Following the Sun

Morocco!

2011-04-10T18:03:00.004-07:00

I'm going to Morocco May 12-June 24 for a study abroad program through Montana State Universities Architecture program. The full itinerary is at www.atlasculturalfoundation.org under What We Do/Study Abroad. I am also helping Cloe (the founder of ACF) in some foundational Non=profit work as an internship that applies towards my Non-Profit Management Certificate.

I have explored the images posted on Google Earth and really look forward to the experience to come in Morocco!

Winter Studio 2011

2011-04-10T17:53:00.006-07:00

Here's some photos from my winter 2011 studio project: Light in Place.

Located in the main lobby to the Architecture building I used strips of paper to create the spider web and then trace paper cut to size of each window frame to create a "screen" that information was projected onto, color, light, and shadow.

It was a fun exercise in small installation art and seemed like a sculpture studio. The show was at night so I had a large theater light shining from an upstairs window and illuminating the ground plane directly outside the window. Strong reflections appeared in the pools of water that collected as the rain fell onto tarps (initially place for color but then served a double duty!).

Food

2011-01-23T21:37:00.003-08:00

Studio Project
Make something with food and install it in Lawrence.

and since we went to the beach and found an amazing piece of seaweed (that's food too!) I installed it in the stairwell :)

Paper animal

2011-01-19T22:46:00.006-08:00

Studio Assignment:

Build a paper animal and place it somewhere in Lawrence Hall (our Architecture building). There is a grand staircase that ends on the second floor then everyone takes an enclosed firestair to their studio on the 3rd and 4th floor. So I installed a watcher to stare you down as you enter.

Jell-O

2011-01-19T22:44:00.001-08:00

Build something with Jell-O. . . . I think it's alive

How to use a vessel over time

2011-01-19T22:25:00.002-08:00

Media A1

2011-01-19T22:16:00.005-08:00

Winter 2011 Design Development Media course. We chose a vessel to bring through each assignment and I chose a hand made mug from Noel. Above are the hand drawings, below 6 sections done in AutoCad and overlaid to form the vessel using line weight.

Light In Place

2011-01-19T22:01:00.008-08:00

Winter 2011 studio. Visiting professor who knows her light! The studio component is picking a place in a new hospital in New Jersey and designing something with light for that space. I choose the patient exam room as a place that there is inherently lots of waiting, nervousness, anxiety, and scared feelings. I purposely chose a room with no windows so my installation could take on the roll of intrigue, calmness, and soothing.

For the video see: and turn your head to the left :)

Fall studio final

2010-12-06T21:50:00.002-08:00

This was my final submission to the Lyceum Competition, we had to make a 11" x 17" book and I bound my with string and a Mylar cover with the word MIRAGE transferred on (photo to come).
The project was a net zero rest stop along I 80 West of Salt Lake City on the Great Salt Desert salt flats. A very interesting site condition. I would say the studio focused on graphic design and how to get my ideas across graphically since I won't be there to describe it.

second part moon data

2010-11-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

For this part we used the same data as P2, but had to laser cut or 3D model the form and insert a letter. My letter was "U". The final product is 2.5" x 2.5"

Fall 2010 studio

2010-11-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

Here is the work in the first few weeks of the Lyceum Studio (We entered the Lyceum design competition ) It was a maximum of 6 week design project, so we studied form and interventions through data sets.
I collected Horsetail reeds by the local creek with my friend Seth and then cut them to height based on a z value I calculated by multiplying each axis by the other. I used capillary action to hold the pieces together as they were set upon glass submerged in a tray of water. I also did a time lapse of the whole thing drying and made a you tube video! The model being constructed and The model drying. My first attempt at video from still frames. The UO new Architecture Journal is using the drying images in a "flip book" as a small thumbnail at the bottom of each page.

Cartoon

2010-04-20T21:29:00.003-07:00

I researched Health as a topic to investigate for my studio. We were tasked to come up with some cartoons that took a dire situation and made light of it in order to portray a very challenging problems. A commentary on our perceptions of health.

Passive Solar Heating/Cooling

2010-04-15T21:44:00.002-07:00

A great course that use a past studio project to calculate passive heating and cooling requirements and alter aspects of the design accordingly. Our second phase was looking at the band of sun, so available direct gain into the space. I placed my Mexican Center for the Arts in downtown Grand Junction, CO, and am calculating the loads for just the top floor.

Agriculture as Urban Fabric

2010-04-15T21:40:00.003-07:00

My studio project this term is to look at agriculture as a fabric within an urban context (Portland, OR in this case) We are looking at the influencing factors to a site, and trying to pull out the aspects that we each want to focus on. I have tried to understand many of the forces working on a city and how they weave together. How can our linear path of consumption be altered to allow for diversity and cycles to reveal themselves as we are all connected through this intricate web.

New Blog

2010-01-12T17:50:00.002-08:00

Hi Everyone who follows my site, I have started a "new" blog through wordpress, which gives me a few more options for posting my school work/process. I will keep this site for qirky updates about my life, but also follow that site if you want my school processes.
http://lauracavin.wordpress.com/

Enjoy winter! The trees and flowers are blooming out here in Oregon. Strange to move from fall directly into spring for the next three months. . .

Final Review ARCH 681

2009-12-03T13:04:00.004-08:00

ARCH 681 Final Review 12/21/09
Newport Seamen's Institute
Layout requirements: Hand drawn, 4 sheets at 30"x40"

Construction model of multi-purpose room along with pg 2-construction drawings and diagrams of the space.

Facade Study

2009-11-09T22:20:00.003-08:00

3 floors, 5 bays of equal proportion, 3 layers beyond the glass plane but no more than 1/2" from mounting board.

A fun exercise in facade composition that often does not get explored until the very end of the schematic design phase. This project was for spatial composition so does not directly relate to my current studio project, but I tried to incorporate the window light tables that I want to explore in studio as well.

Mid Term

2009-11-06T12:05:00.005-08:00

Mid Term Review November 4, 2009.

Street facade (south) with adjoining properties

Site plan with roof plan, left is level 3

section through the central circulation

model photos in group site model for context, central circulation and view from the pier.

Goals:
My goals for this studio have been to create a very cohesive site plan with central axis that combine the indoor and outdoor spaces. This centralized structure will allow for relationships to develop within the disparate program functions.
The second goal was how to daylight all of the spaces, and preferably from two sides. This will e accomplished through transverse circulation cooridors being lit from above with skylights/sawtooth ridges, and develop light shelves on the east and south sides to project light deeper into the large spaces.

Thoughts:
Felt like a final pin up, but one I wasn't fully resolved with all of my choices, so it's nice to have 3 more weeks to fine tune things. The areas I have not spent much energy include the mediation space and courtyard and the roof planes. How to unify while keeping the separate functions visible will be the next challenge. Also how to draw the entire facade together with some horizontal lines, window light shelves?

Week 5 Studio

2009-10-29T22:59:00.005-07:00

Diagrams of site influences and building organization

Site Plan showing the second floor topography, adjacent buildings

Section through the main circulation B in floor plan

So here are some working photos of my project thus far. Mid terms are November 4th, so I will have some more drawings for that presentation and gather feedback to work and refine the design further. It has been an interesting process to develop our own working style to produce the cohesion and flow within the diverse program elements.

I started modeling with blocks for massing, each block height is approximately 10' at 1/16" =1' scale. the cardboard on the left is the existing fish restaurant abutting our site.

Threshold Analysis

2009-10-29T22:51:00.002-07:00

Spatial Composition Threshold Analysis Project. A sampling of our work.

Path Prospect Refuge

2009-10-19T10:20:00.002-07:00

Path Prospect Refuge

Problem: To design a prospect and refuge space on a sloping site with net zero fill removal.

