Environ Design Collaborative - Design Services - Green Building Events with Ths. Fisher

Green Building Talks and Events

Natural Home Magazine
www.naturalhomemagazine.com
March / April 2001

Houses by Thomas A. Fisher, AIA are featured in the March/April 2001 Issue of Natural Home Magazine. Of special interest is the focus on Charlottesville, Virginia, a large guest house in a sloped, forested setting for the family of violinist Boyd Tinsley and a solar straw bale home.

Available now: Living Spaces Ecological Building and Design
by Ths. Schmitz-Gunther, Loren E. Abraham and Thomas A. Fisher

Living Spaces is a comprehensive and richly illustrated book that describes the full scope of the current art of Sustainable Design in a country at the forefront of this movement. Originally published in Germany, Abraham and Fisher have adapted and rewritten the book in English.

500 pages. Available from Amazon.com and Borders.com

2001 Events:

CENTRAL VIRGINIA AIA
Architecture Week Presentation
http://www.aiava.org/architec1.htm
Monday, April 16, 2001
Green Development Discussion
Thomas A. Fisher, AIA, co-author of Living Spaces, Ecological Design and Building, is a principal of ENVIRON Design Collaborative, which speicalizes in the application of computer and ecologically responsive design strategies. He leads a discussion of "green" residential and commercial development at the Jefferson Madison Regional Library, Downtown Branch McIntyre Room, 12:30 p.m.

Virginia's Sustainable Future Conference
www.vahen.org
June 6 to 8 2001
Green Residential Design
Thomas A. Fisher, AIA, will present an overview of the strategies and materials that point out cost effective ways to build in response to our need for harmony with Nature and our concerns about human impact on Regional and Global ecosystems.

2000 Events:

Green and Affordable Housing
Sponsored By Virginia Housing and Environment Network (VAHEN) and Virginia Housing Coalition Information Service (VHCIS)
Tom Fisher will speak on Green Building Materials
May 16, 2000, Richmond, VA

1999 Events:

Communities of Tomorrow Summit:
A National Dialogue in Community Design, Governance, and Management
September 8 & 19, 1999 Washington, DC
Sponsored by The Fannie Mae Foundation, American Planning Association, National Association of Homebuilders, Urban Land Institute.

Mr. Fisher will speak on Sept. 8 on “Lifecycles Within Communities, The Ecological Design Dimension”

Virginia's Sustainable Future:
Solutions for Community, Business, and Environment
June 16-18, 1999
Richmond Marriott
Richmond, Virginia
Organized by VaHEN, Virgina Housing and Environment Network.
Sponsors: Virginia Dept of Environmental Quality (VDEQ), Virginia Housing and Development Authority (VHDA), Virginia Dept. of Housing and Community Development (VDHCD), and other partners.
Keynote Speakers: Gov. James Gilmore (invited), Ray Anderson, Paul Hawkins.
This conference is planned as the mid-Atlantic region's most comprehensive Green Building and Development event. Many exhibitors and conference tracks will address the most current applications of energy efficiency, non toxic construction, recycling technologies, development patterns, and other sustainable building issues.
Conference information:
Contact: Annette Osso, (703)-486-2966 or Osso@mindspring.com

The California Straw Building Association
invites you to the
1999 INTERNATIONAL STRAW-BALE CONFERENCE
Friday, March 5, to Sunday, March 7, 1999
at the Marin Headlands Hostel & Headlands Center for the Arts
San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA
Straw builders, designers, growers, engineers, home-owners, architects, all … come hear about the latest developments worldwide. Teach us what you know. Learn what others have learned. Meet valuable resource people. Help advance the state of the art and build this growing community by sharing your experience with other professionals, advocates, and enthusiasts.
For more information (map, directions, airport shuttle information, etc.), please contact Cheryl Jacobs:
415-221-7124
cheryl@smwm.com
or cjacobs@jps.net
or visit the announcement in the Strawbale Crest Archives:
1999 Straw Bale Conference

1998 Events:

National Building Colloquium East June 7-13, 1998 Davidson, MD
For Designers, Owner-Builders, Architects, Contractors, Policy Makers,Developers, Educators, Code Officials and those interested in creating sustainable natural buildings. Architect Tom Fisher will report on Straw Bale Construction projects in Virginia.

Strawbale Workshop in Virginia August 27-30, 1998 Spring Grove, VA
Plans are underway for a Strawbale workshop directed by Matts Myrhmann and Judy Knox of Out-on-Bale. Details here. Also, an introductory strawbale and natural building slide presentation will be cohosted by Virginia Housing and the Environment Network (VaHEN), Tom Fisher and Matts and Judy on Friday evening August 28.

1997 Events:

WVIR Central Virginia Channel 29 Evening News Dec. 20, 1997
News broadcast coverage and interviews at the Matthew's straw bale residence in Earlysville, VA.
Broadcast will illustrate a strawbale home under construction. Cutting and installation of bales and blown on stucco application will be shown. Interviews include the Owner, Builder Paul Minnerly and Architect Tom Fisher.

Building Virginia, 1997 Virginia American Institute of Architects Conference.
When: Friday November 14, 1997 Time to be announced
Where: Richmond Convention Center
Tom Fisher will present a discussion and slides on Green residential design and construction as a panel member with Harry Gordon, FAIA in conjuction with the Virginia Housing and the Environment Network (VaHEN).

Environmental and Economic Balance: The 21st Century Outlook
US Green Building Council, AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) & US Dept. of Energy Conference
November 6-8, 1997; Miami Florida. Place and time to be announced
Tom Fisher will present an introductory slide presentation and discussion on Straw bale construction, it's history in the US and example projects by his practice and other Architects.

Straw Bale Construction in Central Virginia: Site Tour and Talk:
When: Saturday September 13, 1997 1:30 to 3:30 PM. Rain or Shine A tour will start promptly at 2:00 PM. A second tour will be conducted at 3:00 PM if needed.
Where: Approximately 15 miles North of Charlottesville, Virginia. The site is located at the end of County Rte. 666 off Rte. 664 just Northwest of the Airport beyond Earlysville. Yellow signs will be posted in the vicinity.
The project is a 2400 square foot residence in mid construction. Straw bale walls will be partially or completely in place and exposed. Construction is a post and beam structure with locally harvested wheat straw bale infill. Other features include radiant slab heating, solar orientation and green house. Tom Fisher will conduct a tour and introductory discussion of various green building and straw bale construction techniques. The Owners, Joy & George Matthews and Builder Paul Minnerly will also be available to answer questions.
The event is free, though a $5 donation for the Virginia Housing and the Environment Network (VaHEN) and Environmental Design Collaborative costs would be appreciated.
Children are most welcome. However they must be in the immediate company of parents on the construction site. There are nearby fields and streams where they must also be accompanied. Rest room facilities are available only for emergencies. No alcohol please.

About Straw Bale Construction: Go Here