Pliny Fisk III

Photo by Lauren Jones

Pliny Fisk III (born May 30, 1944 in New York) is a co-founder and co-director of the "Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems" (CMPBS), a sustainable design and planning 501c3 non-profit established in 1975. Fisk also serves as Fellow in Sustainable Urbanism and Fellow in Health Systems Design at Texas A & M University, where he holds a joint position as signature faculty in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Planning. Fisk has previously held positions at:

• Ball State University;
• The University of Texas (at Austin);
• Mississippi State University;
• University of Oklahoma.

Education and personal life

Fisk received B.Arch., M.Arch., and M.L.Arch. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. His graduate studies focused on ecological land planning under the guidance of Ian McHarg. His work has also been influenced substantially by Russell Ackoff in various disciplines associated with the systems sciences.

He has four children and is married to Gail Vittori.

Work

Fisk's special contributions in the research field have been principally in materials and methods; from low-cost building systems development (referred to as „open building“) to wide-ranging material development (that includes: low carbon and carbon balanced cements, and many other low impact materials). He was instrumental in developing the first input/output life cycle assessment model for material flow in the U.S. and connecting this to a Geographic Information System, so that human activities can be placed into the context of natural systems on a national scale. The model for preserving abundant, naturally renewable resources is entirely removed from the questions of social equity, quality of environment and human welfare. The model represents greenhouse gases, criteria air pollutants and toxic releases of over 12,500,000 businesses. He has also developed an alternative land planning and design methodology (referred to as „Eco- Balance Design and Planning“).

“...(the Center’s) work grows out of a literal and metaphysical map of the ecology and resources of a region. The material cycles, the energy flows, the water in a region is really what it’s all about.” -Jane Holtz Kay, Architecture Magazine

"Once considered on the fringe, – the [Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems] ... is now widely considered to be in the vanguard of the country's eco-friendly or 'green building' movement."

-Patricia Leigh Brown, New York Times

“Like Buckminster Fuller, – Pliny’s ideas may be more appreciated a hundred years from now.”

-George James, U.S. Dept. of Energy, New York Times

"He's given the whole movement a more technical bent – and a less touchy-feely direction."

-James White, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New York Times

Early work

After completing his education at University of Pennsylvania, – Fisk worked for Ian McHarg (in Philadelphia); and (in 1969) he assisted McHarg – as the coordinator of engineering and ecology for New Orleans East: a new town of 100,000 (on the Mississippi Delta). He – served as an Assistant Professor at Ball State University: for one year (1969–1970), – before accepting a teaching position at The University of Texas at Austin.

Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems

In 1975 (with a seed grant from the Menil Foundation), – Fisk (and his then wife: Daria Bolton) founded the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems (CMPBS) in Austin, Texas. CMPBS – is a nonprofit 501(c)3 education, research, and demonstration organization.

The CMPBS site – features numerous demonstration projects: including the „Advanced Green Builder Demonstration Home“ (AGBDH) – a 170 square meter structure, featuring numerous sustainable building techniques, including: a 50,000 liter rainwater harvesting system and two methods of straw-bale construction. The AGBDH – is the first modern building in the U.S. to use 100% Portland Cement-free concrete. The concrete used in the building – is a fly-ash, Caliche mix (developed by CMPBS). The AGBDH – was also designed for easy disassembly; pays particular attention – to the lifecycles of water, energy and materials; and incorporates local and recycled materials. The AGBDH – currently serves as the main offices for CMPBS.

Other examples of Fisk's work on the CMPBS site – include the 2002 University of Texas at Austin entry for the Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition, the Greenforms erector-set prototype and a foam and MgO Cement modular building system.

Pliny Fisk – currently co-directs CMPBS with his wife (Gail Vittori).

Crystal City, Nicaragua and the Laredo Demonstration Farm

Site of Laredo Demonstration Farm, now the Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center

When the „Lo Vaca Gathering Co“ shut off the natural gas supply to the small town of Crystal City (Texas) in the fall of 1977, – Fisk developed the idea of using Army surplus wood stoves and abundant mesquite for heating. By January 1978, Crystal City residents – had installed nearly 1,000 wood stoves. In subsequent years – Fisk led an effort to manufacture and install inexpensive solar hot water heaters using salvaged materials. The production of the solar collectors – also helped bolster the job market of Crystal City.

