ResilientBuilding
Newton, MA, US
Member
A one week volunteer opportunity with an experimental building got me into masonry. After some work as a laborer, I went to Yestermorrow in Vermont and earned my Certificate in Sustainable Building and Design. In a class on how to run a Design/Build business I met two builders from a company based in Natick. After talking with them I got a job and moved back to the Boston area where I'd grown up. I did a lot of demolition work and helping carpenters. Then I got pulled into the office, learned Quickbooks, and became the company's bookkeeper. Now I'm earning my certification to perform HERS ratings and starting my own company, Resilient Building Cooperative. Yes, it is my vision to build a workers' cooperative. I am hoping to practice workplace democracy so people can relate to each other as equals at work, learn to collaborate, and share the benefits of this industry. Beyond making a living, I hope to build comfortable, affordable, healthy homes, a stronger community, and leave the environment better than how I found it. If you live in the Boston area and are looking for a business partner, let's talk.
Recent Q&A
Replacing Recessed Radiators
I am looking for suggestions about how to upgrade a home that has recessed wall radiators. I have seen mini-splits put in old houses with stand alone hot water radiators…
Repointing a field stone basement
This morning I went to look at what could potentially be my first big job as an independent contractor. I spent a year working for a mason, and two years…
Was the heyday for greenhouses forty years ago?
Last fall I paid a visit to Yestermorrow, the design/build school in Vermont where I had recently taken classes. Just by chance, they were making space in their library and…