Rolf Kielman – 06/20/2012

Making Good Towns:
From Norway to Switzerland to Vermont

Vermont’s varied terrain is similar to that of Norway and Switzerland. Sloped landscapes; deep, watery cuts between hilly regions; the form of our farmsteads; these terrain characteristics have contributed to the shape of towns and villages in these regions. This lecture explores how the land has formed the architecture of buildings and public spaces and how architects and planners can advance the art of making good towns. Watch the video archive of the lecture.

Rolf Kielman, AIA, has been a Principal at TruexCullins Architecture and Interior Design since 1993.  Rolf has 35 years experience with a range of projects that includes historic restoration, urban design and resort, institutional, corporate and residential design.  A Dartmouth College graduate, Rolf was born in Holland and raised in Canada.  He received his Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and went on to study furniture design in Denmark.

Bruce Beeken – 06/27/2012

Trees, Logs, Friends & Furniture

This illustrated discussion shows the fine furniture-making journey, from standing tree to elegant finished product.  We’ll travel from the logging and milling processes through the various stages of construction.  We’ll explore the relationship of sustainable forestry to furniture making, and delve into the design process, examining how the use of the drawing organizes not just the design, but the building system, and how digital technology integrates the conception of a design idea straight through a collaborative making process. Lots of beautiful furniture will be shown along the way. Watch the video archive of the lecture.

Bruce Beeken works in a furniture making partnership that spans 30 years. Beeken Parsons is located at Shelburne Farms where they design and make furniture to order, with a keen focus on sustainable forest management and a creative utilization of local wood and craftsmanship. In addition to residential and corporate pieces, Beeken Parsons designs and produces furniture for institutional clients including New England colleges and universities, often for their libraries. Chairs are a special interest.

Joel Glanzberg & Pete Munoz – 07/11/2012

Long-Term Resilient & Regenerative Flood Responses

Tropical Storm Irene caused tremendous damage to property and lands throughout Vermont. The immediate response was heartfelt and inspiring, but likely fell short of expectations for both human and natural systems in the long term. We will use the lens of water, watershed, and infrastructure to explore what could have enabled communities to hold on to -- and continue to develop -- the community cohesion and support that arose in an effort to establish resilient and regenerative systems and infrastructures for the future? What might those infrastructures look like? And how can this work prove useful beyond the affected areas? Watch the video archive of the lecture.

Pete Muñoz, PE, LEED AP, is co-founder of SEEDS, a non-profit research, design and educational institute. He directs SEEDS’ Ecological Design Collaborative, which designs and builds systems that reconnect communities with their infrastructure, with a focus on natural water and wastewater treatment and reuse systems.

Joel Glanzberg has broad experience in environmental design and ecological restoration projects. He has also worked extensively in the field of regenerative agriculture, and as a consultant on watershed restoration projects, where he has helped to design and implement programs for restoration as well as public education and engagement. 

Gwendolyn Hallsmith – 07/18/2012

Creating Wealth:  Growing Local Economies with Local Currencies

We often think of the local economy as something that happens to us, not that we design.  In her new book, Creating Wealth, Gwendolyn Hallsmith shows how local communities can redesign their local economies using local currencies.  The underlying assumptions, frameworks, and institutions of our economy often go unquestioned, and one of the least understood pieces of the economic puzzle is money itself.  Money and currency are critical leverage points for a sustainable local economy, and local leaders can do a lot to direct resources and initiatives that will enhance the quality of life in their communities by developing new forms of exchange. Watch the video archive of the lecture.

Gwendolyn Hallsmith, the Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Montpelier, is also the Director of Global Community Initiatives and author of a new book with Bernard Lietaer called Creating Wealth:  Growing Local Economies with Local Currencies, as well as The Key to Sustainable Cities:  Meeting Human Needs, Transforming Community Systems; Taking Action for Sustainability: the EarthCAT Guide to Community Development; LASER: Local Action for Sustainable Economic Renewal. She has over 20 years of experience working with municipal, regional, and state government in the United States and internationally, and for over fifteen years as an international specialist on sustainable community development.

Kelly Ogrodnik – 07/25/2012

Efficient as a Flower: Phipps Conservatory's Center for Sustainable Landscapes

The culmination of a decade-long, three phase master plan for the historic Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA, is the recent opening of the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, one of the world's first Living Buildings. Blending sustainable architecture, innovative technology and living landscape design, the Center is a model of sustainability for architects, scientists, planners and the public, offering opportunities for education and research, while achieving the world's three highest green standards: the Living Building Challenge, LEED® Platinum, and SITES Certification for landscapes. Join us to learn how this 1893 landmark organization is forging the way toward a more sustainable future for the Pittsburgh region and beyond. Watch the video archive of the lecture.

Kelly Ogrodnik served as the Sustainable Design and Programs Manager for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA. In this position she performed duties as a sustainable landscape designer, a design team member for the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, and managed the development and implementation of sustainable initiatives across Phipps' campus. Kelly holds a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Chatham University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental and renewable resource economics from Penn State University.

