Ecological design focus Oct. 3 at Berea College with sustainability expert Nancy Jack Todd and opening of Natural Building Shelter

Working with nature instead of against, ecological design optimizes the use of natural processes and materials and promotes dramatic increases in the efficiency of energy and water use, reduces waste, maximizes recycling and reuse and emphasizes the use of renewable energy sources. Ecological design is the foundation of Berea College’s transformation to a sustainable campus – an educational facility that can meet its current needs without decreasing the ability of the world’s social, economic and ecological systems to meet the needs of future generations.

Todd will speak at noon in Phelps Stokes Building 204and will focus on her recent book “A Safe and Sustainable World:  The promise of ecological design.”  Lunch is provided.  The event is co-sponsored by the Berea College Women’s Studies Program as part of its Peanut Butter and Gender series.

Todd is vice president of Ocean Arks International and editor of its journal “Annals of Earth”.  She also was co-founder with John Todd of the New Alchemy Institute (1969), an early leader in appropriate-scale technology.  Other works Todd has authored or co-authored include “Tomorrow is Our Permanent Address” and “From Eco-Cities to Living Machines.”

Beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Ecovillage, the new Natural Building Shelter will be open for viewing.  The Natural Building Shelter is a student-designed, student-built structure demonstrating several natural building materials including cob, light clay straw, and earth bag; a living roof; solar-powered in-floor radiant heating and edible landscaping.

A brief program marking the shelter’s opening, with remarks by builders and sponsors will take place at 5 p.m.  Afterward, beginning at 5:15, tours will be offered that include the Natural Building Shelter, Sustainability and Environmental Studies (SENS) demonstration house, the Ecological Machine on-site waste water treatment facility, gardens and “food forest”, strawbale Information Kiosk and other Ecovillage features that are examples of ecological design and construction.

For more information on the Berea College Ecovillage, Berea’s Sustainability and Environmental Studies program and other sustainability initiatives at the College, visit Sustainability and Environmental Studies.  Tours of the Ecovillage, which is bordered by Ellipse, Jefferson, Washington Sts., and Memorial Park in Berea, are also offered on Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and begin at the Ecovillage main office at the Commons House at 116 Washington St. For more information or to schedule a special tour, call (859) 985-3179.