Solution: Above, stairway to prospect cantilever, with prospect dug into the hillside behind accessed by two slit doorways.

Thoughts: I enjoyed the abstract qualities of this assignment, but was also able to consider human occupation of this site. The roof cantilever and supports are a bit disjointed from the overall design, as well as the transition from stairs to platform.

Fall 2009 Studio

2009-10-19T10:09:00.003-07:00

The fall quarter is in full swing. Our studio project this term is a Commercial Fisherman's Association Facility in Newport, OR. We visited the site (above) in the first week and took many observational data and mapped the land. The facility will house many functions, such as a chapel, multi purpose room, pub, computer room, hostel, kitchen, retail, etc. It has an "urban" context and located on the historic Bay Blvd of Newport.
Now it's figuring out the form, function and internal placement of the many uses.

Cooking with the Sun

2009-09-07T10:06:00.003-07:00

Sun Oven International
The sunny Eugene weather is ideal for cooking with my sun oven. I got this Sun Oven International from Alternative Power Ent. when I worked there. We'll see how many days the rest of the year will be good for sun cooking in Eugene! I've made rice, beans, soups, curry dishes, stir fried veggies, bread, brownies, apple crisp. . . .anything is possible! Noel made my custom casserole dish to maximize the interior volume, the dark glaze helps retain the heat, and can make enough soup for many meals. I've also been playing with what to cook while I'm at the studio all day. In the morning I put all the soup ingredients in the casserole dish, set up the sun oven to face south, then let is slow cook throughout the day. This has worked really well, but need to add a bit more water to rice so it doesn't dry out. But things will never burn because the moisture is retained within the sealed cooking box.

When the sun goes down, or doesn't even appear we can the cook more with our wood fired cob oven in the back yard. Here Noel is cooking a pizza, takes about 30 seconds- 1 minute depending on how hot the fire is in the back.
Build your own! lots of resources available for Cob Ovens or also known as Earthen Ovens

Eugene House

2009-09-07T09:48:00.004-07:00

1960 Grant St.
Here is some information on the sweet rental house I live in! It's a renovated ranch style house 2.5 miles from the U of O campus. It's nice to have a longer bike commute since often it's the only time to be outside on those busy studio days!

New parts of the house:
Skylights in the kitchen and studio space
American Clay Plaster walls and ceilings
Lime Plaster bathroom with cob partitions
Wood burning stove for heat
Big back porch half covered, half not
Materials from BRING Recycling Center, even an old gym floor as the new flooring of the house
Earthen floor in the kitchen, very durable, but also soft to sand on compared to concrete. One of my aunts vases blew off the window sill and didn't break on the floor.
Wood fired outdoor cob oven
Gardens raspberries, tomatoes, peas,
Fruit trees including apple, pear, peach, a fig and 2 kiwis!

Album Cover

2009-08-12T15:18:00.005-07:00

So close to the end of summer term!! This is our final media project, to create an album cover for our house project. My emphasis was on the foundation rock walls that extend into garden walls, the building planes, and then the roof planes extending and becoming the landforms.

I felt like I was back in 2nd grade holding up my project to show everyone. but oh so refreshing to be creating art!

Final Review ARCH 680

2009-08-10T21:03:00.010-07:00

Final Pin up format

Process-created an outline of what elements i wanted to include, the space they would occupy and then how to place them to create a complete shape. Then created a timeline of what drawings I wanted to get done each day.

Media- Velum cut for my sizes, so was able to trace my other drawings, black pen was used to highlight the important aspect of each drawing then rendering in pencil. Mounted on butcher paper, overlapping and creating a double layer down the center where the larger 22" wide drawings fit. pins were small sewing pins with small silver heads that I had at home. Printed all my text and then hand traced it onto the images.

Context and Program

Site Plan Material study

Structural diagram, floor planes, post beams and joists

Sun, Wind, Water, and Energy production

First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan

Section B

Perspectives

Section A, main house looking south

Final Model:

My Model! all material was found in the scrap pile, including the trees.

Thoughts-My self imposed timeline was great, although it caused some anxious feelings on Saturday afternoon, but then realized that was what most people would be feeling on Sunday afternoon, so I was able to use my Sunday (that was originally allotted as free time) to finish and put it all together.

I stuck with just pencil rendering because I wanted to see how I could bring my drawing skills into the controlled environment of architectural drawings, how to make them bold, focus on the ideas I wanted to portray, and maintain a relationship to each other. I did not include color as a conscious decision of not feeling comfortable with how to bring in the color really subtly. Next time I will play around the color more!! But I did appreciate the elegance that resulted in the final presentation. I will also learn photoshop/indesign to work with the layout and how to print my hand drawings so they continue to keep the feeling of the hand.

Great feedback from the reviewers, I truly love the review process for what it reveals in our presentation, and what it shows as able to get across versus what stops people from understanding the underlying concepts. The main things I need to incorporate next time is how to have minimal text and create DIAGRAMS that represent the underlying design ideas. Example: the strong foundation and the axis within the site and buildings. Primary Ideas-represent those, the secondary ideas aren't as necessary. The structural diagrams started to get at that, but did not incorporate the way the outdoor spaces are additions to the interior the way it is revealed in my first floor plan. One reviewer asked what my three main concepts were for the project. I had a hard time coming up with those without having previously thought what they were. They are there, just hadn't been fully laid open as the main reasons for my decsions during the process.

I found a rock in the Willamette river that is a pyramid shape (photo to follow) and will have that on my studio desk as a continual reminder to find the three main concepts, push them, alter them, but continually be reminding myself of them.

Summer Studio Week 7-ARCH 680

2009-08-10T21:01:00.005-07:00

Week 7-
Assignment-Tying it all together for the final review

Process- One week to refine the ideas and bring them together in a compound that sits within the site. Create new model that also represents materiality, make tower fit with the other buildings, define the terraces in the outdoor space, and enjoy the process of bringing my drawings to a new level of completeness, use bold lines, and also create a very hand drawn feeling, the computer lines seem too static and too concrete to me, I like the way a pencil shows the strokes of the hand that rendered it.

Images-see the final review post

Thoughts-ahhhh

Summer Studio Week 6-ARCH680

2009-08-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

Week 6
Assignment-Main House continued. Work on the program for the main floor, focus on connecting to the site, and outdoor spaces.

Process-The seamless transition from the inside space to outside is really important on this site. The outdoor space is one the clients will use as an extension of the small inside space, and the large surrounding meadow is an extension of their property lines.

Images-

Structural layout of buildings site plan with outdoor space

Reworked second floor

Perspective drawing looking from the north east and from the kitchen looking west.
Then we had to add colored pencil. . . .

Color perspectives

Thoughts-The downstairs floor plan is a little cramped to get the program in, I omitted certain aspects that detracted from the overall scheme and made sure to includes mechanical storage for the solar batteries and water catchment!

Using colored pencil is still a very weak part in my artistic repertoire. I lost the contrast that I had with just the pencil rendering, it did add a bit of materiality, but it didn't seem very successful, next time I will try to just represent aspects of the material, and leave the rest of it pencil rendered with shading. Really subtle colors may help keep it from looking like a cartoon drawing as well.

Summer Studio Week 5-ARCH 680

2009-07-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

Week 5-
Assignment-Sleeping and Bathing in the main house. We received the entire program for the main house components and were to focus on the sleeping and bathing areas of the house.

Process- I designed the second story with two bedrooms, and one shared bathroom. There are twin girls age 14, so they get a bunk room to cut down on space, tried to minimize the building footprint and maximize the outdoor space that is created in return.

Images-

Site plan and second floor plan

Section Elevation from the East

Rough model with site photos behind.

