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Written by Benjamin Pinover
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Tuesday, 26 May 2009 15:41 |
Sustainability
My primary focus in sustainability is on green housing and environmental regional planning. By designing dwellings that use little energy and produce little waste, an unexpected consequence has come to light. Homes are more than a place in which to lay one's tired bones, they are a paradigm of an ideal world, one in which we can control the temperature, light and provide for our basic needs and comforts. When the heat for a building comes primarily from the sun, and the water and food cycles approach closed loops, the daily rhythms of living that are produced have a quality of satisfaction, ease and security. Such a home fosters a connection with the natural world that relates the dwelling to the ancient rhythms of our world. Natural materials, passive systems and intentional efficiencies are not enough to create true sustainability. The feeling of timelessness and internal calm are the true benchmarks of a sustainable dwelling. Creating this quality is the pith of my commitment to sustainability. Sustainability is often defined as meeting present needs without endangering the needs of future generations. This definition falls short of what I have come to understand as the mission of the sustainability movement. Sustainability allows us to more closely parallel the ideal with the real, and in so doing, join a much larger and more vibrant world.
Why I am Involved
From the beginning of my career, I have found it disquieting that sustainability has become a luxury. The homes and systems that I helped design when I was just beginning as a green builder were installed in homes that, simply by their size, defied the central principal of sustainability. Through my involvement with The New SHIRE Institute, I hope to expand the relevance of my work to more disadvantaged communities, providing much needed economic relief as well as resource security. Sustainability is not just the past time of a few dedicated but socially disjointed individuals, it is a way of designing our world in a more just and peaceful way.
What I bring to the Shire
I have worked as a green design/builder for the past three years. Currently I am attending graduate school to deepen my understanding of the many issues that have retarded the progress of the sustainability movement. By coordinating with local government, community organizers and corporations, I hope to be able to apply the theory of environmental design in more practical ways. As a builder, my expertise is in the design of passive heating/cooling systems as well as the integration of home and site to provide beauty and sustenance to any home.
If you have questions regarding green building and Ben's work, please contact him at
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 26 May 2009 17:20 )
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