Home improvement

17Seventeen McKinney
Dallas, Texas 75202

Managed by
Granite Properties
PARKING:  Free Parking is available in the building

The USGBC North Texas Chapter, the CSI Dallas Chapter, and Dallas AIA’s Committee on the Environment have joined together to host a showcase of the latest green building products, technologies and knowledge for commercial and residential use. This showcase is for Architects, Engineers, Landscape Architects, Interior Designers, Developers, Contractors, Owners, Facilities Managers and others interested in the sustainable building industry.

EVENT NEWS -

Keynote speakers will be Thom Mayne on Thursday at 5pm and Howard "the Dirt Doctor" Garrett on Friday at 8am.  Seating is limited so register early!

GBCI will offer a presention on GBCI LEED Certification and the process of getting your project through GBCI.  They will also have a GBCI Work Zone and three LEED revieweres in the Exhibit Hall for project teams to have questions answered about their LEED project reviews in process.

Learn the basics of canning, freezing, and dehydration to preserve produce when it is plentiful and in season. Free.

Kids ages 5-12 will learn how to help the family live green with hands-on projects about recycling, conserving energy and practicing sustainability. $65.

*Native Texas Garden Series, Organic Soil Preparation, Garden Installation, and Maintenance:

Learn how to prepare and maintain your soil organically in order to grow native plants and your lawn. We will also cover garden installation of flagstone, boulders and other hardscape elements. A yearly maintenance checklist will be provided covering mulch, year end cleanup, shrub, tree and ornamental grass maintenance and irrigation. Class is geared for adults. FREE (with paid admission).

Current Admission fees:

$5 Adults (13-64)
$2 Children (3-12;under 3 FREE)
$3 Seniors (65+)
$1 Discount per person (with Military ID)

Class Description

We will learn to construct a beautiful, natural, earth friendly, energy efficient home! Foundation, walls, windows, framing, and roof construction will be taught. Natural plasters will also be covered as well as poured adobe floors.

Costs: $250 for this 5-day Workshop. (Mail in payment by April 15th for a $25 discount.)

This includes breakfast & supper on the work days, camping fee, and all instruction needed to build a Straw Bale Structure.

Daily rate if you can't make the whole workshop is $60/day, which includes breakfast and supper.

Length of Time:  Workshop will last 5 days.  Depending on distance traveled 4-6 nights. 

The Cool House Tour offers insight into what we can do to improve our homes' energy efficiency, and an opportunity to talk directly with the home owners who did it .. how they did it .. and what they might do differently.

North Texas Renewable Energy Group July Meeting

The Social Justice Ministry at the UU Church of Oak Cliff 
hosts a 1st Tuesday Film Festival each month and show documentaries and 
dramas on a wide range of socially relevant issues, followed by 
discussion. Films are always free, donations accepted.

On June 7th at 7pm we'll be showing Gasland, and have 4 
environmental organizations that will be tabling and leading our 
community discussion after the film.

• Downwinders at Risk
• EARTHWORKS TX Oil and Gas Accountability Project
• Dallas Area Residents for Responsible Drilling
• Sierra Club Dallas

Jim Duncan, NABCEP, offers his extensive solar knowledge for this free
homesteading skill class from DFW Ecovillage. 

Solar PV is a complicated subject but Jim makes it easy to learn the basics
and beyond. 

• On the grid or off-the grid;
• Batteries and battery maintenance;
• Do-it-yourself knowledge, safety, and legalities; Different types of solar PV & costs, efficiencies, ease of installation;
  
• What's new--including updates on reasonably priced new products, rebates, tax credits,legislation;
  
• Q & A session. 

Doors open at 10 am; class starts at 10:30 sharp until 12:30 pm. 

Plant “keys” are one of the best ways to identify and learn plant species,
but they can be tricky to use. Practice using a key to identify the many
vines at Trinity River Audubon Center, then go into the field to practice
tree identification with a plant key.

This program is free, but RSVP’s are required; please contact Dana Wilson,
dwilson@audubon.org or 214-309-5850.

Both of these events will be held at the Trinity River Audubon Center 
(www.trinityriveraudubon.org)