Thoughts-The rough model allowed for the most conceptual visualization of my ideas so far. I was then able to place it in the context of the site, which was the starting point for sketching perspectives. I did this in Word, making the model have a transparency to it, but when I printed it, it often did not have any transparency, I then created a screen shot of it and saved it as a jpg, that allowed me to print it with the right affect. I look forward to learning a better way!!! say with photoshop. . .. .

Summer Studio Week 4-ARCH 680

2009-07-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

Week 4-Mid Term Review
Assignment-Tower focusing on views and openings

Process-Refining the tower observation deck, and how it relates to the site.

Images-

Site Plan with important elements, sun angles in arcs, views with red arrows, footpaths in blue, and rough building forms on site.

Mid Term Pin up

Thoughts-Review process is really fun to see what is apparent to someone unfamiliar with the project, and the questions they ask are areas where it is not clear in the drawings or model. Gary Moye, our history professor reviewed me last and had a great conversation about how to play with the strong ground connection with the basalt, and the roof forms above. Highlight those aspects.

Summer Studio Week 3-ARCH 680

2009-07-13T18:58:00.003-07:00

Week 3 Assignment-the structure of the tower. 10' x 10' footprint, must have observation platform at at least 42' and the entire tower no more than 53'. Includes a place for Linn to write, sketch, read, paint, bird watch, and maybe for an outdoor sleeping space.

Process-I wanted to tower to be a distinct space from the rest of the complex, and to make it a calming process and transition space as you ascend to the top contemplation platform. I also wanted it to fit the Northwest vernacular and looked at many fire towers, which is came through in the open structure, bracing, and roof. I also wanted the public using the surrounding space to see through the tower at the landscape beyond. In turn creating a less obtrusive vertical element (that is high due to the program!)

Images-

Tower Concept Elevation, section, and plans

Guest house and rough Tower Model

Tread detail, how each riser works.

Figure Ground Exercise: Working Title: Stone Haven:
Functions of the indoor and outdoor spaces combine and blend, while maintaining a relationship to the built forms. The spaces progress from public to private the further the site is penetrated. Repeating forms tie together the separate functions within the structures.

Thoughts-feedback was how beautiful the structure itself was, like a spring coiled, but the stairs inside were a separate element that did not relate to the structural elements until the final landing (that happens on each horizontal beam). The connection to the main house is to be determined, and there should be relating factors with the entire site. From the tower I found the patterning I want to bring into the guest house. Sections of 3-roughly 3' each. This will be brought through the design to unit the elements.

Summer Studio Week 2-ARCH 680

2009-07-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

Assignment-Material Study. Determine materials to use for project, feel them, touch them, experience them. Post and Beam structure as framework for the guesthouse design, create a space that the parents in law can stay at, include bathroom, bathing, small kitchen, bed, small desk, closet, the space can also be used as a hang out spot for the teenage girls, music room, etc.

Process-Indoor outdoor, connection with future main house, how to create a space that holds the required program, and does not get to large. Versatile space that can be transformed for multiple uses. One large room, smaller auxiliary service section. Clump uses together.

Images-

Material Study

Building Relationships and Access Structure post and beam structure

Guest House floor plan

Guest house elevations

Results- Make the images bolder!! define lines with darker pencil or pen to make plan stand out, and is easily read from afar. Enjoyed the material study, I took all the pictures at one point or another in my travels and in the house I"m renting right here in Eugene!

Summer Studio Week 1-ARCH 680

2009-06-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

Design Studio 680, Summer 2009

First design studio for the Master of Architecture Option III program at the University of Oregon. The 3 year program starts with a summer intensive 8 week long studio, media and history/theory classes.

Program: A single family dwelling on Mt. Baldy, Eugene, OR, accessible by footpath with three built elements: Main house, guesthouse, and contemplation tower.

Week 1:
Assignment-Site Analysis, examine factors that influence the sites, choose one, and document those factors. Human, Environmental, Natural, Access, diagram these conditions.
Process-We visited the site, mapped out the 3 possible building sites, recorded our observations for each, took pictures, documented existing conditions, what is there now.
Images-

Thoughts-started to work with ways of diagramming influencing factors, using color as a tool, not as cartoon like. Imposing images together with diagrams to portray concepts to be highlighted. Would have added more patterns within the site, color pallet of the surrounding area, vegetation, sun patterns with the existing large maple tree.

2009-05-01T17:25:00.003-07:00

Oct 2007-May 2009
Alternative Power Enterprises
www.alternative-power.com
Small solar company that designs and installs solar electric and solar thermal installations on homes and commercial buildings. I have helped in the office, designing systems, working with potential clients, performing energy audits, creating estimates, following up with clients, ordering materials, and some install help. It has been a great experience to explore the intricacies of the solar systems and how they work on existing homes and how to work with Architects and designers on their in progress designs to incorporate solar successfully. Everytime plans came in I would find myself very interested in the overall design and knew the solar company has been a great learning ground, but ultimately too narrow focused for my passions to incorporate the built environment with natural systems.

2007-04-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

Be patient with all that is unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a foreign tongue.

Live the questions raw.

-Rainer Marie Rilke

The care for the earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing, responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.

-Wendall Berry

2007-03-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

Bozeman, MT

Jan. 2007-
A new community, a new adventure with two enthusiastic life loving women who have influenced my own life in many ways. I have been exploring new work opportunities at Refuge Sustainable Building Center (www.refugebuilding.com) An indepth exploration of materials, "new", but recycled or rapidly renewable, or natural based. Gets me questioning the "green material" industry further. . . .is transporting bamboo from Asia better than using wood from a forest 50 miles away? How do you begin to incorporate a reused, salvaged operation for reducing the WASTE created by such endeavors as the building projects happening in the Yellowstone Club. . .$128 Million dollar house going up in an exclusive community with their own ski area. Is that life? how do people live by disregarding their surroundings and community that is supporting and enabling their life the way it is. A life so full of waste and disregard for all the supporting factors. How do we begin to show a life of less, is a life of more happiness, less attachment to material objects and more attachment to love and life. More focus on the food we eat, the air we breath,

Work with a "green" (still hate using that word, but no better term can be conclusive at the present moment) architect is also teaching me the intricacies of service based on design for a specific client. A place by place changing opportunity to include passive solar and appropriate design features for the way we LIVE in the built environment. But bit by bit, one house at a time. One vacation home at a time. . .how does this translate into the tract homes, the subdivisions eating our farm fields, the monstrosities?

I want to get my hands involved in site based, place based, earth based building. Mud, straw, sun and wind. This too will have limitations and small influences, but I'm craving the opportunity to instill my values of local, local economies, local resources, local people. A labor of love, not intended for everyone, how do we become involved on a larger level? Expand out from one community, grow, engulf, include, develop, and move along, roll, change, bend, alter, learn, teach, and plant seeds of enthusiasm and love.

Can formal education create these attributes? One must be open to the opportunities surrounding them, and be willing to listen to the wind, stop and breath, and move along again. I want to listen, I want to learn, and thus ride the rhythm of the music encompassing life. Life is precious.

2006-06-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

The Company We Keep: Reinventing Small Business for People, Community, and Place
-John Abrams

"We grow to achieve specific goals, but we are aware that when we choose to increase in size, we may disrupt and endanger treasured qualities. Such concerns do not imply that we must limit development. Economist Herman Daly makes the distinction by explaining that to grow means to increase in size by the assimilation or accretion of materials, while to develop means to expand or realize the potentialities of; to bring to a fuller, greater, or better state. Our planet, he explains, develops over time without growing, while our economy, a subsystem of the finite and nongrowing earth, must eventually adapt to a similar pattern"

"Some say that to argue about growth in commerce is spurious. Of course you have to grow, they say: " Nature demands growth just as business does." I say, " that's debateable." Wall Street demands growth, business does not. Neither does nature. Nature seeks optimized growth and imposes limits. In the book Upsizing, author Gunter Pauli points out that if an oak tree grows to 150 feet, it is strong enough to resist wind, wear, and tear. But it doesn't grow to 1,500 feet, even when nature provides sufficient nutrients. Instead, it provides room for ten other trees. If it grew to 1,500 feet, it would become too fragile and lose its resilience and stability.

