My guest today is Corinne Segura, Writer of the blog My Chemical Free House, and consultant on chemical-free building, renovating and decorating. After developing MCS and mould illness, she built a home in which to heal—a non-toxic tiny house on wheels. The goal was to build a mould-resistant home as close to VOC-free as possible. She continues to stay up to date on new green materials and best practices for building mould-free in order to help others create the healthiest homes possible. She has a background in research and community development and holds an HBA from the University of Toronto. She’s got lots of information on how she build her toxic free home at www.mychemicalfreehouse.net

 

 

Today my guest is Jan Flanzer, CoFounder and Managing Director of Healthy Home Builders in Scarsdale NY. We’ll be talking about the the toxic-free materials used to build healthy homes. Jan grew up in a real estate oriented family, but took another direction for her career. When she became sick from toxic chemical exposure, she re-evaluated her life and decided to build homes that are not only safe, but a joy to live in. HHB creates properties that are distinguished by understated elegance, thoughtful floor plans, and meticulous detail. The guiding principles for the firm’s projects are to be mindful of how their buildings will become part of the fabric of their community. No two projects will necessarily be alike, as the aesthetic of each home is attuned to the history and architecture of each neighborhood. They believe that indoor air and water quality are overlooked aspects of sustainable development. The firm’s core principle is to pioneer the use of materials, systems, and design to protect the health and wellness of its occupants through improvements in indoor air and water quality. They carefully test and select construction materials in order to incorporate non-toxic or minimally-toxic products. Their buildings combine architecturally-contextual exteriors with clean building technologies. By minimizing energy usage and harmful chemicals, they strive to provide homeowners with a better and healthier interior home environment.

 

 

My guest today is Victoria Schomer, ASID, LEED AP. As an architect, innkeeper, and real estate agent, Victoria and been at the helm of many ‘firsts’ in the green design and build movement, completing her first green project in 1990. We’ve been friends for years and today we’ll be talking about toxic-free design for building and remodeling, including information on LEED and other green building programs. In 1991, Victoria began publishing “Interior Concerns” the first green design and building newsletter in the US. She followed the next year with the first green materials and products resource guide. She later formed the nonprofit, Building Concerns, to further broaden the base of design and build education tools and programs. In 2000, Victoria was honored for her pioneering work in green design with the American Society of Interior Designer’s (ASID) prestigious “Design for Humanity Award.” Victoria is a co-founded and co-author of the REGREEN: Residential Remodeling Guidelines. She is a founder member of ASID’s Sustainable Design Council, a member of their Distinguished Speakers Bureau, and is REGREEN Trained. She is a LEED AP and BD+C, and a USGBC REGREEN Faculty member. Victoria continues her design and consulting business, Green Built Environments, working on projects throughout the US, and based in North Carolina. And most recently has become a real estate broker to offer comprehensive evaluation and assessment of properties for their green potentials. Green Built Environments, Real Living Carolina Property, Asheville Green Cottage

 

My guest is Larry Redalia–artist, woodworker, builder, tree man, gardner, and all-around handyman. Larry has been remodeling with me without toxic building products for more than 25 years. We’ll be talking about our remodeling projects, including kichen and bathroom, and specifically about our experience with paints, laying tile, and laying hardwood flooring. Learn from our experience and successes.