News and Events

Sustainable Design will be hosting a presentation on Sunday March 14th at 10AM on Passive Solar Design at Riley Rink.  With proper design, a building using passive solar techniques can be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter and do so without the use electricity to power pumps or fans.  This presentation will introduce the techniques used and how affordably they can be incorporated into both new and existing structures.  www.greenworksvermont.org

Sustainable Design will be hosting a presentation on Saturday March 13th at 4PM on Sustainable Living at Riley Rink. This presentation will introduce you to the concepts, definitions, and topics related to our shift toward sustainability.   Alan’s education in engineering and horticulture combined with years of experience in architecture give him a unique perspective of the integration of sustainability at all levels.  www.greenworksvermont.org

February welcomes the return of the  "Sustainable Living"  series with a presentation on Green Design by Keith Dewey and Green Building by Scott Thompson.

November's "Sustainable Living"  series continued with a presentation on Geo-Thermal Energy presented by Dee's Electric and Passive Solar design by Sustainable Design.

The town of Manchester, VT has asked Alan Benoit of Sustainable Design to create a new vision for Adams Park . The design should revitalize the use of the park and include the local farmer's market.

October's"Sustainable Living"  presentation covered all types of insulations with samples of many types being passed around and discussed. Specific talks focused on cellulose and spray foam insulations.

Live Green at Riely Rink in Manchester, VT. Sustainable Design has been invited to speak as part of Live Green's workshops. We will present a talk on "Outdoor Rooms and Sustainable Landscapes" at 12:30PM in Venue D. Hope to see you there!

This month's "Sustainable Living"  presentation had an even bigger turn out! More than 40 people were on hand to learn about Energy Audits and Air Sealing and everyone listed positive feedback on their exit survey. There were several excellent questions during the presentation and thunderous applause afterwards. Transition Town Manchester had a surprise announcement regarding their Fruit Tree Planting Project and I helped sweetening the deal by offering fresh peaches from my tree.

Our first "Sustainable Living"  presentation was a huge success! Over 30 people attended to learn about the great paradigm shift, transition town Manchester, and what each of us can do to become more sustainable. Hands-on items included fresh picked raspberries, locally produced hardwood charcoal, and a wall assembly section. Attendees gave overwhelmingly positive feedback on our exit survey and were provided with a calendar of future presentations.

Announcement: Sustainable Living Series

Northshire Bookstore July 16th 7:00PM

Learn how you can make a difference when Alan Benoit of Sustainable Design kicks off his free monthly “Sustainable Living” series. This presentation will include an introduction to the concepts, definitions, and topics related to sustainability. These interactive hour-long sessions are geared toward increasing public awareness through hands-on demonstrations by local professionals in the “green” industry. Alan’s education in engineering and horticulture combined with years of architectural experience give him a unique perspective on the integration of sustainability at all levels. He volunteers on many local boards and is a member of Building for Social Responsibility and the Vermont Green Building Network. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to be a part of Vermont’s shift toward sustainability.

Future monthly presentations will be held on the third Thursday of each month. The Sustainable Living series will cover a different topic each month including air sealing, energy audits, insulations, solar, geo-thermal, efficiency rebates and financing options, home food production, CSAs, sustainable landscapes, outdoor rooms, recycled building materials, FSC wood, and “green” architectural design & building techniques.

The Rutland Business Journal; Spotlight On New Business: June 2009

Sustainable Design Of Vermont

Alan Benoit recently announced the opening of his company, Sustainable Design of Vermont, in Manchester Center.

He previously worked for an architect, while also spending the past 10 years pursuing and envisioning what today is his new company.

“My goal is to try to clarify some of the mysteries people have about sustainable living, energy efficiency and renewable resources,” he said. “The more people understand, the fewer concerns they’ll have that sustainability is just a passing fancy. It’s a matter of identifying possibilities and taking advantage of them,” he said.

His focus is on entire systems: the home itself; landscaping and outdoor rooms; reusing materials; creating efficiencies within the community; and educating folks on theories and practices of sustainability. He said his work concerns not just the residential scale but communities themselves.

“A big part of it is networking,” Benoit said, “trying to get out to as many people and businesses to create a community mentality of working slowly toward sustainability. Northern Vermont and the Burlington area seem to get it; southern Vermont, not yet.”

What does Benoit’s sustainable community look like? “I envision a more lively community where people are walking and biking more frequently,” he said. “People work together on projects in the community, like gardening and parks. The community assists people who need help with making their houses more efficient. This is more of old-time community feel that uses individual expertise, and we all grow from it.”

Some of the many consulting issues he’s prepared for include bringing architects and home designers up to speed on energy codes; performing walk-through energy assessments for homeowners; designing outdoor rooms to extend living and entertaining space; working with architects on renewable energy systems; and keeping folks apprised of changes having to do with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification programs that to date, he said, haven’t appeared to be in demand in southern Vermont.

Sustainable Design is located at 444 Barnumville Rd., Manchester Ctr., VT 05255. The phone number is (802) 362-4310. The e-mail address is alan@sustainabledesignofvt.com; the Web site is ww.sustainabledesignofvt.com.

Northshire Bookstore request...

"We would like to expand that pool of book experts to include prominent members of our community who have expertise in the various sections of our store. That, of course, is why we are contacting you. We would be very grateful if you would consider writing a few recommend tags for books in your area of knowledge. If you are so kind as to participate, we would tag the books on the shelf and place a small sign at the beginning of the section with your name, picture and a short biography that will tout your credentials; your business, and any books you have written. Of course, the wording of this biography would be approved by you."

"Secondly, were looking for people in the community to partner with the Northshire Bookstore to focus and improve our selection of titles where they have some proficiency. We would like to take just a few moments of your time to see if you have any suggestions regarding what books we stock in the store..."