BuildWell 2014, a symposium on innovative materials for a greener planet will take place on March 19 – 22 at the LEED Gold-rated Cavallo Point in Sausalito, California. Organized by Ecological Building Network (EBNet), the BuildWell concept is to host a gathering that is intimate, high-level, and focused on the materials of architecture.
Keynote speakers include Edward Mazria of Architecture 2030, John Warner of Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, and Alex Wilson and Nadav Malin of BuildingGreen, Inc. Panel discussion topics range from toxin tracking and setting a higher bar for deep green building to why building methods matter and healthy interiors. Panel speakers include Eden Brukman from Health Product Declaration Collaborative, Ann Edminster (author, educator, consultant), Tom Lent from Healthy Building Network, Bridgett Luther from Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, Larry Strain from Siegel & Strain Architects, and many other luminaries in the green and healthy building and product industries. It’s a real special treat to have all of these people in one room.
BuildWell 2010 emerged as one of the best events in memory for those who attended, and the results have been lasting and real. Some thoughts from the 2010 attendees:
Pliny Fisk, Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems:
BuildWell 2010 amassed an untouchable roster of speakers and participants. It offered a truly fresh view of the future, one of humans as participants in the ecology of planetary well-being.
Patrick Govang, e2e Materials:
Seeing so many iconic founders of thinking around new building technologies and alternative building technologies has personally been very rewarding.
Among other things, BuildWell 2010 prompted Google to give three million dollars in support of transparency in labeling green building materials. Exciting stuff. Hopefully you will be one of the lucky few who can attend the symposium and meet the people who are effective innovators in working towards a clean, healthy, and low-carbon future. This year’s event is limited to 160 people and currently there are only 70 spots remaining. What are you waiting for? Register for the event at EBNet.
Ecological Building Network (EBNet) was founded in 1999 by Bruce King, a structural engineer based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. King first became active in green building in the late 1970’s, but encountered challenges in finding the information he needed to work with innovative and natural building materials. That experience, and the design of the groundbreaking Real Goods Solar Living Center in Hopland, California, led him in 1996 to write his first book, Buildings of Earth and Straw. By then it was already clear that a central resource for information about building with healthy, ecologically, friendly materials was much needed.
With the help of Bruce’s wife, Sarah Weller King, and a board of advisors, EBNet began the work of connecting the people researching and developing ecological materials — how those materials perform and how to work with them — with the people who were interested in putting that information to work — designers, builders, engineers, and building officials. EBNet has been working since then to provide the technical support needed for better building all over the world.
Central Concrete is proud to sponsor this event. Make sure you are signed up! Learn about innovative new building materials and how they will set a new standard for green building.