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David Salamon | Architect + Sustainability Consultant

RA, CPHC

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David is passionate about architecture that improves the lives of individuals and their communities. David came to architecture after working as a builder of off-grid, passive solar homes, and he brings a history of environmentalism and construction experience to the art of design.  Ever philosophical, David considers both the practical and psychological impacts behind design decisions.

Accreditation

Registered Architect (RA), Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC)

Education

BA Architecture | University of New Mexico
MArch + Certificate of Ecological Architecture | University of Pennsylvania

Community Involvement

Principal Founder of Greater Philadelphia Passive House Association (now part of Green Building United)
Co-Founder and Organizer of New Gravity Housing Conference
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
ACLU: Pro Bono Graphic Design

Fun Facts

Design Inspirations

Site, Place, Program, People, Goals, Material Expression

Three things in your fridge

Gochujang (Korean Chili Paste), Fresh Thai Chilis, Roasted Hatch Green Chili

Turntable or Spotify

Thievery Corporation, Amadou and Mariam, Tash Sultana, Manu Chao, Junior Kimbrough, Lydia Lunch, Typhoon, Bones of J.R. Jones, Nina Simone, Neko Case, Lorena McKennit, Nick Cave, Andrew Bird, Consuelo Luz, Bombino, Johnny Cash.... So much music to love and share, this short list is only that; a very short list....

Career Advice

Look into the Japanese concept of “Ikigai.” You have a limited time on Earth. Forget about what society tells you success looks like.

Hidden Talents

Time Traveler transcending future space and time at the rate of one minute per minute. Also a very good cook.

Why you do this work?

I work in a liminal zone of resignation and optimism in regards to sustainability. I am deeply committed to working to achieve a sustainable future, but I also have no illusions about reaching this goal in my lifetime. There are times that the challenges seem insurmountable, but there is also nothing else that I’d rather spend my life working towards.

Favorite Books

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer, A History of Love by Nicole Krauss, Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami, Bel Canto by Anne Patchett, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

Quote

"We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature." – Encyclical Letter Laudato Si' "On Care for Our Common Home," Pope Francis
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