2006-04-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

March 18, 2006
Tim's Memorial Service, Grand Junction, CO

I was lucky to have known "the recent Tim" and got to share these memories with his friends and family in Grand Junction where his recent endeavors down in Telluride were unknown to many.

I am lucky to have been touched by his life, albeit for a small fracture in time. We all have to remember the moments we shared with him, each spark of light he brought to the endeavors he tackled. Anna Quindlen stated “Life is made up of little moments, small pieces of glittering mica in a long stretch of gray cement.” Tim was one big, shiny, good looking, chunk of mica!

I met Tim on my second day in Telluride, a mere three months ago. Although our friendship was short, I was calmed by his presence and loved to explore with him our similar interests, everything from waste grease for biodiesel to tele skiing.

We coached at the Telluride Ski Club, where I would consistently see 5 little girls dressed in pink clinging to each arm, as he sat calmly with that smile on his face. He was always patient, always smiling, and always ready to go on any narly trail the kids wanted to go down, then he would calmly help them up from the resulting crash.

Early in the season I skied with him and some friends from Boulder. Misty Maiden and Chair 4, although repetitive, were fun, with jokes and laughs as we rode the same groomers over and over and tried to find variation in the bumps along the side.

Another tele skiing adventure with Tim was exploring the bumps of Chair 9. He had so much energy and enthusiasm for going as fast as he could, it didn’t matter how many face plants resulted. I did my best to keep up, and was definitely huffing and puffing at the bottom of each run. We shared quiet moments together, there was no need to constantly talk, we were both excited and energized by the mountain, the snow, the wind.

When Tim bartended at Chair 8, I would stop by on my way home to see him and share a few drinks and small talk. It was a place in town I knew I could find a friendly face and a smile. It was easy to be in his presence, never feeling the necessity to justify why I stopped by, even if it was just to be with him. He was always tired after working 7 hours on the ski hill, then 6 more at the bar, always watching the clock to head home, but never rushing me to get out.

One of the older athletes from the Telluride Ski Club exclaimed she “got 5 words out of Tim in one go, that must be a record!” I said, well you just have to ask him a question about something he’s passionate about. He would get a glimmer in his eye and a big smile and could go on for hours. One example is our drive to Montrose to the Biodiesel plant for a cleanup day. He talked about his goals in graduate school, and how he was excited to learn about the agriculture aspects of biodiesel and of the feasibility of it on a larger scale beyond collecting waste grease. A messy and difficult process that he got to experience first hand. He was dedicated to learning more about biodiesel and was very excited to make the first batch this spring when the weather got warmer and the grease de-gelled. His hidden fire burned with his passions to pursue aspects of renewable energy and to keep learning.

Those interests are what brought him to be a fellow intern at Steeprock Builders. An ecological design/build company that installs and runs off of solar panels, wind turbines, and biodiesel generators, all integral aspects towards realizing the vision of combining the built environment with natural systems and reducing humans impact on this world. Glen Harcourt, the founder, had a knack for finding all of those like-minded flecks of mica and collecting us together to create a family of go getters who are searching and succeeding at finding ways of living more sustainably. On February 23, Tim, Glen and Bo were headed to a hydro-electric project, and I know they were smiling the whole way there. Pursuing their passions, living life to the fullest, and leaving their mark through renewable systems that are the future.

I will always remember and cherish each of those small moments in time that I got to spend with Tim and the quiet beauty he brought to this world. His presence was comforting, his smile lit up the room, and his enthusiasm for life and all it holds will continue on within everyone that was touched by his life. Every mountain peak I am surrounded by reminds me of Tim. An overwhelming feeling of quiet peace emanates from each mountain top; Tim is there, watching, listening; being quiet and patient, loving, and happy.

2006-03-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

Honoring Three Wonderful Friends

February 23, 2006 while heading to a hydro-electric project in Glen Harcourt's small plane, they hit a power line and died.

Glen Harcourt, founder/owner and mind behind Steeprock Builders and Atlas Arckology (a non-profit that promotes sustainable endeavors), He had a knack for gathering up like-minded, go getter, change the world people. His passion for life and bringing out the best in everyone will live on through everyone he's touched and influenced.

Bo Willse, laborer at Steeprock, learning to fly, and wonderful friend. When the bus dropped me off early at the Steeprock office before anyone else was there, I would hang out with Boomer, his dog, while Bo ate his breakfast. Excited about the day, with that smile on his face, always.

Tim Hackett, fellow ski coach at Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club, and fellow intern at Steeprock was working on every and all projects pertaining to renewable energy systems.

All three were good friends and I was fortunate to get to know them and work with them during the three months I have lived in Telluride. They all embodied energy and enthusiasm for life that was hard to find in places. They each had abundant smiles and laughs that filled the room and even couldn't be contained by walls. They were dedicated to sustainable endeavors and were making the world a better place each day they lived. They have not left us, since their inspirations and ideas will continue on in everyone touched by their lives. I feel them in the wind and will always see them in the mountain peaks, I will strive towards their ideals, and continue to live with their love and enthusiasm.

Also see www.strategiesforsustainability.blogspot.com (Mar 1 post tribute to Glen)
http://public.fotki.com/shmooga/glen/ (pictures of Glen and family)
http://mikelane.blogspot.com/2006/02/trivial-traveling_26.html (tribute to Tim)

2006-02-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

"you won't find no gold in that rock. Only fool's gold."

"All gold is fool's gold."

"Yeah? Is that so?" Old Jack turns his leathery face and one good eye to his mate, the hint of a smile on his lips. "Don't philosophize on me, medicine man." He pats the pouch inside his belt. "We can buy what we need with it. That's good enough for me."

"Only from fools."

"Bullshit, Sam. Don't you know nothing about economics? About medium of exchange? How long'd you go to that Harvard?"

"Two weeks. It was a long grind."

"Not long enough, seems like. What branch of higher learning did they teach you there anyhow?"

"They taught all the branches--but none of the roots."

-Edward Abbey "Good News"

2006-01-09T16:21:00.000-08:00

EVERY LONG JOURNEY

Every long journey is made of small steps,
Is made of courage, the feeling you get.
You know it's been waiting and waiting for you
The journey's the only thing you want to do.

We cannot know what you go through or see through your eyes
We will surround you, our pride undisguised.
In any direction, whatever you do,
You're taking our love there with you.

Every long journey, what drives you to go
It's half what you know, and half what you don't.
The secret's been waiting your heart's got the key
The secret's the only thing you want to see.

Every long journey begins with a dream
The spirit's encouraged to make it all real.
The dream has been calling and calling to you
The dream is the only thing you want to do.

2005-12-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

Steeprock Builders

www.steeprockbuilders.com

My new part time job which will begin in January. I'm very excited to be working for this ecological Design/build firm, which has beautiful attention to detail, and a strong sense of stewardship for natural resources. Their workshop is run off solar power with a biodiesel backup generator. They do the entire process from permitting, to design, to digging the foundation with their biodiesel backhoe, to finishing touches. I will be helping out where help is needed, and hopefully will learn a lot about the entire process from the ground up.

