Design by Nature 

Only $175 for tuition! $75 for students!

New! John Perkins, an authority on bringing ancient wisdom to the contemporary world to promote sustainable lifestyles, joins the conference for a keynote talk on Sunday morning.

We are facing some urgent environmental crises, but there are reasons for hope. Join John Perkins and leaders in the fields of biomimicry, permaculture, and sustainable architecture, to learn about the creative potential of nature-based design and technology. Green builders, architects, biologists, educators, activists, and anyone interested in building a sustainable future won’t want to miss this exciting event where we expect the Omega Center for Sustainable Living to be the first building awarded the Living Building designation from the Cascadia Region Green Building Council.

Dayna Baumeister, cofounder of the Biomimicry Guild, and John Todd, leader in the field of ecological water purification, explore the creative process of biomimicry—imitating the shapes, materials, or processes of nature in design. Scientists in a variety of fields are using biomimicry to create windmill blades shaped like whale flippers for greater efficiency; surfaces with the texture of shark skin that prevent bacteria from sticking; and living machines that use plants to purify contaminated water.

Penny Livingston-Stark, permaculture expert at Commonweal Garden in California, explains how the core design principles of permaculture—designing communities and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in nature—can be applied to urban, suburban, and rural environments to create self-sufficient communities.

Bob Berkebile and Laura Lesniewski, from BNIM architects, along with Jason F. McLennan from Cascadia Green Building Council and Dana Levy from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, explore the exploding field of sustainable architecture and construction using the new Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL), a natural water reclamation facility and model of sustainable architecture, as an example.

Bob Berkebile, founding principal of BNIM Architects, consistently creates new approaches to holistic, integrated community building. He is a board member of the U.S. Green Building Council. bnim.com

Laura Lesniewski is a LEED accredited professional, who often teams up with Elements, a division of BNIM Architects that focuses on sustainable design.

Penny Livingston-Stark, an internationally recognized permaculture teacher and designer, is cocreator of the Ecological Design Program at the San Francisco Institute of Architecture and founding member of the Natural Building Colloquium.

Dana Levy, PhD, is the program manager for Industrial Research at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which creates effective programs to improve the state’s economic competitiveness and energy efficiency. nyserda.org

Jason F. McLennan was named one of the top 40 under 40 most influential individuals in the design and construction field by Building Design & Construction magazine. He is chief executive officer of Cascadia Green Building Council and author of the Living Building Challenge. jasonmclennan.com

John Perkins, one of the world’s leading authorities on shamanism, combines his shamanic training with a corporate executive background to offer unique insights for shapeshifting on personal and global levels. He is the New York Times best-selling author of many books including Shapeshifting, The World Is As You Dream It, Psychonavigation, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, and The Secret History of the American Empire. dreamchange.org

John Todd, an internationally recognized biologist, is a global leader in the field of ecological water purification. He is developer of Eco Machines™ and author of The Village as Solar Ecology andTomorrow Is Our Permanent Address. toddecological.com