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X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://natural-building-alliance.org/
X-WR-CALNAME:Natural Building Alliance
X-WR-CALDESC:PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
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DTSTART:20250919T223000Z
DTEND:20250919T233000Z
DTSTAMP:20250530T041100Z
CREATED:20250529
LAST-MODIFIED:20250909
PRIORITY:5
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TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:“Homegrown Solutions – Building a Regenerative Materials Economy in the Age of Imports” Cheryl Corsiglia, Frank Wetenkamp and Gregory Wilson – AIA CEU
DESCRIPTION:Cheryl Corsiglia – Living Craft\nFrank Wetenkamp – Living Craft\nGregory Wilson – HempWood\nIn a world dominated by cheap, toxic, and globally shipped construction products, this panel brings together natural building innovators who are taking on the construction materials industry with locally sourced, non-toxic, and low-impact materials.\nCheryl and Frank, co-founders of Arvada, CO-based  Living Craft natural building company, share their mission to create a truly sustainable supply chain rooted in regional resources. They use and promote materials that are local, non-toxic, and low-impact.\nGreg Wilson, founder of HempWood, brings a global-to-local story: after launching a bamboo flooring venture in China, he experienced firsthand the health toll of factory formaldehyde. His return to Murray, KY sparked a new chapter—developing high-performance wood alternatives using locally grown hemp and soy-based resins. Now used in homes and institutional buildings, HempWood represents a regenerative and economically viable path forward.\nAIA – CEU\nThis panel brings together innovators in natural building to explore how locally sourced, non-toxic, and low-impact materials—such as HempWood, straw, and earthen products—can improve building performance, occupant health, and environmental sustainability.\nPrerequisite Knowledge:\nNone Required\nHSW Justification:\nThis course addresses Health, Safety, and Welfare by examining how alternative, bio-based, and regionally sourced construction materials can improve occupant health, worker safety, and environmental resilience. Participants will learn how materials like HempWood, straw, and earthen products reduce exposure to toxins, improve indoor air quality, and lower fire and structural risks. The session also highlights the benefits of local supply chains and regenerative building practices, which minimize environmental hazards and support long-term community welfare. By understanding the performance, durability, and safe application of these materials, architects can design healthier, safer, and more sustainable buildings.\nLearning Objective 1:\nIdentify the health impacts of conventional construction materials and evaluate how locally sourced, non-toxic alternatives improve indoor air quality, occupant well-being, and worker safety.\nLearning Objective 2:\nAnalyze the environmental and safety benefits of regional supply chains by exploring how hemp, straw, and earthen products reduce embodied carbon, transportation risks, and ecological degradation.\nLearning Objective 3:\nExamine the performance, durability, and fire-safety characteristics of bio-based building materials such as HempWood, straw bale, and natural plasters in comparison to conventional options.\nLearning Objective 4:\nExplore pathways for integrating natural and low-impact materials into modern construction practices while meeting building science standards, code requirements, and long-term occupant health and safety needs.\nCheryl Corsiglia of Arvada, CO-based Living Craft, got into the construction industry through an internship with Community Rebuilds, building affordable straw bale homes in Moab. An Earthen Building course in Nicaragua led to connections in the natural building community in CO. Being a tradesperson runs in the family: her grandfather designed and built houses in Florida. She is on the board of the Natural Building Alliance and the Colorado Green Building Guild. Cheryl is a Certified Passive House Tradesperson (CPHT) since 2024.\nFrank Wetenkamp started working as a carpenter while in high school. His passion for building led to a degree in Civil Engineering and a minor in Architectural studies. A Natural Building course at Yestermorrow Design Build School set him up for a move back to residential construction where he strives to find the right balance between modern techniques, building science, and natural materials. Frank is a Certified Passive House Tradesperson (CPHT) since 2024.\nGregory Wilson of Murray KY-based HempWood, LLC, is an avid outdoorsman and building materials engineer. He started working in the family construction business 25 years ago. He attended the first STEM high school in the state of Maryland was was in the first class of the Academy of Manufacturing. He went on to study engineering and Chinese in undergrad at which time we completed internships in vinyl siding and bamboo flooring in China. He went on to file patents on strand woven bamboo and helped build that industry in China for over a decade. During this time, he earned his MBA and invented a follow-on product strand woven eucalyptus which also became a commercial success. In striking out on his own he teamed up with the same core group of engineers to invent and commercialize an upcycled wood product named SmartOak. When hemp became legal he concentrated his efforts on HempWood and now has 2 factories operating in Murray, KY producing HempWood flooring. Greg has worked on setting up 63 wood/bamboo/hemp processing lines around the world and holds 13 patents and 9 trademarks in the USA, EU, Canada, Australia, and China.\n
URL:https://natural-building-alliance.org/events/cheryl-corsiglia-frank-wetenkamp-and-gregory-wilson-challenges-and-learnings-bringing-natural-building-products-to-market-ballroom/
CATEGORIES:AIA Credits Availalbe,AIA-CEU,Conference Presenter,Hemp,Natural Plasters
LOCATION:111 S. Grand Ave, Bozeman MT 59715
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