The Audubon Center and Sanctuary will participate in the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association's Green Buildings Open House on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Both the Nature Center and the home of Ruth Lundin, Jamestown Audubon president, and her husband, Paul, will be included in this annual open house, which is the biggest sustainable energy event in the northeastern United States.
During the 2011 open house, nearly 11,000 people toured 500 homes, businesses, and public buildings showcasing energy-efficient design, systems, and products, as well as renewables.
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The home of Ruth Lundin, Jamestown Audubon Society president, and her husband, Paul, will be part of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association Green Buildings Open House tour on Saturday.
The Audubon Center, at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown and Warren, features solar panels that provide nearly half of its electricity. Ruth Lundin's home, at 4307 Nutt Road in the town of Busti, recently received an award from Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards for Residential Energy Conservation Initiatives.
"We envisioned our home to minimize energy costs, maximize interaction with the natural surroundings, and develop expertise in the local contractor community to implement green building practices.," Ms. Lundin said of the house.
With its open floor plan and ADA accessible downstairs, the home fosters interaction and conversation. It minimizes the footprint of the home while the access to the outdoors makes it feel much larger. Attention to repurposing materials, energy conservation and local sourcing throughout provides the opportunity for almost everyone to take home an idea for his/her personal use.
The super-insulated envelope consists of insulated concrete forms (ICFs), strawbale and structural insulated panel balloon frame and monolithic SIP roof. The main roof is a living roof over a rubber membrane. Solar energy is harnessed both for electricity and radiant hot-water heating.
For more information, and to see more sites that will be open on Saturday, visit www.nesea.org/gboh.