2005-12-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

Telluride, CO

My base for the winter. I'm coaching 7-8 year olds skiing, but more importantly have chosen Telluride, because San Miguel County has recently passed a Green Building Code for all residential construction and renovations. The town of Telluride has embraced these codes, but is also looking for ways to make them better, with a rating system like LEED so that there isn't merely a minimum standard to be reached, but an incentive for even better. I"m also looking into open space environmental groups like the Sheep Mountain Alliance, and architects around town who are embracing the "green" attitude, or have been at the forefront of this movement. The town of Telluride is an old mining town, so it's very compact, small houses, and great public buses and a gondola to transport people to Mt. Village (where all the second homes are, and large hotels. . .NOT sustainable lifestyles just over the mountain ridge) The two entities of Telluride and Mt. Village are interesting contrasts to each other. The first night I was here I went to a "green" ski movie, about the fate of backcountry skiing etc. There was a short intro "mockumentary" about the Lost People of Mt. Village. It described the day when the people who live (well at least vacation) up there just disappeared. There isn't even a grocery store or a gas station in town. And the houses with 19 bathrooms became uninhabitable because of the excess of space and lack of community.

It's a very small town, but it's been great getting to know people, and talking with them about my passions. There is a strong "green" community, but the trick is how to balance healthy development (affordable housing as an example) with keeping open space and pristine areas. Most people who live in Telluride did not grow up here, a vivid example of how development will not just stop, so how can we do it in a healthy manner. So very intersting conflicts and solutions are taking root in this small growing community. I have commited to 5 months, and we shall see what happens at the end of that time. In the meantime I'm excited to be gaining a community around me, meeting new people who I will see again the next week, and diving right into town activities. (a Green Building Material forum is taking place in an hour)

I will upload pictures when I can, but the computers available to me have not been cooperating.

2005-12-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

Eugene, OR-

U of Oregon has a strong architecture program, and in the forefront is Professor Charlie Brown who does a lot of research on building materials and energy use. Since energy is the largest consumption of resources throughout the building's lifetime it is necessary to begin to reduce the impact and lifecycle costs associated with energy use.

Portland, OR

Portland State University- a very strong urban planning program in a new building with lots of natural light and public spaces.

Office of Sustainable Development www.sustainableportland.org
A government sponsored/run department that is in charge of facilitating recycling, composting, green building, and transportation throughout Portland. A very progressive and sucessful organization that continues to grow and enhance the Portland area.

Portland is interesting because they have an Urban Growth Boundary that inhibits the spread of suburbs out into the farm fields. Because the west coast is relatively young, it is able to put in place these boundaries and so far have been able to entice some developers to work within those guidelines and create beautiful, walkable, diverse neighborhoods. . .One example is Villebois, a planned development in Wilsonville that will become it's own town center, and is well under way taking housing reservations and working of the final site plans.

City Repair- www.cityrepair.org
A group of citizens that want to help transform the public spaces in Portland to promote community development, natural building, and place making. They have helped groups of people sucessfully build cob benches and kiosks in their public spaces. Each spring they also put on the Village Building Convergence, a week long event of workshops, speakers, and community building. A neat organization that is walking it's walk.

Our United Villages and the Rebuilding Center- work in partnership. . .the rebuilding center is a place for used building materials that can then be resold at lower prices, and the revenue goes to Our United Villages, a non-profit, working to foster community outreach within Portland.

2005-11-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

"Instead of seeing the rug being pulled out from under us, we can learn to dance on a shifting carpet" -Thomas F. Crum

"Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse
while all the others were making ships." -Charles Simic

It's a mean country,
but it's your's and mine
I know it's rugged, but I'm set to see it shine
-East Texas Red

It's a long and rugged road
and we don't know where we're heading
but we know it's gonna get us where we're going

When we find what we're looking for
we'll drop these bags and search no more
It's gonna feel like heaven when we're home.
-The Wailing Jenny's

2005-11-11T10:44:00.000-08:00

Davis, CA
Planned residential "suburb" community, that is planned according to the sun. People park on the outsides, and walk around. There is an edible landscape, and homes are oriented for passive solar gain, and active instalations on the roof.

Headed north from Berkeley, visited the Shasta Dam, got a very interesting tour and heard how they have a proposal in the Senate to increase the height of the dam 18 feet, because demand continues to grow on this precious resource. 75% of California's water falls in the northern part of the state. It then gets pumped down to southern California where 75% of the people live. A strange concept that seems unlikely to continue forever.

Visited the Redwood National Park along the coast. Beautiful trees that towered above me. It is very difficult to view the redwoods in a drizzle, because you always want to be looking up and up at them, but then you get raindrops in your eye. It cleared up a bit, and the sun even came out for the end of my day. An epic bike ride took me on an abandoned road through a huge grove, then over the ridge to the costal trail, biking through flooded trails, then around an elk herd, and back up over the ridge. A peaceful off season experience only running into a few other visitors. I couldn't camp in the redwoods because they were so huge and overbearing that I felt small and vulnerable without anyone with me. So I headed north and camped in Smith Wilderness area, the trees are normal sized there.

Into Oregon!
Visited a couple of farms in Grants Pass area, organic and one supplied food to a restaurant on site (Summer Jo's). The traveled to Cottage Grove, OR and Aprovecho, a research and education center. www.aprovecho.net The are working on gardening, forestry, but also appropriate technology, specifically wood burning stoves. These ideas are then shared at stove conferences and throughout the developing world where wood fuel is becoming an important topic. The vision to expand knowledge and promote sustainable living (heading towards regenerative living) is an extremely important and momentum building approach.

2005-10-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

North of San Fran.

County Line Farm-organic produce that sells to restaurants in San Fran and at farmers markets. It was great to reconnect with Jeremey and Andrew, and I just happened to time things perfectly with dinner parties :)

Occidental Arts and Ecology Center

A residential community that hosts workshops, interns and community members. Wednesdays are volunteer garden work days, so I got my hands dirty and helped prepare a bed for winter crops. They embody permaculture ideas, so each bed has many different varieties and crops. There are a number of experiemental "solar" houses that were on the property which house participants. It was a beautiful community on beautiful land. The ideas and motivations to live on the land in harmony with natural cycles, and to actually produce a healthier place to live, were inspiring and exciting.

2005-10-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

Solar Homes Tour Oct 2nd, I volunteered at the Oakland Solar Homes Tour, stuffing envelopes, then sitting outside a woman's house and telling the passer-bys about her solar panels mounted to her roof. Rebates are constantly changing to make solar instalations more affordable, and if you are grid tied, there is no need for batter storage. Your meter simply moves backwards.

College of Environmental Design- U. Cal. Berkeley
A very prestigious Green architecture program, landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning programs. I talked with many students, saw some presentations, and spoke with professors within the landscape architecture department. Lots of resources in the area, and a very progressive hub no doubt. One trick. ..getting in. Brooke (williams '03) took some classes, then reapplied and was able to get into the program she wanted.

October 21-Green Materials Showcase in San Francisco. Hosted by Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility. A day of presentations, representatives talking about products, and learning about the possibilities in the Bay Area.

Snow Areials in San Francisco. Jonny Mosley hosted the event, they trucked in shaved ice from the fishing warfs, and created a ski jump in the middle of the street. A strange sight to see on the hot sunny day.

2005-10-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

Berkeley, CA
An evening with Peter Calthorpe hosted by Livable Berkeley. Calthorpe, a renowned architect/urban planner lives in Berkeley and was discussing some of his projects in Chicago, Salt Lake City, and L.A. He is both a thinker and a practitioner. Starting his career in architecture he began to see that house by house influence was "putting sails on the freight ship" and therefore not accomplishing as much as could be possible by turning that freight ship into a schooner! Regional planning needs to be addressed in order to encompass the network of interactions that occur within urban frameworks.

