When: Saturday, February 17, 2007
Where: Matheson Hall, 3220 Market St., Campus of Drexel University
Cost: $10/per person
There is no pre-registration. Please just come and pay at the door!

Sponsored by Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia and Drexel University's School of Architecture, this Affordable Building Conference will provide a forum for knowledgeable and experienced men and women to teach on the components of building and sustaining homes in an affordable, environmentally-friendly manner. All conference courses qualify for AIA (American Institute of Architects) continuing education credits. You will find the conference schedule and course descriptions below.

Continental Breakfast
Special speakers will set the stage for the day’s sessions. Topics to be discussed include: how we define “sustainable building”, introducing LEEDS for Homes, and introducing Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia.

Incorporating ICF’s into Construction
Instructor: Dennis Gerdel, New Holland Concrete
Attendees will gain basic knowledge of the many features and benefits of building with Reward polystyrene insulating concrete forms and the applications. The course includes discussion on energy efficiency (R32+), strength, code acceptance, design flexibility and ease of installation. Understanding the characteristics that comprise the ICF wall offers the building owner, contractor and Architect, many structural, energy, water resistant and LEED sustainability benefits that may result in cost and time savings.

Philadelphia As A Sustainable Lifestyle Laboratory
Instructors: Brian Philips, Interface Studios & Kevin Pratt, Kieran/Timberlake
Brian Philips and Kevin Pratt share their expertise in studying methods for integrating new housing models that emphasize modern lifestyles and low-impact environmental approaches with the old, industrial fabric of Philadelphia. This course presentation will utilize both an affordable and a market-rate housing development as examples to discuss specific technical and process issues. General observations regarding affordable, green housing development in the region will be offered. Also discussed will be the environmental benefits and state of the industry of prefab construction.

Building A Healthier Green Home
Instructor: Theresa Quigley, Healthy Spaces
This course will introduce the concept of “Healthy Green” which focuses on health impacts, not just on reducing our environmental footprint. Using a virtual tour of a home, attendees will learn about hidden health hazards in the home from select pollutants and the materials they’re in, understand how to reduce exposures, and be given design, building and operations tools. Created for both homeowners and professionals, this workshop will offer a new approach to homes for better health and living.

Edible Architecture: Taking Green to the Extreme
Instructor: Sigi Koko, Down to Earth Design, Inc.
This presentation explores options for taking "green" architecture beyond conventional building materials and techniques. We will explore residential and commercial examples of buildings that mimic natural systems, are completely non-toxic, use rapidly renewable, local, and waste materials in construction, and reduce their environmental impact burden (ex. strawbale building, green remodeling). All this is done at similar or lower cost, often achieving multiple environmental benefits with a single strategy.

Informational Tables and Networking
Bring your lunch or visit one of the many restaurants and eateries in the Drexel University vicinity.

Building A Green Roof (Hands On Workshop)
Instructors: Peter Lane Taylor, PPSI & Charlie Miller, Roofscapes
Peter Lane Taylor of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council and Charlie Miller from Greenscapes will be teaching a course on how to build a green roof. Workshop participants will have hands-on experience in constructing the roof while learning about the process and its components.

Greening The Home: Where Do I Start?
Instructor: Cheri Privor
After years of working as an investigative reporter in Washington, DC covering the Pentagon and Capitol Hill, Cheri Privor passionately brought her analytical skills and creative talent to the field of interior design. She received a Masters Degree in Interior Design from Drexel University, and has since practiced in Washington, DC and Philadelphia. Projects she has worked on dot the world, and encompass diplomatic embassies, residences for ambassadors and White House officials, and homes and offices of Fortune 500 executives. Since moving to Philadelphia, Cheri has embraced the concepts of sustainable design: focusing on an inhabitant’s health and psyche; energy efficiency; and sensitive ways to interact with the earth. She also teaches sustainable design and other design theory at Drexel University and local colleges. As principal of her firm, Cheri Privor Design, she is dedicated to providing spaces for people who are interested in living and working in effective and efficient places that also work hand-in- hand with the environment. Attend this course to learn from Cheri’s extensive experience!

Architectural Salvage: Making It Viable
Instructor: Linda Mellish, Restore, Linda Knapp, Ilsr, Kenny Grono, Buckminster Green
Topics covered in this course will include:

• addressing the issues of educating the public about the virtues of salvage, explaining how the process of salvaging happens, describing the process of removal, cleaning and merchandising materials. Some time will be spent on costs of salvage versus new materials and how to make it happen in an environmental and cost effective manner.
• lessons learned from two Philadelphia residential deconstruction pilot projects and opportunities for expanding architectural salvage and deconstruction activities in the Delaware Valley
• how to incorporate salvaged materials in residential remodeling efficiently, creatively and effectively from a contractor's perspective

How To Make An Existing Home Green (Er)
Instructor: Larry Menkes, ECLA PA

Real Life Lessons From A Green Build
Instructors: Laura Blau, BluePath Design & Paul Thompson
“Building a green home” sounds good, but what really happens when you actually put the hammer to the nail? These contractors share their personal experience from an actual sustainable building project. What works and what doesn’t? What advice would they give to first-time green builders? Come and find out!

Energy Savings For A Typical Philadelphia Row Home
Instructors: Dave Bone & G. Case - ECA

HVAC Technologies: Solar Space Heating
Instructors: Ted Dillon & Jurgen Balitzky
This course introduces solar energy as a high- efficiency alternative to the typical, expensive and high-energy heating options. This system utilizes natural energy flows to provide space heating, cooling load avoidance, natural ventilation, water heating, and daylighting.