Philip S. Wenz, author and designer

Philip S. (Skip) Wenz is a freelance writer specializing in ecological design issues. He was a general contractor, residential designer, teacher and writer in the in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the early 1990s he founded, and directed the Ecological Design Program at the San Francisco Institute of Architecture. He also teaches "Creating Your Ecological House," at Berkeley's Building Education Center and the Linn-Benton Community College in Corvallis, Oregon. He wrote the book, Adding to a House (Taunton Press, Fine Homebuilding Magazine, 1995). Skip now lives with his wife, Pam, in Corvallis, Oregon and divides his time between various writing projects and retrofitting his older home to be more environmentally friendly. He may be reached at www.your-ecological-house.com

Creating Your Ecological House

Saturday, March 29 from 3:00 pm- 4:00 pm

-and-

Sunday, March 30 from Noon - 1:00 pm

What makes a house "green?" Should green houses cost more than standard houses? Are they only green if they are made from straw bales or built underground? Can your own house be environmentally friendly?

An "ecological house," reduces its environmental impact by conserving energy and materials the way natural ecosystems do - through the creation of "closed-loop" cycles - reuse and recycling - at the home. Learn how to create a "home-ecosytem" at your house, helping the planet while enriching your own environment