Bozeman, MT

Jan. 2007-
A new community, a new adventure with two enthusiastic life loving women who have influenced my own life in many ways. I have been exploring new work opportunities at Refuge Sustainable Building Center (www.refugebuilding.com) An indepth exploration of materials, "new", but recycled or rapidly renewable, or natural based. Gets me questioning the "green material" industry further. . . .is transporting bamboo from Asia better than using wood from a forest 50 miles away? How do you begin to incorporate a reused, salvaged operation for reducing the WASTE created by such endeavors as the building projects happening in the Yellowstone Club. . .$128 Million dollar house going up in an exclusive community with their own ski area. Is that life? how do people live by disregarding their surroundings and community that is supporting and enabling their life the way it is. A life so full of waste and disregard for all the supporting factors. How do we begin to show a life of less, is a life of more happiness, less attachment to material objects and more attachment to love and life. More focus on the food we eat, the air we breath,

Work with a "green" (still hate using that word, but no better term can be conclusive at the present moment) architect is also teaching me the intricacies of service based on design for a specific client. A place by place changing opportunity to include passive solar and appropriate design features for the way we LIVE in the built environment. But bit by bit, one house at a time. One vacation home at a time. . .how does this translate into the tract homes, the subdivisions eating our farm fields, the monstrosities?


I want to get my hands involved in site based, place based, earth based building. Mud, straw, sun and wind. This too will have limitations and small influences, but I'm craving the opportunity to instill my values of local, local economies, local resources, local people. A labor of love, not intended for everyone, how do we become involved on a larger level? Expand out from one community, grow, engulf, include, develop, and move along, roll, change, bend, alter, learn, teach, and plant seeds of enthusiasm and love.

Can formal education create these attributes? One must be open to the opportunities surrounding them, and be willing to listen to the wind, stop and breath, and move along again. I want to listen, I want to learn, and thus ride the rhythm of the music encompassing life. Life is precious.