Sustainability Workshops

The following workshops were offered in Spring 08:

Toward Zero Net Energy Homes

Wind and Solar Powered Buildings

Managing the Integrative Design Process

Solar Sales & Marketing: Making the Financial Case

 

Toward Zero Net Energy Homes

Workshop Description

The objective of this AIA accredited workshop is to give the attendees a thorough understanding of the methods for achieving homes that require little or no non-renewable energy to power them.  The workshop begins with a presentation of the typical residential energy loads by end use, for both typical homes and micro-load homes.  Methods for reducing the loads are presented in some detail – air sealing, insulation upgrades, glass and fenestration considerations, orientation and passive techniques, as well as information on reducing loads from domestic hot water, ventilation, lighting and appliances.

The focus then shifts to energy supply and the available sources are presented and evaluated.  The magnitude and distribution of the solar resource and the wind resource are presented and compared.  Technologies including fossil fueled appliances (as a baseline), biomass fuel-burning appliances, solar thermal, ground source heat pumps, solar electric, and wind turbines are presented.  Sizing guidelines are given in order to assess feasibility early in the design process.  The workshop concludes with several case studies designed to be zero annual net energy homes.

Speaker Bio

Marc Rosenbaum, P.E. uses an integrated systems design approach to help people create buildings and communities which connect us to the natural world, and support both personal and planetary health.  He brings this vision, experience and commitment to a collaborative design process, with the goal of profoundly understanding the interconnections between people, place, and systems that generate the best solution for each unique project.  Design practiced at its highest level goes beyond efficiency and conservation to create places that regenerate and nurture the natural world and all of its inhabitants.

Realizing that the barriers to high performance buildings and communities are neither technical nor economic, his work scope has expanded to assist clients design the process that is necessary to create these high performance projects.  His work has been recognized nationally by ASHRAE, AIA, EEBA, and NESEA.

Workshop Outline

Morning Session 8:30 to 12:00

Afternoon Session 1:00 to 4:30

Comments

"Marc Rosenbaum has a really firm grasp of the obvious - a quality that is surprisingly limited in distribution.  He is abundantly qualified as a designer, as a practitioner, and as a visionary. He speaks well, he listens well, he is always thinking - always thoroughly prepared.  There is no-one better.”

Bruce Coldham, President, Coldham & Hartman Architects

"Our annual series of spring-summer workshops came to a close in July and your participation in the series enriched it immeasurably… My nonpareil project manager… mentioned to me that the evaluation forms completed by the participants in your session were uniformly positive, indeed often extremely flattering.  I hope you enjoyed the experience as much as everyone obviously enjoyed you.”

Richard Fitzgerald, Director, Boston Society of Architects

“We’d like to thank you for your wonderful presentation…  There have been many comments about what a clear and engaging speaker you are.  It’s created an excitement that will really make a difference here on the Cape."

Workshop Attendee

 

Wind and Solar Powered Buildings

Workshop Description

This highly visual presentation explores the design and integration of solar electricity (photovoltaics or PV), solar thermal and wind energy systems in residential, commercial and institutional buildings. The best of built examples from Europe, Japan and the US will illustrate innovative design where solar electric elements displace conventional building materials to become an integral part of the architecture.  Case studies of zero-energy buildings powered by solar and wind energy are featured.

Speaker Bio

Steven Strong founded Solar Design Associates in 1974 and has earned the firm an international reputation for the pioneering integration of renewable energy systems with environmentally responsive building design. TIME magazine named him an ‘Environmental Hero of the Planet’.

Click here to view a pdf of Solar Design Associates' case studies.

 

Managing the Integrative Design Process

Workshop Description

Why Attend?

Many designers say they are practicing "integrative design". But are they?

In spite of 15 years of recognition by architects and others that working

with the whole team early in the process is the key to achieving the optimal

sustainable design outcome, most projects continue to be carried out, for

the most part, in a conventional, linear fashion.

This is your chance to really make the leap.

This will be an in-depth, hands-on workshop on how to produce

cost-effective, elegant, sustainable design solutions for any project by

utilizing an integrative design process.

Recently adopted as an ANSI standard, an Integrative Design Process is

defined as: "A discovery process optimizing the elements that comprise all

building projects and their interrelationships across increasingly larger

fields in the service of efficient and effective use of resources."

The workshop will address the process dynamics, from framing the initial

design problem through developing practical strategies and finally

implementing an effective work plan. Special focus will be given to

structuring the management process with group exercises that map

conventional practice and an integrative practice, interspersed with

teaching the fundamentals.

Participants will walk away with a new methodology that will transform the

way they create buildings and organize their firm.

You will learn:

- How to most effectively transition practice to internalize integrated

design process and remain competitive.

- How to evaluate whether you are responding effectively and improving the

process and the outcome during the course of a project.

- How to use integrative design to more effectively leverage green

strategies. These points of influence include systems discussions about

cost, timing for input, systems thinking, defining roles and

responsibilities, education and marketing, team relationships and structure,

allocations of time and money, and the effective use of LEED and other

tools.

Mr. Reed will also spend the last portion of the program on regenerative

design ­ a deeper level of integrative design, i.e., living system and whole

system design

Speaker Bio

An internationally-recognized proponent and practitioner of sustainability

and an architect, Bill is president of the Integrative Design Collaborative

in Arlington, Massachusetts. He is also a principal in the regenerative

planning firm, Regenesis.  His work centers on creating the framework for

and managing the integrative, whole-systems design process, emphasizing

building evolutionary capability in design, construction, and engagement

with our environment. The objective: to improve the overall quality of the

physical, social and spiritual life of our living places.

He is a founding board member of the US Green Building Council, served as

co-chair of the LEED Technical Committee from its inception in 1994 - 2003,

and is a past member of the executive committee of AIA's Committee on the

Environment. Bill was a keynote speaker at the 2007 national AIA convention.

 

Solar Sales & Marketing: Making the Financial Case

Workshop Description

Class Agenda:

Overview of Marketing

Market Segments

Lead Generation

Selling

Sales Organizations

Selling Angles

Economics of Solar

Selling Tools available

Class Description:

This fast paced, interactive class packs in a huge amount

of information for identifying your target markets, strategies for

generating leads, setting up a sales organization, then closing sales with

compelling presentations using the environmental, independence, or economic

payback angle (depending on how your customer self identifies). We¹ll round

out the day with an overview of the popular economic analysis and sales

presentation tools available, and an interactive demonstration of the OnGrid

Tool on examples you¹d like to try. This class packs in a huge amount of

material ­ you can see similar previous class slide handouts at:

http://www.ongrid.net/papers

Optional: Bring a laptop computer (Mac or PC) and a real-world example for

the end-of-day interactive session. All students can receive a demo copy of

the OnGrid Tool (license agreement required).

Speaker Bio

Click here to view bio (pdf)