Representatives of the building industry and environmentalists often eye each other suspiciously, assuming there is no ground to share...literally. But can there be development that offers healthy, beautiful, and planet-sustainable options?
"Building for the Future: Green Building Expo" hopes to answer those questions in a series of workshops and demonstrations to be held at the Environmental Technology Center on the Sonoma State University campus, Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free with online pre-registration or $10 at the door.
Keynote speaker is David Arkin, President of the Architects, Designers, and Planners for Social Responsibility, who will talk about the relationship between environmentally conscious and socially responsible design.
This event is for anyone interested and is particularly designed to provide resources for the building community. It features building and remodeling alternatives, with demonstrations of materials that have relatively little impact on either occupants or the environment, as well as design ideas.
Some of the topics include renewable energy and energy efficiency, alternative building materials such as straw bales and certified sustainable lumber, and earthen plasters, not to mention low-toxicity paints, stains and floor coverings.
On a larger scale, there will be presentations on local government green building initiatives, managing a green construction project, and a lecture on the integrated team-building design process. For Expo pre-registration, visit www.sonoma.edu/ensp/etc/registration/default.html.
For additional information, call the Environmental Technology Center, (707) 664-2577.
