Upcoming Events

Living Breathing Buildings with George Swanson:

Buildings in Europe and Asia have been known to last from 300 to 3,000 years. Why do American buildings last only 30? According to George Swanson, the author of the bestselling Dome Scrapbook (1981) and co-author of Breathing Walls with Oram Miller (2008), the problem is that our buildings are usually made of cheap, harmful, subsidized chemicals. This standard practice, a prosecutable offense in countries like Germany and Switzerland, violates the guidelines set forth in Building Biology, a required field of study for builders and design professionals all over Europe. George Swanson is the founder of Swanson Associates, an Austin, Texas-based environmental consulting and design firm that uses living, breathing materials. Convinced that building materials like magnesium oxide will improve our health and strengthen our economy, he is an ardent supporter of the principles of building biology in the United States, and a model for environmental stewardship and public safety. Join us with George Swanson as we discuss his life’s work and explore the health, lifestyle, and financial benefits of living, breathing buildings.