Duo Dickinson – 08/01/2012

The Tyranny of Style

The design of the American Home has been subjected to two parallel universes that distort its primal importance in our lives. Whether it’s the pandering traditionalism of spec builder profit or the abstracted Modernist sculpture by starchitects, comfort, inspiration and intimacy are in short supply. An abiding middle exists between the mindless faux history offered to the 99 percent and the Mau Mau-ing of all but Modernism by the 1% architectural elites in academia and journalism. The work of many architects and the words of Duo Dickinson advocate for a third way. Watch the video archive of the lecture.

Duo Dickinson has been an architect for 30 years, and has built over 600 projects. His seventh book, Staying Put came out this fall and he writes for Architecture Boston, and is the architecture critic for the New Haven Register and New Haven Magazine. He has received over 30 awards and his work has been published in more than 80 national publications.

Sheri Koones – 08/08/2012

Prefabulous + Sustainable

Prefab housing is one of the most sensible ways to realize both affordability and sustainability.  Author Sheri Koones has documented and profiled dozens of examples in her numerous books.  Through a number of these case studies, she will explore various prefab methodologies – including modular, panelized, and SIPS – and explain how the owners, architects and builders sought to push the envelope on energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, indoor air quality, and site selection, while maximizing affordability, innovation and charm.   You’ll be amazed at what can be accomplished with prefab. Watch the video archive of the lecture.

Sheri Koones is a widely respected author and journalist who helps readers better understand that getting the house of their dreams can be done in an ecologically responsible and one-of-a-kind way. Her previous books include From Sand Castles to Dream Houses, House About It, Modular Mansions and Prefabulous, which won the prestigious Gold Award in the 2008 Robert Bruss Real Estate Book Awards from NAREE. Prefabulous + Sustainable: Building and Customizing an Affordable, Energy-Efficient Home was released by Abrams in April 2010.

JB Clancy & Peter Schneider – 08/15/2012

Tale of 3 Houses: Performance Standards and Post-Occupancy Data

Current data will be examined from three super-insulated low energy buildings that were built for Habitat for Humanity in Charlotte, Vermont.  One of these houses is a Certified Passive House.   A discussion of the various envelope specifications and their performance will follow.  Using some of the preliminary findings from these houses we will also discuss Marc Rosenbaum’s proposal on the New England amendment to the Passive House Standard. 

J.B. Clancy is an architect and partner at Albert, Righter and Tittmann, Architects in Boston.  J.B.’s main focus is residential architecture and sustainable design.  J.B is a North American Certified Passive House Consultant and has designed a Certified Passive House for Habitat for Humanity in Vermont.  

Peter Schneider works as a Senior Energy Consultant at Efficiency Vermont.   He provides technical support to builders, architects, affordable housing agencies and homeowners participating in a number of different programs such as ENERGY STAR Homes, LEED & Passive House.   Peter is a certified Energy Rater, Certified Passive House Consultant and LEED for Homes QAD. 

Ace McArleton & Jacob Deva Racusin – 08/22/2012

High Performance Natural Buildings for Cold Climates

It is critical to identify the role social and community-responsive practices play in providing long-term solutions to the ecological problems and other pressing issues we face.  In this workshop, we will examine the role that natural building can play in supporting these practices.  We will explore a variety of different natural building technologies in a series of different applications, and evaluate how to develop an appropriate strategy for their implementation.  This presentation will feature case study, research, building science principles, and philosophical arguments to support the role for natural building as a solution for building efficiency and resiliency. Watch the video archive of the lecture.

Ace McArleton and Jacob Deva Racusin co-founded New Frameworks Natural Building (NFNB) in 2006 to offer green remodeling and new construction services that utilize the best that both natural building materials and methods and conventional construction practices have to offer.   Ace and Jacob have conducted field research on moisture and thermal performance of straw bale wall systems, which is featured in their book The Natural Building Companion (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012). 

Christian Tubau Arjona – 08/29/2012

Gaudi & The Shapes of Nature

Gaudí & The Shapes of Nature is a commentary on the most emblematic works by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926). Accompanied by relevant images, the lecture will focus on the importance of natural morphology in his designs, elaborating a diachronic study of these works in order to show how the biological patterns were gradually gaining presence in his buildings, from an ornamental use in his early years, to a structural one in his final style, where the “curves of life” were the most ground-breaking feature and his most famous trademark. This process can also be summarized as: From the arabic style to biomorphism; or more generally, from Euclid's geometry to the fractal geometry of nature.  Watch the video archive of the lecture.

Christian Tubau Arjona is a Spanish writer and painter with a Ph.D in Spanish Literature. He has translated many architectural books from Spanish to English, including several monographs about the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.  His poetry has been awarded and published in Spain. He currently lives with his family in West Bolton, Vermont.