The Arid Lands Institute (ALI) at Woodbury University is hosting a series of free workshops designed to introduce homeowners, business owners, real estate developers, students, and design professionals to water and energy-conserving design strategies. An important part of ALI’s mission is to support a wide range of decision-makers in considering the role of water in shaping our communities. ALI’s public programs include many workshops, lecture series, exhibitions, and symposia/conferences. The current workshop series takes place 9 am to 3 pm on Saturdays (starting tomorrow) and is open to the public. Applicable to both new construction and retrofits, workshops provide attendees with basic information and follow-up resources for making smart, low-carbon design decisions related to water and energy.

With a focus on the small-scale, leaders will guide participants on how to make the most of local rainwater and recycled municipal water through:

• rainwater harvesting;
• greywater systems;
• green roofs/green walls; and
• water-smart landscaping strategies for yard, garden, driveway, sidewalk.

In addition to providing practical nuts-and-bolts information, workshops will also:

• showcase case studies in design excellence.
• focus exclusively on projects in arid and semi-arid climates; and
• situate designs within the guidelines for energy efficiency set by the US EPA’s Energy Star standards;
• address issues of low-impact development, building code, and permits.
Each workshop will be led by a team of design professionals, offering a range of approaches within a range of budgets. Workshops will focus on small-scale projects, from the single-family dwelling and small business, to the pocket park and community garden.

The Schedule:

Workshop 1: Smart Buildings: Green Roofs/Green Walls
Saturday, March 27th
9 am – 3 pm
Linda Taalman, Taalman Koch Architecture
Deborah Richmond, AIA, Touraine Richmond Architects
Stephanie V. Landregan, ASLA, UCLA Extension Landscape Architecture

Workshop 2: Smart Landscapes: Yard, Driveway, Sidewalk, Street
Saturday, April 3rd
9 am – 3 pm
Fritz Haeg, Edible Estates
Holly Harper, NorthEast Trees
David Fletcher, Fletcher Studio

Workshop 3: Smart Systems: Rainwater Harvesting + Greywater
Saturday, April 17th
9 am – 3 pm
Leigh Jerrard, California Greywater Corps
Jenna Didier, Fountainhead Design

All workshops will be held in the Ahmanson Main Space on Woodbury University’s Burbank campus:

Woodbury University
7500 Glenoaks Boulevard, Burbank

For more information and to register, click here.

Photo Courtesy of Djcodrinn and FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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