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By all accounts, last weekend's Building Sustainability Conference in Kimberley has heightened Kimberley's reputation as a hotspot of the green, sustainable and affordable building movement.
"We brought in some leading figures (in the green building movement), either live or over the web," said Kevin Brown, one of the organizers of the event. "What they all said was 'What you guys are doing is groundbreaking - and we're going to stay informed about what's happening in Kimberley.'"
Local interest in the conference was high as well. Brown said the general public came out in droves, and representatives of the building and development communities were on hand to take part in the conversation.
"About 150 people took advantage of our workshops," Brown said. "The workshops were fully booked. And our trade show booths reported large numbers." He added that the trade show went beyond just a public relations event, but that deals were actually signed, including one for a timber frame home.
Two hundred and fifty people showed up for the Friday night kick-off event at McKim Theatre.
"There's a lot of momentum built up," Brown said. "It bodes well for Kimberley, and for the (green building) conversation in our valley.
"There is a lot of information we presented. I say, have at it. Let's see how the construction community responds to the enthusiasm of the public."
The green housing market is maturing, and becoming more prevalent. But there are still a few difficult pieces to get over. Green building is still perceived as an add-on expense among the building and development communities, Brown said. But more and more evidence is pointing to the fact that the long- and short-term savings outweigh the initial construction costs.
Brown cited recent studies of commercial and institutional buildings, which show a drop in employee absenteeism directly relating to green construction, with a resulting savings for those companies studied. The reason for this correlation is simple: The buildings are more comfortable places to work. They tend to be sunnier, brighter, with less florescent light, for example.
In the case of individual housing, it's a bit of a tougher nut to crack, Brown said. But the key is simplicity.
"For example, one really cool thing that came out of the conference was the importance of weather stripping. It provides the biggest bang for your buck, and the savings are immediate."
One of the conference presenters, solar engineer Tang Lee, had some "dead simple ways to take advantage of your home," Brown said, in particular the metal roofs prevalent in Kimberley and how they can be used for solar heating.
Brown added that plans were in the works for a follow-up event later this summer, smaller in scale, but with a couple of workshops of which Tang Lee would be the focus.
As for the green and affordable home design competition, Brown said the announcement of the winning entry was extended until next week (it was originally intended for today). Nine proposals were submitted, and Brown said they covered a wide variety of excellent designs, and that it won't be easy to make a choice of winner. What's also exciting, Brown said, was that the submissions were from mostly local and regional designers, who understand local conditions.
