Date Occurred: 16 0423   Presented residential workshop on "Making energy improvements when replacing windows, siding and roofing". We discussed how to leverage the replacement of windows, siding and roofing to create healthier and more comfortable homes while lowering utility bill and maximizing home improvement investment. Answered homeowner questions on a range of existing and new home construction issues.

Date Occurred: 16 0416   Presented residential workshop on "Setting your home and contractor up for success  – AKA: Establishing measurable goals for new or remodeled homes." We discussed: particular standards to set prior to construction, educating subcontractors on expected quality, observing construction at key points, field testing and verifying the construction quality and the advantages of monitoring your new living environment. Answered homeowner questions on a range of existing and new home construction issues.

Date Occurred: 16 0209   Presentation provided on "Take it to the Steps", on MHP Minnesota Capital proposals to increase low income housing investments.  Advocated for energy efficiency in housing for those who can least afford high energy bills. Recommended a program to trade low income housing energy tax credits in the capital market.   The following is sourced from the MHP website: " Who We Are - Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP) convenes, guides, and supports a diversity of partners working to improve conditions of home and community.  Building on decades of experience, we strengthen development capacity and promote policies that expand opportunity, especially for people at the lowest income levels.  We are a team of community developers, researchers and communicators, and policy advocates who work to...  Strengthen the ability of organizations to build and preserve housing and community assets. Provide original research and education resources to generate public support of vital communities and affordable housing. Drive efforts to secure the policies and funding needed at the regional, state, and federal levels to advance local housing and community development". Learn more at http://mhponline.org

Date Occurred: 15 1111   Presented the new Passive House Climate-Specific protocol to architects from around the state at the AIA's annual convention. Minnesota is one of two areas on earth that experience both climate extremes, cold-dry and extreme hot–humid. This results in high construction costs when meeting International Passive House metrics which were developed for a more moderate European climate. Passive House Institute | US (PHIUS) and Building Science Corporation (BSC) did a cost optimization study for a hundred cities and climates across the US to develop the new climates specific metrics. The study input location-specifc data for climate, construction material and labor costs, energy costs, renewable energy rebates and financing costs. The resultant PHIUS+ climate-specific computer modeling metrics optimizes a buildings insulation investment and indicates where further investment is optimized when applied to renewable energy systems. The new metrics are especially valuable in Minnesota with its two climate extremes of cold-dry and hot–humid. Twin Cities area residential case studies were presented to demostrate the principles and how these homes benefited from the climate-specific protocols. The PHIUS and BSC climate-specific study was prepared for National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's "Building America Program". Presentation attendees earned Continuing Education Units from the American Institute of Architects, Passive House Alliance-US and Green Building Council Inc.

Date Occurred: 15 1015   Attended Energy Efficiency Conference presenting construction quality control measures to meet energy efficiency goals from a contractors perspective.

Date Occurred: 15 0905    Presented "Passive House Principals - Optimized for Net Energy" to fair goers visiting the MN EcoExperience at the Minnesota State Fair. I described Passive House design principles and the living quality improvements they provide. The benefits of the Passive House design principals are: Healthier Homes, Increased Comfort, Energy Savings, Decreased Maintenance and Building Durabilty, Power Outage Resilience, Sustainable Design, Low, Zero or Net-Energy potential and Financial Return on Investment. Since Passive House is preformance based design, owners have maximum flexibility in the design, finish material and building style selection for both new and remodeled homes. I answered questions on energy efficient building construction and home construction repairs. I also represented PHA-MSP (Passive House Alliance - Minneapolis/St Paul) as a volunteer sustainable architecture expert. The exhibit is seen by hundreds of thousands of fair goers each year and has been seen multiple years at the fair.

Date Occurred: 15 0730   We officially changed our name to Anderson Sustainable Architecture, from Anderson Architecture, celebrating and supporting our design spirit of working with nature rather than against it. A brilliant friend suggested the name change, "It seems natural". We realized they were right. It was what we had been doing all along, designing with natural systems while providing great client focused service of architecture with practical, straightforward integrative design. We are especially excited by our new web address which simply says " a sustainable architecture" http://www.asustainablearchitecture.com

Date Occurred: 15 0411   Presented workshop on "Deep energy retrofits for residential and commercial buildings". We discussed creating more energy-efficient walls and roofs with thick insulation,  energy efficient windows and the correct selection and placement of air and weather barriers. Answered homeowner questions on a range of existing and new home construction issues.