Technical University of Liberec, Czech Republic and traveled independently through more than 30 countries ranging from Bolivia and Laos to Mauritania and Hungary.

David Eisenberg

David is co-founder and Director of the Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT) in Tucson, AZ. For over a decade David has led the effort to create a sustainable context for building codes. He served two terms on the Board of the U.S. Green Building Council, was vice-chair of the ASTM E-06.71 Subcommittee on Sustainability for Buildings for five years and is on the Advisory Board of Environmental Building News.

Kelly Lerner

Kelly is co-author of Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House and principal architect of One World Design Architecture. Natural Home Magazine named her one of the top 10 eco-architects and in 2005 she received the United Nations World Habitat Award for introducing straw-bale construction to China. Her ecological design work and writing have been published in Metropolis, Dwell, Natural Home, Design of Strawbale Buildings, The New Straw Bale House and Green by Design.