The four main principles:
1.Diversity and Balance
2.Human and pedestrian scale
3.Conservation and Restoration-the "great" american grid may not be the answer because it disregards the natural aspects of place such as wetlands, streams, etc.
4.Connections and interdependance-no healthy community is in isolation

"Cities survive bad architecture if they have good urbanism"

There was discussion about what can be done in Berkeley to create more neighborhoods (blockades try to reduce traffic by being a hassle, but I've heard people end up driving more because they go in circles!) Redevelopment is happening in old buildings, on old industrial frieght yards, and within the existing structure of the city. A good point was made that cities need to be able to keep their diversity and some "dirty" city streets to the older generation are in fact the lure for the younger generations.

Berkeley is a progressive and liberal city filled with excited students, transients, and the grown up "hippies" with money. A very interesting conglomeration of people.

2005-10-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yosemite National Park

A healthier adult playground than Las Vegas or even Disney World. The "village center" is full of winding roads, paths, bikers, campsites, and a hotel, but it is fostering a place where people can get outside! Yes some of the beginning hikes are paved 20 foot wide paths that guide you to a lake or waterfall, but if you get a little bit beyond those boundaries you can be completely alone. The excitement and enjoyment for the outdoors was contagious and great to see. Maybe by providing a very comfortable means of experiencing the outdoors more people will.

They have free hybrid shuttles to promote parking your car and getting around the village by other means. Solar paneled water meters was interesting to see in the shaded woods. . .at least they're trying.

watch out for the bears. . .not a good place to be when I had a hole in the side of my car. I parked in the largest parking lot with the most people, and was just fine.

2005-10-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

Owen's Valley-East side of the Sierra's. 300 miles from L.A. and they had signs posted "no camping, property of the city of L.A." along this "river" that was being pumped to feed the consumption of the sprawling suburbs of L.A. The underground water supplies are not being refilled with the natural runoff and there are continual battles over water levels. The stubborn or "strong willed" in that area are fighting to maintain the ecosystem and vitality of Owen's Valley that is slowly being drained by the far away beast of yet another sprawling metropolis.

Right is power going to the fenced in pumping station that feeds the river in order to get the blood to L.A.

2005-10-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Mojave, CA-Wind Turbine Farm! EnXco and FPL Energy. The wind was strong and the blades were steadily turning. A powerful example of what can harness our renewable resources. For anyone who has never seen/heard/or gotten anywhere near a wind turbine I say you MUST see them before you start battling them. These structures aren't for every place, but they are not eye sores when you've seen coal power plants spewing soot high into the air, or oil refineries pumping out their stuff.

Which do you prefer?

2005-10-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona- Amazing to think that 250 million years ago what is the desert was a vast and dense forest. These petrified trees are now stone and lie in pieces in the sand, large and dramatic remnants of what has been. what will be?

Hoover Dam-A huge engineering feat, and now a terrorist target. Check points greet you before you see it, then the deteriant of parking makes you keep moving over and beyond it. Is this development healthier than the large coal power plants? We need to harness the water if people are going to be occupying the West, so are these large scale dams really the best option?
On another note with water, this is Death Valley, I went SWIMMING in Death Valley, well more like splashing, but you get the point. There is currently standing water there. I strange sight to see a natural lake where their used to be one millions of years ago.

2005-09-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

DEATH VALLEY- CA A hot, hot place. Although it only reached 98 when I was there. The barren land was only spotted with green at resorts like this one where the palm trees huged their irrigated land closely and the ones who strayed to far died.

I hiked the sand dunes, splashed in the standing water on the salt flats, attempted to bake cookies on my dash board when I went off hiking and tried to avoid the Germans in their rented RVs.

2005-09-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, Nevada.- So I was going to divert all travels away from the beast they call Las Vegas, but others persuaded me to at least "see" it. And so I took my travels over the Hoover Dam, yes an impressive structure, but no I didn't get to see down the steep side of it because they wanted me to pay $5 to park. Then on to "The Strip" as was marked on the highway sign. One drive up, then one drive down, mouth gapping open the entire time, and hand out the window taking pictures to share with all of you who've never seen the beast for yourself. Then I kept on driving out of town.
So what I saw- A beast, a monster that is diverting power and water from the surrounding area to fuel an adult Disney World. A place where adults go for the thrill of gambling, the sights of topless women, and the taste of martinis. A place that replaces the childhood fantasies of thrills on rollercoasters, mickey mouse, and cotton candy. A strange destination to satisfy our un-real expectations of reality. I couldn't even bring myself to donate a nickel to fuel the fire of the beast, so I can still say I've never gambled and think I shall never set foot in that city again, UNTIL the day it becomes a ghost town being unable to support it's massive structures and wasteful use of water. That will be a sight to see.

Well until then, enrich your place, build your community, and hold strong against the dominant system to push our desires towards unreal realities.

2005-09-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies, Cal Poly Pomona, CA. http://www.csupomona.edu/~crs/

A beautiful example of creating a sustainable center for classes, living, working, and being. It was a surprising oasis after the clogged and vast superhighways surrounding the Los Angeles area. CRS sits on a hill beyond the agricultural fields of Cal Poly's campus, and is a quiet yet energetic hub. The new Master's program was interesting and according to a few of the students I talked with something they were very excited about. You get to focus in whatever area you want, from environmental education to landscape architecture. A very self-directed study. The edible landscape intriqued me since I have no idea what half of those fruits are, but they were sweet tasting! Including the vine/cactus looking things in the picture below. Behind them on the "hill" are large tubes that are harvesting methane from the recently covered landfill, which is now the "hill". A good way to harvest what we've thrown away, but when can we use it before we consider it trash.

I also got to visit the Claremont Environmental Design Group that my uncle used to be a principal in. They are working on small projects, but also some community size developments. They get to work with their hands and their heads to work from within the development beast that has taken over our country and are trying to create places where humans and wild places can coexist.

2005-09-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

Arcosanti, AZ-
an urban laboratory in the desert of central Arizona. A place where Paolo Soleri, an Italian architect, had visions of creating a community able to support 5,000 people on 25 acres, thus leaving the rest open and wild. www.arcosanti.org To date it is 5% complete because they do not hire outside contractors. All of the work is done by individuals in their 5-week courses, or those who wish to live and work there. Most of the structures are concrete, durable, but not wholely sustainable or affordable in these times. The apse design to the right creates a shady outdoor space in the summer and a sunny winter outdoor work space. It can also be used throughout the day as a meeting place, and a concert hall. Every built area has multiple functions and times of day to be used. A very inspirational idea, but at this rate, it is taking more to keep in functioning than able to expand it to really be a feasible alternative for urban sprawl. The tour consisted of mostly showing how their famous wind chims were made, since they are Arcosanti's main source of revenue. A strange little oasis with their own sparkling swimming pool. Luckily it is situated at the mouth of a very large aquifer otherwise since they "only get 12 inches of rain a year, that wouldn't be enough to run this place." That attitude won't get them very far in creating a place that treads lightly on the earth.

2005-09-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

New Mexico State Fair-One small display is better than none! Educating about natural resources. I missed the Dollar Rodeo by a day, but got to taste some raspberry pie, and smell some roses.

Yes to the right a woman is selling Lemonade from a Lemon.

2005-09-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Dharma Living Systems-Taos, NM. www.livingmachines.com started as a wastewater treatment and are currently integrating the buildings into their projects to create more site based designs. A typical design firm 80% of the time, with an alternative focus on ecological principles.

El Monte Sagrado-Dharma's showcase ecological resort. A view of the constructed wetlands, that treats the runoff, a VERY top of the line resort, can this be accomplished on the small scale where economics do play a factor?

