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| This is a super-ecological,
multi-residential house for up to 12 people at Sirius. Some of its
features include: passive solar construction, super insulation, radiant
in-floor heating, composting toilets, local lumber, non-toxic stains,
steel roof which collects rainwater for the gardens, photovoltaic array
(1.8kW), and three types of soundproofing. more photos »
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Green building is a broad term covering conserving energy, selecting
low-impact materials, technologies and an appropriate site, as well as
considering what happens at the end of a building's life. In this
cutting-edge course students learn how to design and construct
ecologically sound structures in cob and strawbale. In addition,
students experience various natural building techniques and gain
hands-on experience working alongside knowledgeable natural builders at
Sirius Community – a model educational and sustainable ecovillage in
scenic western Massachusetts. This is one of the few opportunities in
the country to receive college credit and learn experientially about
sustainable design and construction.
A Two-Part Course:
I. Designing with Nature
Through discussion, reading, hands-on projects and site
visits, students become proficient in a broad range of natural building
techniques – many of which are present and being utilized on-site. At
least two day-long field trips are scheduled to visit unique
ecologically designed structures and sites. Class and research time
will be spent in Sirius' beautiful Octagon meeting room as well as in
the orchards, homes and forests which surround it. The design process
culminates with presentations of green design schemes to the class,
community members and green building professionals.
II. Practicum - Building a Permanent Sustainable
Structure
Natural building is best learned through hands-on
experience. Students will take what they have learned in the design
process and construct permanent sustainable structures at Sirius
Community. Several days will be spent outside constructing a cob
structure for a four-season greenhouse. There will be opportunities for
timber framing and straw bale construction as well. Students will leave
the course with the skills and formal training necessary to formally
propose, design and build sustainable structures in their own
communities. All students receive a sustainable design and construction
certificate upon completion of the course.
Sirius is an...
- Intentional Community of 25 adults and children,
based on respect for the individual, cooperation with nature, and
spiritual growth.
- Learning facility that uses green building practices
in all of its construction. Each building has passive and/or active
solar architecture, is built with locally harvested wood and uses
non-toxic materials and finishes. Timber frame, straw bale and cob
construction can be found throughout the campus.
- Ecovillage, practicing sustainable techniques
including organic tilth and co-creative gardens, passive and active
solar architecture, composting toilets, rain and waste water cycling,
off-grid energy, water catchment, greenhouse bioshelter and season
extending techniques.
- Educational Center, seasonally offering a wide array
of workshops, internships, and short courses on sustainable living and
design.
Read
more
about Sirius and its location »
The official UMASS-Amherst course title for this 4
credit program is:
Sustainable Design and Construction
(Building and Construction Technology - BCT 496A
)
What is Green Building?
We will take you on an ecological journey through the entire green
building process: from site selection and laying the foundation to
selecting appropriate materials and conducting a life cycle analysis.
Green Structures: Simple to Complex
Green building at its simplest form: primitive shelter building, site
analysis, passive solar architecture, patterning for energy efficiency,
renewable energy technologies.
Natural Building:
Exploration of natural building materials, their properties and their
'roles' as structural components. Students gain experience in timber
frame, straw bale and cob construction.
Community Strategies:
Eco-village and community design; master plans and how they evolve over
time. Group design project and presentation.
Earn 4 transferable credits (NRC 398P) through the University of
Massachusetts - Amherst
Find
out about transferring credits to your home school »
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| Community center built by
Sirius members with all local, non-toxic wood. A photovoltaic array
rests on the octagon-shaped roof and an integrated passive-solar
greenhouse faces south for maximum sunlight. |
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Students will be guided
through the design process (weeks 1 and 2) and the final week will
culminate with building and design presentations to the class,
community members and green building professionals. |
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| Week 1: |
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Introduction to green
building with a focus on simple and primitive sustainable construction. |
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| Week 2: |
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Focus on low-energy
natural building techniques and beginning the design process. |
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| Week 3: |
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Focus on construction of
permanent sustainable structures at Sirius Community. |
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| The course
contains assignments in reading, writing, design work, portfolio and
assessment. |
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| Get contact information for an alum of this
program » |
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| Cob Oven at Sirius Community |
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| Building with recycled
materials at Sirius Community. |
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| Students collaborating over
their final design project outside Sirius Community |
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| Cob structure at Sirius
Community |
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Ryan Harb LEED AP
M.S. Green Building,
University of Massachusetts Amherst
B.B.A., Business Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Permaculture Design Certification, Shutesbury, Massachusetts
Permaculture Instructor Certification, Sandstone, Minnesota
Ryan Harb is the first person to receive a Master of Science in Green
Building in the U.S. He has traveled throughout Europe and Australia
focusing his sights on environmentally beneficial structures and
technologies worldwide. Ryan is a certified permaculture designer, a
LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Accredited
Professional) and a healer. Ryan's recent projects include transforming
his 5,000 square foot yard into a permaculture edible forest
garden, teaching green building and energy auditing at Youthbuild
Holyoke, and interning for Will Allen (Growing Power) in Milwaukee, WI.
Ryan regenerates landscapes and has a particular interest in soil
remediation.
Kay Cafasso
B.S., Environmental
Geosciences, Boston College
Natural Building and Solar Home Design Certification, Solar Energy
International
Permaculture Design Certification, Naropa University
Permaculture Instruction Certification, Dynamics Ecological Design
Kay Cafasso is a natural builder, a certified permaculture design
course instructor, and a designer of ecological landscapes. Kay
holds certificates in Solar Home Design and Natural Building
Construction and has many years of experience specializing in earth
plasters and natural finishes for straw bale and other natural
buildings. After documenting ecological design applications in homes
and landscapes in arid, temperate & tropical climates worldwide,
Kay founded Sowing Solutions, offering education and ecological design
and consultation services for homeowners and land stewards. Kay
practices what she teaches: thoughtful and holistic design of
landscapes, agriculture, dwellings, and communities.
David T. Damery,
UMass Faculty Sponsor
Associate Professor.
Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Amherst
MS Industrial Administration (MBA), Carnegie Mellon University
BS Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
Of Technology
David T. Damery received the BS from Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (1980), the MS in Industrial Administration from Carnegie
Mellon University (1988) and PhD in Resource Economics from the
University of Massachusetts (2006). He has worked in engineering,
management, business consulting, entrepreneurship, secondary
manufacturing and retailing of lumber and building materials. He
was hired as a Lecturer in the Univ. of Massachusetts, Building
Materials and Wood Technology program in 1997. Dr. Damery is
currently Assoc. Professor and Director of the Building and
Construction Technology program at the Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst.
He teaches and conducts research in green building, sustainable design
and construction of the built environment, and forest products and
building materials management, marketing and economics.
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