Jorg Ostrowski
Professional Resume

Since 1976, Jorg has been in full-time professional practice of architectural/environmental design, consulting, planning, R&D, education, and project management, based on a mandate of: resource conservation, renewable energy, appropriate technology, and conserver lifestyle to "sustain an equilibrium between society and nature" (1976, Yamnuska Project).

Design experience includes: commercial, institutional and residential, for corporations, associations, educational institutes, individuals, builders, developers, government and First Nations. He supervised design/research projects from single family homes to the recofit of a small college and 50-storey office tower.

Jorg has 2 professional degrees in architecture: B. Arch. (University of Toronto) and M. Arch. A.S. (Environmental Design Program, MIT). At MIT, he won a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation fellowship, held a teaching position, had articles published in the Canadian Architect and the AIA Journal, and was invited on speaking engagements at Harvard, Pratt Institute and University of Manitoba.

His 1973 B. Arch. thesis for the rejuvenation of the 96 acre Toronto Waterfront incorporated passive solar energy, greenhousing and the recycling of entire buildings. He was hired as the first professional consultant of what is now known as "Harbourfront".

Jorg has been responsible for 3 demonstration projects. In 1979, "Stampede Sunseed" was desiged and built as a state-of-the-art display house for the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede Board to demonstrate current environmental efficiency, conservation and solar technology. About 60,000 visitors came in 10 days. A 1981 show-home for a malor Calgary home builder (Engineered Homes) won 3 awards.

The most ambitious projects have been the Alberta Sustainable Home/Office, built without a furnace, boiler, gas line or government subsidies and the Canterra Office Tower Recofit, as leading-edge examples of a sustainable approach to buildings. He is currently working on the design of EcoVillage 1.

During the last 26 years, other projects utilized such features as: passive solar breadbox water preheaters, greywater storage, waterless toilets, passive solar heating/cooling-, radiant floor heating, shallow foundations, strawbale and rammed earth construction, high performance windows, vernacular design, low-embodied energy and reused materials.

His work has been featured on TV and radio (including C.B.C. & C.T.V) published in magazines, books and journals and presented at many conferences and speaking engagements (including the Standing Committee on Energy Mines & Resources, House of Commons). He has given many workshops. He has also served in several organizations, including the Solar Energy Society of Canada (SESCI) and the Alberta Association for Environmental Health. He has also received several awards including the "Green Award", "Emerald Award" (Small Business category), "Autonomous House Award" and "NESEA Design Award" (Single-Family Home category).

He is busy transforming concepts and visions into 3-dimensional environmentally-sound real-world projects, to demonstrate the feasibility, practicality, desirability and joy of a conserver society and a sustainable future, combining the best of the past, present and future. for cleaner, greener and more healthy homes, communities, workplaces and planet.

© Jorg Ostrowski 2003. All rights reserved.

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