Events : Workshops

AFFORDABLE GREEN BUILDING TRAINING : WEST UNION

A free workshop series concentrating on each phase of building an affordable, energy efficient and sustainable residential home.

Presented by COSC's Re-Building a Sustainable Iowa statewide training program.

Dec. 17 Press Release | Download a printable brochure (PDF)

Open House Events Scheduled!

Press Release: Open House Events Scheduled to Celebrate Completion of Affordable Green Demonstration Homes in West Union and West Des Moines

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Instructor

Jacob Kvinlaug - is a local instructor, consultant, designer and contractor with 30 years experience in the green building industry. Owner of Jacob Kvinlaug Design & Construction, his professional experience includes developing over 200 energy efficient residences, commercial buildings and remodeling projects; producing Iowa Public Television’s “The Energy Savers;” serving as contributing author for Iowa's Ideal Homes: Innovative Designs for Energy Affordable Living; building the state’s largest photovoltaic solar array with Consumers Energy; and providing training instruction for the Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa, Marshalltown Community College, and numerous seminars throughout the state. Jacob Kvinlaug holds a Masters Electrician‘s License and serves as Construction Chairman for Marshall County Habitat for Humanity. His project awards include the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for Renewable Energy in 2005, an Iowa Energy Policy Council award, and an Innovation in Energy Efficient Building Design award from the U.S. Department of Energy.

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December 2009 Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) Offers Affordable Green Building

Training Series in West Union Beginning Jan. 8, 2010

Free workshop sessions concentrate on each construction phase of building a cost effective,

energy efficient and structurally sound residential home.

West Des Moines, IA (Dec. 17, 2009) – Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) presents “Affordable Green Building Training: West Union” beginning January 8, 2010. The free 10-session workshop series offers local contractors, subcontractors, planners, architects, appraisers, city officials and other professionals a valuable opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of green building best practices. A separate 3-session homeowner series begins February 6th and gives community residents an overview of green building basics, alternative energy options and essential sustainable elements of new home construction.

“Affordable Green Building Training: West Union” is provided by COSC’s Re-Building a Sustainable Iowa training program to support Northeast Iowa’s disaster recovery efforts and Main Street West Union’s Green Pilot Community initiatives. As Iowa’s trusted educational resource for sustainable building, COSC secured a $1M contract from the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this year. The contract enables COSC to deliver its Re-Building a Sustainable Iowa curriculum to regions hardest hit by natural disasters. Fayette County is a federally declared disaster area and towns in neighboring counties received extensive damage. “This training will help build the capacity in northeast Iowa to rebuild in a more sustainable fashion resulting in homes that are more energy efficient, durable, healthy and safe,” stated IDED Project Manager Jeff Geerts.

These priorities align with West Union’s recent designation as a Green Pilot Community by IDED. The pilot project will create best practices and allow the city to serve as a model for other communities to become more environmentally friendly. While the Green Pilot Community efforts focus on the Main Street District and West Union’s infrastructure, COSC’s “Affordable Green Building Training: West Union” will help the community diversify the benefits of its sustainability efforts by including the residential sector.

“In leading a collaborative effort with multiple partners,” COSC Executive Director Lynnae Hentzen explains, “our goal with the Re-Building a Sustainable Iowa program is to build a platform for consistent, comprehensive, sustainable building trainings; using local expertise to implement national standards.” For “Affordable Green Building Training: West Union,” COSC is partnering with the City of West Union, Main Street West Union, Fayette County Economic Development, and the Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation. COSC has contracted instructor and green building expert Jacob Kvinlaug to conduct each workshop in the series. Sustainable building experts from Innovative Kinetics, Cenergy, Fishaus: Craftsman Builders, and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will provide additional instruction at specific sessions.

Both the professional and homeowner sessions of “Affordable Green Building Training: West Union” will take place at the West Union Community Library located at 210 North Vine Street in West Union, IA. The series will feature on-site training aspects focusing on three affordable green demonstration homes that are currently being built in the cities of West Union, Tripoli and Volga. The first professional series workshop on January 8, 2010 will be an introduction to green building basics, addressing planning and design, building science theory and the house-as-a-system approach.Registration is required and seating is limited. To register, contact Leslie Berckes at COSC by calling 515-707-2787 or emailing her at leslie@icosc.com. Complete information on the “Affordable Green Building Training: West Union” workshop series schedule and COSC can be found at www.icosc.com and www.facebook.com/icosc.

About Re-Building a Sustainable Iowa

COSC’s Re-Building a Sustainable Iowa is a statewide training program covering residential, commercial and energy-specific sectors of the green building industry. Created to help Iowa re-build sustainably in its disaster recovery efforts, the program is designed to utilize local expertise to support national standards. Educating and developing professionals from all sectors of the building and design industry will improve the state’s ability to construct healthier, more durable, and more energy-efficient infrastructure, homes and commercial buildings. Re-Building a Sustainable Iowa is supported by a $1M contract through the Iowa Department of Economic Development and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

About COSC

Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) was created in 2005 as a nonprofit to serve as Iowa's trusted educational resource for sustainable building. As the recognized leader in providing education and connecting resources, COSC empowers individuals and communities to make everyday decisions that promote sustainability, resulting in higher standards of living. COSC's schedule of residential, commercial and energy-specific programming can be found at www.icosc.com and www.facebook.com/icosc.

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