Friday 2013 Event

"Putting Green Building to Work for You":
A panel discussion with local green builders and experts

This special event will kick off the 2013 Ithaca-Area Green Buildings Open House, at the Sustainability Center, 111 N. Albany St, Ithaca, 6-8p, reception 5:30. Free and open to the public.

Come find out how you can make the most of green building methods, materials and technologies; make your home perform better for energy savings and improved indoor air quality; use local and reclaimed materials to save money and lower your environmental impact; design your home to both passively and actively make the most of solar energy; and much more! Guillermo Metz (Cornell Cooperative Extension - Tompkins) will moderate a discussion with Brent Katzmann (Balance Studio and Warren Homes), Jon Harrod (Snug Planet), Craig Modisher (Ironwood Builders), Joe Sliker (Renovus), and ej George (certified green building educator).

PRESENTER BIOS:

Guillermo Metz is the Green Building and Renewable Energy Program Coordinator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. His background includes several years as a carpenter and builder, a longer stint as a writer and editor for a variety of publications, and time spent working behind lab benches, bookshelves, and pastry tables. He now focuses on educating area residents on the many benefits of green building - healthier homes that consider the health and environmental impact of the products and materials that go into them at every phase of their production and use - and works with community groups to make renewables accessible to as many people as possible. From super-insulating our homes to solar panels to pellet stoves - everything we can collectively do to responsibly cut down on fossil fuel use. Guillermo has also worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension's statewide Energy and Climate Change Team to train other educators about renewable energy technologies and how they can be part of the solution to the growing climate change crisis while addressing our demand for energy.

As a native Chicagoan, Brent Katzmann grew up in an environment where architecture and urban planning are celebrated as defining elements of community and culture. Brent is a graduate of Tulane University in New Orleans and former student of the University of Copenhagen's School of Architecture and Urban Planning. After a 20+ year career in advertising, he returned to his interest in design and building and formed Balance Studio,LLC with his wife, Diana, in 2002. While much of the work produced in the past eleven years has been focused on natural building techniques and materials, more recent work has begun to explore advanced design of building systems and packaging these systems into designs for smaller houses that are not only environmentally sustainable, but economically viable as well. Their work has been featured in USA Today, the Syracuse Post-Standard and Ithaca Journal and published in a national book, Natural Remodeling for the Not So Green House. In 2009, Brent joined the team at Warren Real Estate to be able to broaden his value to his clients by helping them buy, build, sell or discover their own "green" home. His current project is the frame up "green" renovation of a 1963 Airstream where he can unplug, avoid property taxes, and live anywhere.

Originally trained as an ecologist, Jon Harrod got hooked on energy efficiency in 2000 - and he has worked as an energy auditor, installer, and trainer ever since. In 2006, Jon founded Snug Planet with the vision of a company centered around technical excellence and exemplary customer service. Jon holds certifications from the Building Performance Institute, and his articles on energy efficiency and green building have appeared in Home Energy Magazine and several local newspapers. Snug Planet's recent projects include deep energy retrofits on existing homes and new homes that meet the Passive House standard for ultra-energy efficient construction.

Since Craig Modisher and his partners started Ironwood Builders in 2009, they have been a local leader in energy efficient, green building, especially Passive House type construction. Craig started his career in residential construction in 2001, as a carpenter on a crew in the Pacific Northwest. Since then, he has worked on projects all over the US, in Mexico, and in Australia. These projects have ranged from strawbale houses to log cabins to contemporary Passive Houses. He now runs Ironwood Builders' day to day activities from his truck. He even, occasionally, gets to swing a hammer, when he doesn't have a cell phone stuck to his ear (or sometimes when he does).

ej George is a natural builder, an educator, and a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor. She has led natural building workshops for all ages, worked as an Energy Smart Educator for NYSERDA, taught professional level course for the National Sustainable Building Advisor Program and assists her husband with his business - Tugley Wood Timberframing. She is a founding member of Ithaca Green Building Alliance, and also a member of Natural Builders Northeast Ambassador and the Global Straw Bale Network. She is also a volunteer ambassador for the Living Building Challenge.

Joe Sliker is the President of Renovus Energy, based here in Ithaca since 2003. Joe is both NYSERDA and NABCEP-certified in solar heating, and has a background in low-temperature hydronic heating. He says, "Providing renewable energy and high-efficiency systems to green homes is one of the most enjoyable aspects of our business. We are sensitive to our clients' goals and needs, and we work with them and the design and building professionals working on their projects to ensure successful, beautiful systems everyone can be proud of. We have completed projects with many of the local designers and builders, and we hope to help Brent with his Airstream so that we can move into the living room of his Airstream and avoid property taxes with him someday."friday 2013 event

Last updated September 28, 2015