Recently several Builders Without Borders members and colleagues returned from reconnaissance visits to Haiti.
They found the people there to be both traumatized and resilient. And there is need for many new homes.

But what should be built? Designs should be seismically resistant, sustainable, affordable and aesthetically pleasing to the people living there. Many systems could meet these criteria. There is certainly a lot of broken concrete available, and Andy Mueller found a large amount of rice growing near Port Au Prince.

Builders Without Borders is developing a pilot project to try out a few different building methodologies in Haiti, which will probably include rice straw-bales and rice hulls, bamboo, clay and urbanite, and other locally available resources. Architect Martin Hammer, a BWB representative, is currently in Haiti meeting with potential partners, and looking at potential building locations. BWB is currently accepting donations to fund this project.
Donations should be earmarked: Haiti Housing Solutions

BWB partner PAKSBAB (Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building) is also considering a pilot project in Haiti. They envision bringing their building team from Pakistan, to share their super seismically-resistant housing design with Haiti. Paksbab is currently completing their 17th straw-bale building in Pakistan, and need an additional $1000 per month to keep their local building crew employed. BWB is also accepting donations on their behalf, which should be earmarked: PAKSBAB

Thank you for your generosity.

Sincerely,
Catherine Wanek & Derek Roff
Co-directors
Builders Without Borders

www.builderswithoutborders.org
575-895-5400

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Last chance to get board nominations in for 2010!

We are seeking NBN members with the passion, vision and dedication to help lead our organization and support our members in bringing natural building to the world.  If you or someone you know of has the skills and commitment to support the NBN board and other volunteers in our ongoing efforts in one of these areas, please submit a nomination.

Mt Vernon, KY

After recently attending a 4-day cob building workshop with my 62 year-old mom and 8-year-old daughter, I can officially say there are now 3 generations of fierce cob building women in my family! So I am personally excited to announce our featured member this quarter – Diane Jennings of Disputanta Cob in Mt. Vernon, KY.  Much to my happy surprise, after living on the west coast for the last 5 years, I have come back home to Kentucky to find the natural building movement is alive and kicking in this neck of the woods too.

Diane is the mastermind behind Disputanta Cob, a group of tight-knit and big-hearted local community members who promote and teach natural building. Located in the gorgeous foothills of Central KY where spring water is plentiful, land is reasonably priced, and there are few building restrictions, the setting is perfect for natural building. Diane has a knack for drawing people of diverse ages and backgrounds to her workshops (ours included many kids from still in the womb to a gaggle of teenagers all the way through to elders). The community support network is thriving from amazing local chefs to tractor-cob mixing neighbors to near-by permaculture goddesses turning barren hilltop soil into lush gardens.  Disputanta builds with lime mortars and plasters, cob and other earthen materials, and salvaged items. Through teaching, example and open-hearted invitations, their vision includes making natural building readily accessible to a population that has historically faced  issues of deeply-rooted poverty. Diane’s mentor is Christina Ott of Artisan Builders Collective (formerly Barefoot Builders) based out of Tennessee.

If you would like to nominate a future featured member please contact us at office@nbnetwork.org.

Board Meeting

February 11, 2010

Present – Carrie, Jack, Sasha, Greg, Chris, Max, Tim

Opening Circle – people brought us up to date on their current happenings

Minutes – from previous meeting were approved

Next Meeting – Thursday March 11 – Linda cannot attend, Tim and Jack suggested Mondays are better – next meeting will be 1pm Pacific March 8

Code of Ethics – We set up a sub committee to discuss a Code of Ethics – Jack and Linda and Carrie on committee to present suggestions by March 8

NBN Future – initial round thoughts included some “stuck” things, methods of administration, success in getting some additional volunteers for various tasks, professional versus social network, network functioning better with less unremunerated time and expenses, moving forward with membership drive, it was pointed out that asking individuals to do certain things can be successful, we are trying to provide a format for builders/people in a wide variety of situations

ADPSR Model – Tim had posted this before the meeting – Board members and one paid staff person @ 20 hours/month – act on a per project basis – only do what you have funding or passion for – OK to do the minimum until there is funding –

Administration proposal – Carrie submitted this before the meeting – adopted by consent

Grooming for transitions/future Board members – also submitted before meeting – proposal consent made – need for continuity and staggered terms – election due in April for positions held by Jack, Carrie and Chris and Tim Reith’s vacancy – Jack wishes to drop off – Chris will take on nomination discussion

Working Board vs Executive Board – Board roles – tabled for further work and resubmission

Assess what’s next – to be or not to be a membership organization – what is keeping us from moving forward with the membership drive ??  with new person available to handle renewals, we could move forward – online registration is now functional – question about raising prices of memberships before we advertise our functioning and work – several people understood that we were doing membership drive on old prices as a sales feature – supporting $s should still be encouraged, although a sliding scale cannot be done by automated PayPal memberships – suggested that three individual memberships come with an Organization membership e.g. three (or five) people could attend events at the membership discount – we could add in Supporting Membership of $70 – or we could have several levels of Supporting Membership, such as public TV where you get a bumper sticker or a tee shirt – Tim felt that we needed to more clearly delineate the value for $ received and go that way – aligns with people not adequately valuing their volunteer efforts – also a suggestion to have a donor category for people who do not need a listing but want to support our efforts – proposal to be clarified in next few days on google docs, so that we can approve at next meeting

