Born in the UK, Steve spent much of his childhood in Calcutta, India, but now lives just outside Victoria, B.C. in Canada with his artistic partner Susanne, their wonderful dog Tia, and cat Mishka. Steve has led a somewhat varied life. Currently he is a helicopter pilot, but previous jobs include; police constable, expedition leader, cabinet maker and graphic designer (to name a few).

Steve's interest in alternative building has grown over the years from an initial desire 'merely' to build his own house, to a realisation that the way we presently build houses in North America - and the codes by which that process is regulated - do not meet the needs of the planet.

Having grown up abroad and spent much of his life travelling amongst other cultures, he came to recognise how natural materials have been used very effectively in construction for hundreds - and sometimes thousands - of years. Whether it be the simple mud huts of African tribes, or the thatched roofs of 500 year old houses in England, it became obvious that there are other natural, effective, safe and often cheaper, ways to build. The trick is to find local materials that suit the local climate!

But in our sophisticated western world, we seem to have built ourselves into a corner where only a limited spectrum of materials and techniques are now approved and used in construction. And, somewhat tragically, many of those materials and techniques are highly toxic both to us as the inhabitants, and to the environment.

In the fall of 2008 Steve attended a one-week course in building with straw bales run by Andrew Morrison in Oregon. (Strawbale.com) The experience confirmed his desire to follow a path towards a more sustainable way of building and living.

It's time to build a new and healthier future!

Feb. 2009

Links... (hover over links for info)

The Living Building Challenge
John Gower - Gower design group
Fotoprint
Chelsey Braham - C D B Design
Earth Futures
BCSEA
SIPDistribution.ca
Chemicallime.com
Perlite.com
Strawbale.com
HomesteadHouse.ca
Eco-Sense.ca
Building Limes Forum
Straw bale fire test movie
Straw bale earthquake test movie
Susanne Dannenberg - visual artist
Goodshepherdwool.com
Elke Cole