McCamant & Durrett Architects

How do you get your electric bill down to zero?  Nationally acclaimed and locally based architect Charles Durrett will share this and other tricks of sustainable design, at a slide presentation Wed, Feb 18, 7:00 pm at the Nevada City Veteran’s Hall, 415 No. Pine Street.  Durrett’s firm was recognized last year by the National Association of Homebuilders for energy efficiency, for its Nevada City Cohousing development.

Durrett is best known for his work relating sustainability to sociability.  He argues that highly sociable neighborhoods are also more environmentally sustainable and he has authored two popular audience books interpreting a Danish neighborhood patterns.  He and his wife and partner, Kathryn McCamant introduced the “cohousing” model to the United States, a cross between eco-village and custom neighborhood.

According to Durrett, when it comes to carbon footprint, solar panels are nice but are really just the finishing touch, after lifestyle and design.  “Half of the country’s energy is used for heating, cooling, and lighting buildings, and much of it is unnecessary.”  He says that his own home’s electric bill for all of 2008 was a negative $83.34, and he has only a single kilowatt of solar generation.  

Durrett will also discuss ways to live green beyond saving energy.  He will show examples of social neighborhoods that embody a green lifestyle, as well as projects which reduce toxicity, reduce lumber in framing, use recycled and reclaimed building materials, retain water on-site and effectively steward land.   

Members of Wolf Creek Village in Grass Valley will be present and available to talk about their cohousing communities, currently in development.

Charles Durrett is the winner of the 2001 United Nations Human Habitat award, among others.  McCamant & Durrett also designed the LEED certified Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno, California, the first LEED building in California’s South Central Valley.