Lectures

One of our favorite things is to talk about building. To satiate this habit, we've developed a variety of slide lectures that can be tailored to match the group at hand. Though the possibilites are endless, here's a sampling:

Homeowners.

Intro to Your House. Do you know what is under your floor or in your walls? What's really holding up the roof over your head? If you can't answer these questions, you shouldn't be embarrased because you're part of a silent majority.

Don't Build: Ideas for Improving Your House. Building a new house should be the last resort. Perhaps the best thing you can do for the environment and your sanity is to improve the house you're in. From energy audits, to passive solar retrofits, to giving that 1950's ranch some soul for god's sake, we'll find some way to shake up your conception of your present abode. (No one will be allowed to leave the theater during the frightening bathroom wallpaper montage.)

People Dreaming of a Green Home.

The Four Elements of a House.Just like the human body, a house is a system whose function is to nurture human life. To accomplish that amazing feat, every house needs to supply four things: a self-supporting structure and stable interior temperature while maintaining a rigorous separation from and simultaneous constant connection to the outside. Once you understand the basics of this incredible interplay, you'll have a theoretical basis for starting to concieve a conscientious, artful home. Without it...well, good luck.

Contractors Are Evil, Clients Are Insane, and Everyone Comes From Venus...Or Is It Pluto. In this talk we delve into the arcane mysteries of the builder/client relationship. How do you find the right people to work with? How do you work with them when you find them? Why do construction workers have to park on your flowers? Don't worry, we have all the answers.

Building Your Own Green Home. Idealistically, a good house is the intersection between the idosyncratic needs of specific people and an exact spot on the planet to the benefit of both. If you accept that premise, then you have no choice but to be intimately involved in the creation of the building you call home. Whether you build it yourself or just write checks and watch from a distance with binoculars, the truth is that YOU are responsible for how well it comes out. This talk is a straight-up discussion of what that means, how you can proceed, and if you should proceed.

Pattern Language for Geniuses. About 25 years ago, Christopher Alexander and friends outlined a new way to look at the process of architecture. In the time since, it’s become the rock star of thoughtful design, and, as such in my experience, it often gets short-changed into a sound bite or glossed over as too esoteric. In fact, it’s actually a straight-forward tool to help clarify imagination into a form that can then be built. It's a very personal approach, and therefore perfect for owner builders, or anyone who wants to craft a building that will unite their idiosyncratic needs with the equally idiosyncratic needs of the building site. Lecturing on the topic in a dark conference room will work, but it’s much better at a building where physical examples, both successes and failures, will be in abundance. My house would be a good venue…or maybe yours?

Everyone and Anyone.

Building Green. Tim and Clarke have written a book called “Building Green” which follows the creation of a tiny, yet fully functional home from conception to completion. The cottage is overflowing with “alternative” materials and techniques including a gravel trench foundation, poured light-weight insulated concrete stem walls, four different wall systems (cob, cordwood, straw bale, and modified stick-frame), and a living roof all brought together in a cohesive, functional, and beautiful package. With almost 1500 photographs, 80 illustrations, and 16 chapters, the book not only presents a how-to introduction to many green materials, techniques, and design concepts, but also provides a realistic view of the steps it takes to create a consciously designed, artful building from start to finish.

We offer talks about this project that are adjusted to the needs and interests of the audience at hand. For building professionals, we can make it a great introduction to popular “natural” and “green” building materials. For owner-builders, it can be more of a question and answer session about specific aspects of construction. For anyone thinking about building or having a house built, it can be an introduction to the chronology (and magnitude!) of steps that need to be followed to create a building.

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For contact and pricing info: lectures

© Clarke Snell, 2005