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Summer 2009 Newsletter
Our Santa Barbara community has been hit by another devastating fire. Our hearts go out to all of those who have been affected by this disaster. As we move into the “true” summer fire season, the potential for future fires remains in the back of our minds. In this newsletter, you can learn about this Saturday’s forum on the latest fire resistant and green rebuilding strategies and the fire rebuilding services offered by Allen Associates. We also are including a story on how Allen Associates continues to be a leader in sustainable building. We wish everyone an enjoyable and relaxing summer. We all deserve it!
Rebuilding Forum Offered by Local Sustainable Building Experts
From Ashes to Opportunity #2
Who would have thought we would have another major wildfire so soon? Again, people have lost their homes. And other people, who may not have been directly affected by the fire, are evaluating their existing house – could it survive a potential future fire?
Following the Tea Fire, professionals within the building industry held a half day forum to help educate fire survivors about how to “build back better.” Over 200 people attended that event. This Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., a second forum - From Ashes to Opportunity – Sustainable Rebuilding After the Jesusita Fire – is being offered at the First Presbyterian Church, 21 E. Constance St. (at the corner of State and Constance).
This forum is designed to encourage fire victims – people who lost their home in the Tea or Jesusita Fires or are interested in making their existing home more fire resistant - to build their home using proven fire resistant construction strategies that are also more environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Presenters include local architects, builders, landscape architects, and building and fire officials who will share their knowledge on green and fire resistant building strategies. The goal is to inspire residents to take a moment before they rebuild and consider the range of possibilities available to them. Even though lost houses have to be priced to rebuild an exact duplicate, local government and the regional building community are encouraging people to rebuild for a lighter ecological footprint and so it won’t reburn the next time it faces a wildfire. Case studies of projects being rebuilt in the Tea Fire area will also be presented.
This forum is hosted by the Community Environmental Council and co-sponsored by the local chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the US Green Building Council, The Sustainability Project, and the Santa Barbara Contractors Association.
Click here to learn more.
Allen Associates’ Fire Rebuilding Services
Take a look at this new section on our website
As a result of our experience in responding to people who have lost their homes in the Tea and Jesusita Fires, Allen Associates is now offering a wide array of services for fire victims. These services include (partial list):
Preparing a complete, detailed estimate of current replacement costs—“like-for-like” of your home
Identifying all code upgrades that apply
Working with landscapers/arborists to get a complete insurance settlement for lost/damaged trees and plants
Engaging a structural engineer to evaluate footings and caissons for possible reuse
Suggesting architects, engineers, landscapers, interior designers and other experts that fit the goals and desires of your rebuild
Demolition and erosion protection
Sharing our expertise to make your rebuilt home more energy efficient, healthful, and fire safe
Additional services that you can benefit from even if you have not lost your home
Evaluating your home for potential “weak links” that could make your home more susceptible during a future fire
Replacing existing fire susceptible features with fire resistant materials
Please take a look at our website: www.dennisallenassociates.com for more details about the fire rebuilding services we can offer you.
Our Company Continues to be a Leader in Green Building
Eight Allen Employees are now LEED Accredited Professionals
Back: Mark Hutter, Dennis Allen, John Mathews, Bryan Henson, Zac Shore
Front: Brent Safranski, Karen Feeney, Jon Heffner
Everyone is talking LEED these days – as in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED, developed by the US Green Building Council, is the internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a building performs across the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. To become a LEED Accredited Professional, someone who is proficient in the LEED standards, one must pass a very rigorous test. Eight of Allen Associates employees have achieved this distinction: Dennis Allen, Karen Feeney, Jon Heffner, Bryan Henson, Mark Hutter, John Mathews, Brent Safranski, and Zac Shore; an exceptional number for a builder anywhere in the country. Allen Associates has been the builder for three LEED projects to date – Victoria Mews (Platinum LEED for Homes), Tipton Meeting House (Platinum LEED for New Construction), and West Coast Asset Management (Platinum LEED for Existing Buildings). Please see our website for the LEED Consulting Services we can provide.
Please take a look at our website: www.dennisallenassociates.com/division_leed_consulting.htm for more details about our LEED consulting services.
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