Urbana Permaculture Project

“Building the Passive House in Urbana”
Katrin Klingenberg, Ecological Construction Laboratory
This talk focused on the construction detail involved in building the first Passive House in Urbana.

“Passive Architecture in a Permaculture Look”
Rob Scott, Urbana Permaculture Project
Permaculture is a field of design guided by shared criteria, and thus Passive Architecture is described not in reference to any particular standard, but as a domain of design, oriented by a set of criteria. These criteria are
applicable not only to buildings, but also landscape design, the design of transportation systems, allocation of goods, and any other material system — including the material design of a society as a whole.

“Passive Houses in Europe – Energy Efficiency as smart Energy Source”
Dr. Wolfgang Feist, Passive House Institute
presented by Witta Ebel, Passive House Institute

Witta presented the science and engineering of the Passive House Energy Standard, as well as the social history of the Passive House movement in Europe. Passive houses are super-insulated buildings are united by a common energy standard; they have upped the ante on energy-efficiency housing throughout Europe. CEPHEUS (Cost Efficient Passive Houses as European Standards), a daughter project, has built hundreds of Passive Houses in half a dozen countries throughout Europe.

“Prospects for Ecological Construction in the City of Urbana”
Danielle Chynoweth, Urbana City Council
Rob Scott, Urbana Permaculture Project
This was a small introductory presentation followed by a design charette co-facilitated by Danielle and Rob. Danielle broke us into design troupes and we waltzed the site generating proposals, before reporting back over lunch. This was an exercise in “walking the walk”.

“Design and the Gesundheit Institute”
Mark Enslin, School for Designing a Society
This presentation raised the broader issue of design, and the function of a medium in bringing about social change. The Gesundheit Institute was used as a reference, a project using medicine as a vehicle for social change. Emphasis was on the medium of architecture as a vehicle for social change.

“Building Community as we Build the Buildings for Community”
Xtn Hansen, Pleasure Struggle
This was a blank slide show with lots of descriptive language.

What does the building of a structure offer those who are building it?
What environments are created and who gets to exist there?
Looking micro-climates in building sites.

“The 70’s Pioneer Projects: Super Insulated Homes by the Small Homes Council”
Michael Todd McCulley, AIA Associate Dean, College of Fine and Applied Arts, UIUC
In this presentation, the attempts at super-insulated homes from the 1970s
were traced through the various stages of development, with slides and data
on the buildings in nearby Champaign, IL. Participants in the symposium got a
chance to visit the super insulated houses after learning about their
design.

“Latest Strategies for the Building Industry:
Sustainable Materials Recommendations and Energy Efficiency”
Tomakin Archambault, Rocky Mountains Institute
Presentation of Rocky Mountain Institute’s energy efficiency research.

“Cradle to Cradle: Putting Eco-Effectiveness into Practice”
Robert Benson Gabler, Michael Braungart’s Office

A presentation on sustainable economy.
Robert Benson Gabler’s lectureship is supported by
the Loredo Taft Lectureship on Art Fund / College of Fine and Applied Arts