Meeting adjourned at 5pm

Respectfully submitted

Linda Lloyd, secretary

Board Meeting

Minutes

1/14/10

Present – Carrie Campbell, Tim Owen-Kennedy, Chris McClellan, Sasha Rabin, Linda Lloyd

Opening Circle – Sasha reported that she and Tim and David Eisenberg were in Sacramento and that the State of California passed a new greywater and green code

Minutes – from meeting 12/30/09 were approved

Review Retreat – retreat notes are now finalized – Carrie will amend (take out some personal info) for posting on the web site

Dynamic Governance – Carrie feels that we have other things to resolve before any additional training.  John suggested that we consider having an Executive Committee and an Executive Director.

Carrie’s letter – Carrie read a letter that was emailed to the Board indicating that after 4/15 she would not longer be able to do the NBN Administration including processing memberships, accounting, taxes, phone calls, email and web site updates.  She asked that all Board members email to the Board by 1/28 what their personal commitment is to the NBN Board.  Several people indicated appreciation for Carrie resolving to take care of her own needs.  Chris and Linda suggested that we need an ED.  Tim indicated that when we agreed to serve Jack advised he could have a limited role.  It was also suggested that we have had the retreat earlier in our terms, that some were not aware we did no longer have an ED.  Tim indicated the Architects and Designers for Social Responsibility have been operating for 45 years without an ED, but they do have a staff member and Tim will share that structure.

Functional Dormancy – Tim – this is a way that when you bleed $ beyond your resources, you get to a base level, then when there is income work happens – you decide the base minimum that keeps membership.  Carrie will put together a list of tasks with times and get to us in 2 days.

Decision Making – Sasha – Sasha had sent her proposal out to us in google docs, so that everyone could make changes.  Motion was made and approved that for decision making a google doc be posted for one week – as long as there is input from at least three Board Members, the proposal will be approved.  If there are more than 2 objections, then the proposal will be remanded to the next Board Meeting for a decision.  The proposal initiator to be the tickler to make sure people review the proposal.

Membership Model – Chris – Proposed membership model had been emailed to everyone.  If we do the membership drive, we need to know what the structure will be.  People felt that the pricing structure was too vague and perhaps also too low, plus it requires people to make presumptions with a suggested rather than required fee structure.  One suggestion was to have a hobbyist level between student and professional, and also to have a base plus additional donation.  If we go to automated renewals there must be a specific number. Tim and Chris to work on a second draft.

Natural Building Magazine – Mark Piepkorn will do a proposal for us.

Mentorship – Sasha – no report

Health Insurance – Linda previously emailed report – not feasible for us under current regulations

Other business –

The Open Architecture Network was mentioned – they have free membership and people can post projects and events.

Bruce King has gotten approved a new ASTM standard for earthen construction.

Possibility that we could suggest donations for people who do NBN work.

Next meeting is scheduled for February 11 at 3pm Pacific.

Action Items

Board members respond by 1/28 regarding personal commitment

Tim and Chris provide second draft of membership model

Tim to provide ADSR staffing structure

Carrie to amend retreat notes for web site

Respectfully submitted,

Linda Lloyd, secretary

Board Meeting

12/30/09

Minutes

Present – Tim Owen-Kennedy, Jack Stephens, Carrie Campbell, Sasha Rabin, Chris McClellan, Linda Lloyd

Opening Circle – Everyone gave a quick update

Review Retreat – It was agreed that we could not adequately review the Board Retreat until we have completed notes – Jack suggested that everyone review the report and make appropriate changes on the google doc and that as of January 6, that document should be considered final.

Carrie indicated that we did not address the issue of the Emerging Builders Job Board.  We agreed that Postings would go to all current members with an addendum that in the future the job offers and requests would be a member benefit.  Chris agreed to work on a Job Board.

Action Items due from Retreat –

Membership Model – It was suggested that the membership model was used as an example at the Dynamic Governance training, where there was a quorum of the Board.  It was felt that the model was not completed.  Chris to follow up and email proposal with dollar amounts within the week.

Mentorship – Sasha had no report.

Member Survey – Jack has partially done, promised more the end of the week.

NB Magazine – Tim reported revival of the idea of a NB Magazine only available on line to members jogged Mark Piepkorn to present a proposal by 1/15.

Dynamic Governance – Carrie reported that 31 people registered and paid, bringing in $1100.  $600 went to John and Carrie received $435 (award $15 x 29 participants whom she promoted the event to and registered) $35 went to PayPal fees, thus we made $35.  Feedback was mostly good.  Next steps would involve more training.  Some felt the time involved could be better used if we just had 1 or 2 tools to help us move forward, not necessarily DG.  Possibility of more basic classes for fund raising.

Sasha agreed to put together a proposal for more functional decision making and communication (in wake of postcard back and forth)

Tim will email us by the end of the week regarding functional dormancy.

Suggested we should get the minutes on the web site.

Next meeting date – January 14

Respectfully submitted, Linda Lloyd, secretary