2005-09-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

Angel's Nest-once was an earthship, now a wacked out retreat center. . .I'm not sure a hydrogen fueled stretch hummer is really the embodiment of sustainable living. According to the owner this is how 99% of Americans want to live. If that's true some how I've found myself in the 1% with grounded views on what it will take to "sustain" ourselves as a society. (this structure has 9 bathrooms! in the desert no less, and yes they catch their water, but at times have had to bring water in, no surprise there)

2005-09-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

Adobe house, near Taos, NM. Adobe is inbetween being an insulator and a mass. So good for doing both jobs, but not great at doing just one of them. Coupled with other insulation and stone floors it can be appropriate for this dry and sunny climate. It seems that the rich and the poor are building with it, but the middle is building mostly with cement. Interesting. . . .

Here's the "new" adobe construction in Santa Fe, but really could be anywhere around the southwest.

2005-09-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

Dream Tree-Taos, NM. A shelter for teens, this is a new residential unit with apartments to transition people from the main building to real apartments. The large gaps aren't doors, they will be Tram walls-glass in front of a cement wall to slowly store heat during the day and slowly release it at night. There is a natural air vent with the "stack" in the back fo the apartment. Also allows daylight to reach the interior. This project was possible through grants and instead of constructing a typical cement block square, the architect really created beautiful buildings that will be more comfortable to live in.

2005-09-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hike to Williams Lake, with a view of Mt. Wheeler tallest peak in NM (right). A gorgeous day, and oh so much backcountry skiing possibilities. :)

2005-09-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

Earthships-Biotecture. near Taos, NM. I volunteered for three days, constructing can walls, digging this huge hole for a blackwater system, and mud plastering some interior walls. These houses use rammed earth tires for retaining walls, and large glass windows seen here for passive solar gain. All the rainwater is collected and energy produced on site. Earth"ship" is fitting since it's self contained within itself.
The use of aluminum cans as structural components to the cement walls is a good way to use trash, but can they be recycled efficiently instead of taking these high embodied energy material out of the industrial stream? We used lots of cement, is there not a permanent alternative that isn't going to increase in cost 30%+ due to Katrina.

2005-09-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Sept 11- Earthships- The Greater World near Taos, New Mexico.

I voluteered for three days helping make can walls, frame the front of the earthship (alternative residential building that has a rammed tire back wall, and south glass wall) They capture all of their water into large cisterns, use a greywater system through planters to filter water from the sinks and shower, and a conventional septic tank then through a series of blackwater planters out front. It's an interesting concept, and the houses are very practical, but take lots of labor! rough figures are $165/ sf and 30% of that is labor costs. It was a fun crew to work on, this coming week I'll be meeting with others around Taos that are working on passive solar design and water reclaimation.

2005-08-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Sweetwater, Navajo Nation- Me and my shadow, traveling this big country of ours. Always with me and always reminding me of who I am. :)

2005-08-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

Peabody Coal, Black Mesa, AZ. open pit mining that sends coal via slury line (contaiminating the fresh water) to Las Vegas and southern CA coal power plants. The Navajo Nation gets 37 cents/ton, a revenue of $60 M /year. But the private corporations are gaining $4-5 /ton of coal. A strange predicament. Also this mine will be shut down in a year or so since the power plant it feeds is not meeting sulfur emission levels. 700 + jobs will be lost to the Navajo people, already with roughy 40% unemployment rate. How to use the resources available, while maintaining land integrity, and economic development?

2005-08-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

Making flat bread with chef Lehi and IHP students in Sweetwater, Navajo Nation

2005-08-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Coal Canyon-Navajo Nation-small mining for household fuel.

2005-08-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Navajo Nation.

I'm working as an assistant for the study abroad program that I participated in two years ago. THey are now starting on the Navajo Nation under the wing of Moroni, a friend from that trip we took together. So the first 4 days we have been getting aquainted and doing logistical things, and now we're heading towards Sweetwater, Navajo Nation. I'm putting my 15 passenger van and group food shopping skills to work, and also helping to provide some insight into the program and what's to come for these students.

2005-08-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Pueblo ruins, at Natural Bridges National Monumnet- even contatins the original wood roof.

2005-08-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah- Completely off the grid converting sunlight into electrical power to run the visitor center and the 6 trailers. There's excess energy being provided, each house has 2-3 conventional fridges running!!

2005-08-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

August 7-
ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE, Snowmass, CO www.rmi.org
An interesting foundation that is working to inform the private sector and thus create change that is market driven. The have a nearly energy neutral building, 40 some odd employees, and lots of opportunities to get involved. Through integrated design solutions based on the idea of Natural Capitalism (see the RMI webpage for links to this) they embody many of the diverse areas that impact businesses, and find ways to make them more successful. It's the multi-dimensional approach that I've been searching for and it seems to be working!
The three areas of focus are Energy and Resources Services (ERS), Green Development Services (GDS), and Integrated Design Practice (IDP).

It was exciting to see such a diverse range of projects all being successful from a rural backdrop, although the Aspen valley is developing rapidly, not as rapidly as Eagle County. According to one, Aspen is trying to become the largest ecotourist spot. It will be interesting to follow those developments. Everywhere is still short of sustainaibility, or even enhancing the area in which they live and work, but I have yet to doubt the possibility of it. It just takes dedicated individuals who can live for today, while looking towards the future.

2005-08-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

Rocky Mountain Institute- Snowmass, CO Visitor Center/office. Looking into the greenhouse area where the grey water is cleansed and banana trees grow. There is a bit of a bug problem at times and their newest strategy is to house a hedgehog inside. No joke. He eats the bugs and lives happily inside.

2005-08-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

August 6- National Renewable Energy Lab, Golden, CO. A Residential and Commercial Building Expo. Lots of great speakers and exhibits. A tour of the Solar research lab, and lots of information about "green" building in the front range. We weren't allowed to take pictures in the lab area, so this is the visitor center, but has a passive solar design and some solar panel demonstrations around back.

2005-08-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

August 5-Cheyenne Wyoming. Gotta love the humor of the wild west, or at least the tourist draw.

2005-08-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

August 4- Wyoming-Miles and miles of train cars filled with coal headed for power plants.

2005-08-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

Ausgust 4- Carhenge- Alliance, Nebraska. It reminded me more of tombstones than monuments. . .maybe about what will be the fate of our cars today.

2005-08-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

August 4, Shell station in the midwest, 10% Ethanol (corn based fuel), a start, definitely a start.

2005-08-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

August 3- Shalom Hill Farm Foundation, an "ecologically sound" building, designed by John Lyle, and completed by my uncle, Brooks Cavin. A beautiful setting in southwest Minnesota, built on the hillside and taking advantage of passive solar gain in the winter.

2005-08-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

Looking into the Living Machine at Oberlin College's Lewis Center for Environmental Studies.

When the inside and the outside merge as one, both serving their purpose and enriching the place around. . .that is beauty.

2005-08-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

How can we fix those gaps?

The front door at the American Institute of Architects. A thin and leaky barrier from what is . . .towards what will be.

2005-08-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

The future is the beauty of those who believe in their dreams

2005-08-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

1425 k st. NW Washington DC, a living roof demonstration installed by NatureWorks. Suculants can survive dry desert like conditions and then act like spounges when there are heavy rains. A beautiful night on the roof top overlooking DC, with our own lightening show and everything.

2005-08-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

Takoma Village Cohousing. An intentional community in Washington DC, with small units, shared common space, and geothermal heating/cooling! www.takomavillage.org

2005-08-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

A nicely disquised cell phone tower. . .well maybe not so nicely. . . but a big fake tree none the less. Along the NJ turnpike.

2005-08-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Solar Fest, mom and sara in the foreground, dar williams playing on the "barn stage". Tinmouth, VT www.solarfest.org

2005-08-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

FUNNY SIGNS

Co-ed Yoga

George Bush
Center for
Intelligence
Keep Right

Moe's
almost
WORLD FAMOUS DINER!
exit here

2005-08-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

July 31st-Minneapolis, MN Visited Grandma and Grandpa Ranz, a wonderful visit full of a ride in my car, fresh fruit, and talks about their animal neighbors.

