UNT to host conference on green building

"Residential Green Building and Conservation," a conference about construction features that can improve a home's energy efficiency, conserve water and other resources and protect the environment, will be held at UNT Oct. 25.

Sponsored by the Center for Public Service, the Institute of Applied Sciences and the Denton Affordable Housing Corp., the conference begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building.

Martin Jaeckel, a research scientist with the Center for Public Service and conference coordinator, says general green design and construction practices include creating small, more space-efficient buildings; installing fewer east- and west-facing windows; installing water-efficient fixtures; and using composting instead of garbage disposals.

In drought-prone areas such as Dallas-Fort Worth, green design also includes xeriscaping — landscaping with plants that don't require large amounts of water, thus eliminating the need for sprinkler systems.

Jaeckel points out that banks are often reluctant to finance buildings or homes using green construction techniques because of resale possibilities.

"If you put something in a housing development that looks quite different, it may not sell right away," he says.

Gary Olp, founder of GGO Architects in Dallas, will open the conference at 10 a.m. with a keynote address, "Building Sustainable Housing: The Key Elements."

Olp established GGO Architects in 1987 as one of the first national firms concerned with sustaining the environment and relieving the impact that construction activity has on the planet. GGO's work in green building ranges from private residences and historic preservation and restoration to restaurants, retail stores, medical offices, shopping mall expansions and other commercial construction. Olp's service to the city of Dallas includes serving on the task force for the reforestation of White Rock Lake and being involved in the dredging and renovation of the lake and the Trinity River Corridor as a member of a citizens committee.

Olp's keynote address will be followed by a response panel at 11 a.m. led by Jane Provo, executive director of the Denton Affordable Housing Corp.

After a lunch break, conference participants may attend one of three workshops at 1 p.m. — "Construction Methods and Alternative Housing Design," "Resource Use and Efficiency" and "Building Materials and Environmental Quality."

The conference will close with another panel discussion at 2:30 p.m. led by Barbara Ross, director of community development for the city of Denton.

For more information about the conference, call Jaeckel at (940) 565-4630 or to register visit www.cps.unt.edu. Registration costs $30 and the registration deadline is Oct. 20.

BY NANCY KOLSTI nkolsti@unt.edu

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