In 1983, Fisk was sponsored by the „Center for Investigation and Documentation of the Atlantic Coast“ (CIDCA) – to set into motion a large scale indigenous housing program for the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast. Fisk's goal in the project – was to draw upon the available natural and human resources of the region to address an extreme housing shortage. He – helped develop building materials, using abundant stocks – of:

• Kaolinite High Alumina Clay;
• waste sawdust and woodchips;
• waste rice husks.

In 1991: the Texas Department of Agriculture (and – Laredo Junior College) – hired Fisk (and CMPBS): to design and build a demonstration farm (outside the arid South Texas city, of Laredo). The 2-acre (8,100 m²) farm:

• integrated local materials: in its mesquite wood floors and straw-bale buildings;
• achieved passive cooling: with wind towers;
• salvaged steel oil-rig drilling stems: for the super-structure, of the facility.

Shade structures – protect the farm (from the often extreme South Texas sun).

City of Austin: Green Building Program

In 1991, Fisk and Vittori – developed "A Conceptual and Contextual Framework (for the City of Austin)"; that – served as the basis – for the formation of the world's first municipal green building program (now – operating as „Austin Energy Green Building“). The cooperative effort – earned the United Nations Earth Summit Award: for Exemplary Public Environmental Initiative, in 1992 (the only United States organization – to receive recognition at the Earth Summit).

Innovations and ideas

Area Point Resource Network

Developed in 1978, the Area Point Resource Network – is a tool for coordinating the natural, technological and human resources (within a region). The technique – identifies and maps local natural resources (“Area Source”) in suitability maps – of where sustainable methods work (or are needed), that can serve as alternatives (to more resource intensive methods). All interventions – are place-sensitive (in that: their design materiality and engineering – is suited, to that location). Second, “Point Resources,” (examples: of a successful past (or present) use, of a given resource) – are sought central, to an area resource. The flow linkages (“Network Resources”) between these examples (of people that have had success, in using the suitability areas) – defined above provide the final map, in the Area Point Resource Network. The Network Resources map – tracks four flows:

• information;
• currency;
• energy;
• materials.

The overlay of the three resource types – reveals a functional web; that – coordinates resource movement, with built-in feedback mechanisms.

Additionally: a void at any hub of the web – reveals a missing resource (and – an opportunity: to improve the function, of the regional network).

BaseLineGreen

Baseline Green – is a methodology (initially – funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) to design and engineer environmentally (and economically) sophisticated buildings, using national data for approximately 12 million businesses (in the continental U.S.). The approach – was developed between 1995 and 2000, – and connects four fundamental tools:

1. Baselining environmental impacts (of 489 industrial categories) – within the U.S. economy (including 39 building construction sectors), according to region;
2. Correlating: Construction Specification Institute – and – ASTM categorization systems;
3. Depicting impacts graphically – of all major facets of building and support utilities;
4. Showing in GIS format: where the generic condition effects local environmental and/or economies.

The Baseline Green framework – is a synthesis: of environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), economic input/output modeling – and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The methodology – is applicable at multiple construction scales: from single family residential – to large-scale commercial. The procedure – compares the upstream environmental costs (of a standard construction material) with its market cost (in dollars) – to determine the material's “external environmental cost ratio.” The “employment impact ratio” (EIR) – is a ratio: of employment (generated by a material) t o its market value.

Carbon Dioxide Intensity Ratios (CDIR)

A carbon dioxide intensity ratio (a concept, developed in 1998) – is the ratio: between the net upstream CO₂ impact (emissions, minus storage) of a material – and the weight (of that material). A material with a positive CDIR – is a net CO₂ source; and one with a negative CDIR – is a net CO₂ sink. CDIR – offers an opportunity: to quantify the long-term impact, of conservation efforts. Accompanying construction standards – could help ensure: forest products – retain their carbon, by using specific construction and disposal practices.

