Austin, Texas. June 30 – July 3, 2008
The first YouthBuild Green Affordable Housing Training sponsored by the Wal-Mart Foundation was held on June 30. Twenty-seven construction trainers and program managers came from YouthBuild Affiliates in 6 different climate zones to Austin, Texas, where they hunkered down for four days of green building tips from Ted Roan, a trainer for American YouthWorks’ Casa Verde Builders. These Green Fellows toured energy-efficient homes under construction by Casa Verde Builders, and learned how to cut through bureaucratic red tape. Participants handled a variety of new building materials, looked at examples of cost-effective building efficiency, and learned other techniques.
Roan’s agenda included a solid array of teaching tools that lead to Mastery Certificates in sustainable construction techniques and using alternative materials. Participants were given green lesson plans, and green workbooks for students to use with lessons.
American YouthWorks integrates these Mastery Certificates into its charter school, where building lessons are keyed to state education standards. That way, YouthBuild participants working toward a diploma earn credits while they learn how to build energy-efficient homes.
Roan debunked common myths about Green Building. Green building is not a passing fad--it’s here to stay. YouthBuild programs can supply the trained Green Collar Workforce that local builders are looking for. Green buildings work well. When properly sited, with energy-efficient elements, green buildings reduce their owners’ energy cost and their construction costs can be comparable to conventional buildings, or in some cases lower if a subsidy or incentive is received. Green buildings look like regular houses and the owners don’t wear tie-dye and sandals – unless they want to.
Roan focused on leveraging dollars from local governments and the public by helping them meet their energy needs and their social concerns.
“You don’t have to change much, but you do have to change some old habits,” Roan said. Energy efficient building means cutting down on waste, using energy efficient elements throughout the house, and taking the time for smart, integrated design that takes advantage of local climate zones.
Oddly enough, 21st century green builders are reaching back as far as the Stone Age for wisdom. “It’s very effective for construction people to look at the science behind green building to see how it works.” Consider cliff dwellings, with their overhangs that block high summer sun, but let low winter sun into the living space. Look at the turrets in Victorian houses, inspired by towers in Medieval Castles. They were used to channel off rising heat in summer, and closed off in winter. Today’s green builder uses similar adaptive techniques to build homes that take advantage of climatic conditions, and put the “V” (ventilation) back in HVAC.
Roan gave each Green Fellow a green vocabulary list to use for proposals, convincing pitches, and understanding new “green” concepts. “Know how to talk the talk. Walk however you want.”
Participants gave high marks to this training. Jabali Nash, Director of Construction Management and Training at ARCH Training Center YouthBuild in Washington, D.C. wrote, “Your projects were inspiring and proof that this is real…. You have re-energized me to press, push, and agitate in the name of energy conservation. The opportunities that it can bring to our community are endless.”
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