8th Annual AltBuild Expo & Conference Takes Place May 6-7, 2011

Feb. 10, 2011 - PRLog -- The 2011 Altbuild event will take place on Friday and Saturday, May 6th and 7th from 10am to 5pm daily, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (1855 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401).

The Expo features over 150 hand-picked exhibitors featuring the world’s best in green building and design materials; energy efficiency techniques and technologies; alternative energy; water conservation and management; environmental plumbing; municipal and state agencies, and non-profit organizations.  The event also features more than 40 speakers in all sustainable and alternative building practices.  

The time for Altbuild is now more than ever, the nation and California in particular is enjoying unprecedented rebates and financial incentives for both builders and homeowner to design, retrofit, and add on green. AltBuild provides the best opportunity of the year for professionals--designers, architects, the building trades—and the public alike to explore everything that’s new and on the horizon in green building, design and operational practices. The event features public demonstrations, accredited educational programming for professionals, and small group discussions led by area green building experts. Each offers best practices and practical knowledge of green building from a pocketbook, design and carbon footprint perspective.

Current and past AltExpo speakers have included KCRW’s “DnA” host Frances Anderton; Advisor to the Chairman California Energy Commission Panama Bartholomy; renowned architect, speaker and author Eric Corey Freed; Founder and President of Greymar Associates, architect Wally Geer; State Senator Fran Pavley; Founding board member of the US Green Building Council Bill Reed; and CEO, Seventh Generation Advisors and former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency Terry Tamminen.  The speakers will conduct on-site seminars and discussions groups for the architect, building and design trades on Friday. Saturday speakers will host open workshops and discussion groups on sustainable design, green residential remodeling, as well as discuss new ideas, laws and issues about what it means to build green.

Brenden McEneaney, Green Building Program Advisor, Office of Sustainability and the Environment, City of Santa Monica, says, “With such high quality presenters and exhibitors, AltBuild continues to be an incredible resource for the region.  The City of Santa Monica has a tradition of pursuing environmental excellence and an educational event like AltBuild continues that pursuit.  There’s no better place to learn from the experts and make the connections you need for your next project.”

There are three displays/activities of note at this early stage.  The first is UGGBC-LA Emerging Professionals 5th Annual Emerging Talent Design Competition 2011: Thinking Outside the Boxes. Using shipping containers as building materials, diverse teams united by a common interest in green building are encouraged to create aesthetically pleasing, sustainable designs for a multipurpose structure in Long Beach.  The city of Long Beach will consider the winning design for a site at Broadway and Beach Boulevard in long Beach. The Expo will host a panel featuring contest finalists, host the final judging and announce the winner.

The event also features the ReUse Garden Haus.  A project of ReUse People and in collaboration with Greymar Associates and the L.A./Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association, the 8’ x 16‘ ReUse Garden Haus is built entirely from salvaged and reprocessed building materials from structures that have been deconstructed. Deconstruction (not demolition) is the process of disassembling a building and salvaging the components for reuse, incorporating locally reclaimed building materials to save energy, reduce pollution and benefit a project’s budget through substantially lowering materials and transportation costs.

Finally, Energy Upgrade California will be a significant part of AltBuild 2011.  This new statewide energy efficiency incentive program is an alliance of state and local governments and the electrical and gas utilities that helps homeowners save money through energy-efficient upgrades to their homes.    Expo attendees will learn more about Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles County and start on their path to participation.

The Expo is free and open to the public and features free bike valet parking, automobile parking is $9.  For more information visit www.altbuildexpo.com or call 310.390.2930.

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