EcoBalance Planning and the EcoBalance Sustainable Land Use Planning Game

EcoBalance – is a sustainable land-use planning (and design method), that employs the principle of life-cycles as a framework – for sustaining basic life-supporting systems. It is used, as a means to address the need for planning of physical space (both: within buildings – and surrounding land). The EcoBalance method – asserts that: sustainability – is measurable (by the degree, to which – human needs are balanced, – with our ability: to manage the environment, using nature-augmenting technologies).

During the EcoBalance planning process, – space uses – are determined and analyzed, according to the footprints (that – are necessary: to supply the basic human life support requirements – of air, water, food, energy and materials – in a regenerative fashion). The framework for EcoBalance planning – remains essentially the same (regardless of project scale), with the process typically directed toward the building, site, and master planning scales. The objective (during the planning process) – is to understand the limits of human activities: by carefully managing those activities’ resource use. In addition, the degree (to which – limits are exceeded) – is shared with the next scalar boundary; either on or off the building boundary (or – site).

Measurement of sustainability – is an integral part of the planning and design process, – and is illustrated, in multiple forms, – such as:

1. the ratio: between the amount of life support supplied (by the space: being analyzed) – and the amount of life support needed (by humans: occupying that space);
2. the ratio: of the sourcing requirements (of the physical space) – and the resourcing capacity (of the same space);
3. the ratio: of life-support needs supplied on-site – and those supplied off-site.

The EcoBalance Game – is an interactive tool: for undertaking the EcoBalance Planning methodology – to make decisions about future land-uses, on a given site. The game board – is (in essence) a graphic summary of site analysis data, including inventories of site characteristics and resources – such as:

• topography,
• soil types,
• geology,
• hydrology,
• vegetation,
• site improvements,
• and special features.

Each base map topic – may include sub-topics, such as: digital elevation model, slope, – and aspect sub-topics under topography. Each of the Base Maps – is a separate document; that can be overlaid on an aerial photo of the site and on other Base Maps. A set of five game principles – is generally used to guide play, as follows:

1. Life-cycle assessment methodology;
2. Ecological footprinting;
3. Scales (varying generic boundaries, – within which – the planning game can be played);
4. Resource balancing;
5. Integration (overlapping or multi-use potential – of a single landscape or building component).

ProtoScope

ProtoScope (developed in 2008) – is a method for facilitating the development of better-informed prototypes; that – are truly responsive to humans and all other living systems. By combining some of the most well-researched databases known, – ProtoScope – enables participants to understand their local context through its role: in ecosystem health, hydrological well being, present and future climatic impact, and the condition of the soil and mineral regimes. In order to reach effective and reparative management strategies, – ProtoScope – provides the necessary understanding of the most sensitive conditions (in a scalable perspective: from world – down to site). The ProtoSpace aspect of ProtoScope – reveals other sites (around the globe) with similar biophysical characteristics (in order to mine past examples of strategies, – that have succeeded, under the same conditions). ProtoPartners – are examples of people (within a ProtoSpace), who have successfully reached an understanding of balance – within one (or more) of the five balance areas:

• Air;
• Water;
• Food;
• Energy;
• Material.

Awards

In 1992 – Fisk received the United Nations Earth Summit Award: for Exemplary Public Environmental Initiative, for the City of Austin's Green Building Program – conceived and developed by The Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems.

In 2002 – Fisk was awarded the U.S. Green Building Council’s first Sacred Tree Award: in the public sector category. He – is also a recipient of the Passive Solar Pioneer Award (from the American Solar Energy Society) and the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s 15th Year Distinguished Appropriate Technology Award, – recognizing significant work in the field of environmental protection.

Fisk – led two award-winning student teams for Department of Energy Solar Decathlon:

• in the 2002 (with the University of Texas at Austin);
• in the 2007 (with Texas A&M University).

The US Green Building Council – honored Pliny Fisk with the USGBC Leadership Award – for Organizational Excellence, in 2008: for his role – as a founding member of the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment.

Publications

• Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems: «35 Years – of Serious Commotion»;
• «Pliny Fisk III: Creating a Maximum Potential Future» – by Sam Martin.

See also

Gail Vittori
Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems

External links

• www.cmpbs.org