Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska

Wanda's Diary Entries

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Our office—and community—is abuzz these days preparing for the upcoming all-day green building seminar/ workshop that will take place here in Mount Airy, North Carolina at the Elk’s Lodge on Tuesday, February 5. The training seminar will be given by none other than David Johnston, the green building pioneer who makes his home in Boulder, Colorado (that is, when he’s not globetrotting to present his wisdom to builders and others or out accepting major international awards). Johnston is recipient of the prestigious 2007 International Sustainability Pioneer Award, commonly referred to as “the Nobel Prize for Sustainability,” an award he received in Geneva, Switzerland at the end of last year.

This one-day training seminar – which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – will cover a myriad of topics, including indoor air quality, resource conservation, efficient building techniques, finishes and more. Registration and networking begin at 8 a.m. Seminar participants will be eligible for continuing education credits from Surry Community College. Anyone wanting to attend should contact Greg Smith at Surry Community College at smithg@surry.edu or (336) 386-3398. The cost of $45 includes seminar, refreshments, and a full buffet lunch. Networking with others interested in green building—and other forms of simple living—will be an added bonus.

With all the bad news in the housing market these days, the one bright spot is colored green—it’s all about green building, remodeling and improving indoor air quality.

At Simple Living, we’re delighted that David Johnston has signed on to be our guest expert for our Simple Living Sunflower House remodel. He has both the credentials and charisma to guide us as we document the transformation of this midcentury brick ranch home on our upcoming season.

David is a leading thinker behind the sustainable building movement. He established the first private sector sustainable building program in Denver through the local Home Builders’ Association, which evolved into the largest program of its kind in the private sector. His company was part of the team that launched the LEED certification program for the U.S. Green Building Council. Johnston designed the Denver Metro Home Builders Association’s Built Green Program and the Boulder Green Points Program, which encourages the use of cost-effective and sustainable building practices. Johnston is also the founding designer and consultant to the Alameda County Waste
Management Authority’s program that stimulated market transformation programs throughout California and is at work to implement similar programs nationwide.

Johnston has represented the United States at International Energy Efficiency meetings to develop international research agreements in the area of sustainable construction. He was named “Builder of the Year” by the Washington, D.C. chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and has been inducted into the Remodeling Magazine Hall of Fame. He recently received the 2007 International Sustainability Pioneer Award presented at the International Sustainable Leadership Forum in Geneva, Switzerland.

He is contributing editor of “Natural Home” magazine and author of “Green Remodeling, Changing the World One Room at a Time” and “Building Green in a Black and White World.” His newest book, to be published in a week or so, is called, “Green From the Ground Up.” I got my hands on an advance copy yesterday and was up into the wee hours last night reading it.