Anni Tilt of Arkin Tilt Architects was recently interviewed for an Elemental Green article. The article highlights "women who are ushering in a new era of sustainability." 

Click here to read the article on Elemental Green.

After receiving a negative impact declaration and approval from Plumas County on our Special Use Permit application, the Feather River Land Trust officially opened the gates at the West Entrance to Sierra Valley Preserve, located near Beckwourth, California.  Featuring accessible parking, restrooms, seating and visitors kiosk the design fits comfortably in landscape while giving a nod to its ranching past. Popular for birding the entry provides trail access to 2,586 acres of unique wetlands habitat located on the Middle Fork of the Feather River.

Over the course of this past year ATA has convened its team (masked and socially distanced, of course) to add our labor to some of the natural building features of the Dicolen Residence, a strawbale rebuild project of the family’s original home lost to the Tubbs Fire in October 2017.  

For the past three years Arkin Tilt Architects—signatory to the AIA’s 2030 Commitment—has achieved at least 70% reductions in energy use across our portfolio of projects.  This year we add to the list a new residence for Jennifer Doudna and Jamie Cate in Occidental, California, a project featuring straw bale construction and earth masonry foundations and retaining walls, and shaped and oriented for peak passive solar heating as well as cooling.

This workspace is aiming to be a low-carbon structure with straw bale walls, salvaged steel sash windows, and  a compacted gravel foundation with a concrete cap, cutting the carbon emissions of the foundation by about 70%. Kudos to Verdant Structural Engineers for developing this detail. Permitted last year, it is now  transforming into reality! Tim Weed led the musical entertainment with such classics as “Turkey in the Straw” and “Building for my World."

David Arkin wrote this article while participating on a ‘Climate Rise’ (a virtual version of the CASBA fundraising rides he’s been doing over the past several years).  As a co-Director of CASBA, this is one of the many ways we’re promoting the use of Carbon Storing Materials.  Fine Homebuilding’s online presence is a subscription service called Green Building Adisor, but you can click here for a PDF of the article.  

David Arkin wrote this article while participating on a ‘Climate Rise’ (a virtual version of the CASBA fundraising rides he’s been doing over the past several years).  As a co-Director of CASBA, this is one of the many ways we’re promoting the use of Carbon Storing Materials.  Fine Homebuilding’s online presence is a subscription service called Green Building Adisor, but you can click here for a PDF of the article.  

On February 11th, 2020 the Big Sur LUAC (Land Use Advisory Committee) reviewed and made a unanimous recommendation to the Monterey County Planning Commission, which one month later on March 11th gave the project their unanimous approval as well, on a motion made by Martha Diehl, the Commissioner representing the coast region. 

On May 9th, ATA helped host a 'bale-raising,' placing approximately 250 rice straw bales into the walls of the Dicolen Residence near Santa Rosa, being rebuilt after the Tubbs Fire of October, 2017. We all wore masks and kept a safe distance, and it was still a magical day of coming together to accomplish something wonderful. We are grateful to Verdant Structural Engineers and Deep Green Building & Remodeling as well as friends of the owners who joined us. Christina, Tya, Devin, Anni, and David were there from ATA, along with Elli (plus Nick) from VSE.

With construction of homes being rebuilt following wildfires in Sonoma County exempted from shelter-in-place restrictions, our project for Tony and Marie Dicolen—being built by Dan Maupin-Ahern and the Deep Green Building team—continues.  Pictured here, the project is soon to receive its metal roof, while plumbing and electrical work goes on below.