July 30th- Libertyville Nature Preserve with Steph from IHP! A beautiful area with a lake, bike paths, woods, and open fields. Many people out enjoying the wildlife with family and friends. Who ever said the midwest wasn't beautiful!? I do feel a little lost without my mountain protection that I"ve grown up with, also the vast area that suburbia has occupied is slightly overwhelming, everyone is slaves of their cars, to break free you drive to the bike path or nature preserve. It's wonderful to have that escape.

Buckhorn State Park in Wisconsin. A beautiful swath of land on Crystal Lake, I biked around, saw deer, wild turkeys, and ate corn on the cob with a bright pink sunset in the background.

July 29th--12 hour drive from Washington DC to Chicago-
Stopped at the half way point in Oberlin, OH.
OBERLIN Environmental Studies Building. Designed by Williams McDonough. PV panels on the roof, Living machine waste water treatment, natural lighting, and wonderful apples from the trees outside. No one around, so I just poked my head in every door and took some pictures. There was lots of information available to the visitor which made the educational aspect of the building really come to light, but that sort of information could also be interesting within an office building, a department store. . .etc.

July 27- CENTER FOR THE NEW AMERICAN DREAM- Takoma, MD, www.newdream.org
-An organization that is working to create a better quality of life through educational programs, literature, and ways of reaching people through aspects of their lives that they're unsatisfied with. For example the "junk junkmail" campaign isn't the most effective way of curbing waste, but by coupling it with an annoyance that most peole would gladly stop they reach a sector of society that is all for creating change in their lives. The goal is to create a better life, not merely sustain at some level! An interesting idea that I believe is true because of our technological advances and human ingenuity we will continue to create and expand. This organization is living what they preach, but remodeling with "environmental products" like low VOC paints etc. It's a great organization that is working hard and pretty successfully at the advocacy angle to these problems, but I think I need to do something beyond researching and computer based spreading of knowledge, even though they only work 32 hours a week in order to maintain a balanced life!

GreenHOME-a new organization that is now focusing on training building professionals to accomplish green affordable development, and therefore if all is successful will be able to dissolve after accomplishing its goal. They are working to change the work force in order to create more "green" buildings. By working in partnerships they do not overpower the local community based organizations they work with, and make sure to listen to what is needed.

individual buildings-------------------------------------Smart Growth ideas

But inbetween there are the "space between the buidings" including infrastructure, where there needs to be more organizations and people working towards the larger picture. The problem with planners is that it's incrediblly hard to implement all of their good ideas because of road blocks along the way. By bridging the gap between these ideas and those who get the ideas put into reality it seems there can be some strong connections! I'm very excited to explore these concepts further and to find architecture/planning firms that are working on this middle ground.

US GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL National Chapter-schmooze fest. A wonderful night at 1425 K st. where Casey Trees and Nature Works have installed a living roof as a showcase for what can be done throughout the city. Met and talked with many professionals working in the DC area, including two who work for USGBC and said that where ever I end up I should look up the local chapter and network from there. One thing seems true. . .wherever I end up there will be lots happening on the development of Green ideas into the various segments of society.

July 26- Helicon Works www.heliconworks.com An architect who tries to embody holistic and social aspects into the construction of residential homes by working closely with the client and creating strong connections.
"It's great to be a part of the groundswell of people that are doing great things" A well grounded and seemingly satisfied architect, affecting people from the ground level.

-Visited the AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, headquarters on 16th and H st. www.aia.org
A very professional looking place, lots of meetings, business suits, and old men. :) There was a beautiful exhibit of Heather Allen's quilts that are of architectural forms like stairs and hallways. The bookstore was interesting and had a number of "green architecture" books. The worst part about the building was upon approaching I felt as if the 98 degrees Washington DC pavement was air conditioned! The reason was that the front glass doorways had inch gaps between each door and where the door and concrete building met!!! I nearly started to cry. THey couldn't splurge for cocking or weather strips because it would loose the sculptural and artistic quality of the building! There is lots to be done in that organization to incorporate the green ideals, which can be a frustrating place to belong to, or it could be very empowering. It would feel like fighting the forces, but maybe there would be headway.

2005-07-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

And so I begin.

Pre-travels June 22- ERRCO (Environmental Rescource Return Corp.), Epping NH, www.errco.com. Toured the site and learned the amount of construction debris that is reclaimed and turned into one of three products -wood chips for power plants -road dirt for land fill roads, and -cover for land fills. It's great to see companies give economic alternatives to simply dumping construction debris into the landfills, but since the containers of waste are so mixed once they arrive it's difficult to create top quality products. Future hopes are to have cardboard and plastic recycling as well. These type of transfer stations are needed to process "waste" and reclaim salvageable materials.

June 22-MIT meeting with Professor --Department of Architecture, Building Technology- Currently researching materials to create a data base for architects. A wonderfully interesting discussion regarding the importance and upswing of Industrial Ecology and the expansion of accurate information within the building fields.

June 24-July 2. NATURAL BUILDING COLLOQUIUM, PeaceWeavers, Bath, NY. www.peaceweavers.com
A wonderful week learning the techniques of strawbale construction, straw clay infill, earthen floors, and natural plasters. Hands on workshops and lectures to fill in the gaps, along with helping in the kitchen to prepare vegan meals for 150 people left me exhausted, but very content. The aray of people participating was outstanding and enriching converstations occured at every meal, and every job site.

July 17- SOLAR FEST, Tinmouth, VT www.solarfest.org
A day with my family at the Solar Fest, filled with presentors, booths, and music to get further aquainted with the possibilities of renewable resources within Vermont.

ROAD TRIP 2005
Day 1- July 20, 2005-NYC

Day 3-July 22, TOXIC TOUR 2005, thanks to Kara's connection at the Natural Resource Defense Council I got to hop on their driving bus tour of the solid waste transfer stations and sewage treatment plants for NYC that are located in Brooklyn. Local activists toured us around and talked about the problems in these communities because the trash from Manhattan is trucked over to them, creating unhealthy streets, noise, and lots of extra truck traffic. It's amazing how the wealthier communities can simply put their trash out on the street and a garbage truck will come and "take it away". This very unconventional tour of NYC made me realize even more how merely combating the existing problem isn't enough, cities and infrastructures need to be redesigned to reduce waste and inefficiencies from the on set.

Day 4-July 23, BRINGING THE WORLD HOME: A RETREAT FOR GLBALLY CONSCIOUS YOUNG LEADERS, Yale University. Sponsored by Americans for Informed Democracy (AID).
Interesting speakers and workshops that were aimed at increasing global awareness within the US.

Day 5-July 24, Washington DC

Day 6- July 25, NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LAB, www.nrel.gov
-head energy consultant and -Principle Energy Analyst
Talked about the possibilities of wind, solar, and ethanol developments, about the road blocks caused by our current consumptive lifestyles, and how enacting all the necessary players to create more energy efficient technologies, legislation, and then actions has yet to be truly affective. NREL main goals are to develop the information on these renewable energy technologies and then that information is dispersed through other orgainizations. I look forward to visiting the research and design headquarters in Colorado of NREL.

TAKOMA VILLAGE-Cohousing in Takoma, MD. www.takomavillage.org
Intentional community, with geothermal heating/cooling technologies, (one woman stated a $55 bill including electricity last month when it was very hot!). 43 units, and a range of occupants from crawling babies to senior citizens. Renewable materials in construction, large overhangs on windows, communal washers and driers. A vibrant community that of course has to deal with group dynamics, but has created a sense of community within the context of an urban suburb.