BIO

Nabih Tahan's experience in working and living in the USA, Austria and Ireland has exposed him to the housing industry in all three countries. As a licensed architect for 28 years, Nabih has been in a position to practice, learn, evaluate and compare "how we do things" in different parts of the world.

Through this experience, Nabih feels that we can all improve our systems so that we can reach our global goals of protecting our local environment and planet.


OBJECTIVE

To implement residential design and manufacturing construction methods practiced in Europe which result in significant reductions in energy consumption, higher levels of comfort and improved indoor air quality.

PROFFESIONAL EXPERIENCE

USA
 1986-
1992		 Project architect at Interactive Resources, Inc., Point Richmond, California. Forensic, diagnostic and remedial architecture services, including investigating and repairing defective buildings. Consultant in construction litigation cases and first hand knowledge in analyzing inherent causes in design and construction in California and how these problems affect the health and safety of inhabitants. Managed staff of 12 architects, designers, draftsmen.



Austria
 1992-
2001		 Architect and developer of a 28 unit condominium complex in small village in Austria. Experience in European design and construction of low-energy homes with high levels of performance. Buildings were fabricated in components in a modern factory and shipped to site and erected by trained crews.



Ireland 2001-
2005		 Managing Director for Austrian home building company exporting homes to Ireland. Consultant to Irish developers and manufacturers importing energy efficient homes from Austria.



Berkeley, CA
 2005-
2009		 Designed, built and was the first person in the United States who has retrofitted a home with the goal of meeting the Passive House standard.
Speaking engagements describing modern design and construction techniques taking place in Europe where buildings are built without conventional heating systems.



San Rafael,
CA


present

 Nabih Tahan established BauTechnologies in partnership with Weir / Andrewson Associates, Inc., a firm which has been providing architectural and engineering services to the public and private sectors for the past fifteen years. Through this collaborative effort, BauTechnologies is in a better position to assist the building industry in reaching the goals of reducing the amount of energy our buildings consume, while improving comfort and indoor air quality.

PROFFESIONAL LICENCES

Nabih Tahan, aia, mriai

Registered Architect, California, USA
Registered Architect, Ireland

Weir / Andrewson Associates, Inc.

Weir / Andrewson Associates, inc. have architectural licenses in California, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada and Washington. They also have professional and / or structural engineering licenses in California, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.


PROFFESIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Nabih Tahan

Member of American Institute of Architects, aia, 1989
Member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, mriai 2001


Weir / Andrewson Associates, Inc.

American Institute of Architects
US Green Building Council
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Institute of Steel construction
American society of Testing Material
Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Construction Specification Institute
International Code Council
National Fire Protection Association
National Ready Mix Concrete Association
National Roofing Contractors Association
Western Consultant Association

EDUCATION

Graduated in 1979 from University of California, Berkeley
with degree in Architecture

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

UC Berkeley Extension, guest speaker, Zero Energy Homes Course, April 2009
GreenV Sustainable Center, Taste and Talk Series, South San Francisco, April 14, 2009
California Department of Public Health, Indoor Air Quality Section, March 11, 2009
American Institute of Architects, Santa Clara Chapter, February 19, 2009
Build it Green, Professional Guild, South Bay, Feb 3, 2009
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Environmental Energy Technology Division, Jan 2009
San Jose State University, guest speaker, Interior Design Program, Solar Home Design Course, November 2008
San Jose State University, guest speaker, Dept of Environmental design, Solar Home Design Course, November 2008
UC Berkeley Extension, guest speaker, Zero Energy Homes Course, October 2008
Build it Green, Professional Guild, Marin County, October 2008
American Institute of Architects, East Bay, September 2008
West Coast Green, San Jose, September 2008
Build it Green, Professional Guild, Berkeley, March 2008
2nd US Passive House Conference, Urbana, Illinois, November 2007
West Coast Green, San Francisco, September 2007
Habitat for Humanity, Riverside, December, 2006
Bay Area Leeds Users Group (BayLUG), SF. October 2006
West Coast Green, San Francisco, September 2006
Build it Green, City of Berkeley, June 2006
Interactive Resources, Inc. Architectural firm, June 2006
American Institute of Architects, Committee on the Environment (COTE)

PUBLICATIONS

Home Energy Magazine, Nov/Dec 2008 issue - "First US Retrofit to Passive House Standard"
Retrofit Homes for a Changing Climate: Passive House in the U.S., Chapter 8, "A Passive House Retrofit"
The New York Times, December 27, 2008, "No Furnaces but Heat Aplenty in Innovative 'Passive Houses'"


INTERVIEWS

Alliance for Climate Protection, February 2, 2009
California Energy Commission study on Long-term Energy Efficiency Potential, January 9, 2009
Daily Californian, Dec 4, 2008, "Home Appliances Help to Heat Local 'Passive House'"
ABC 7 NEWS San Francisco, November 30, 2008, "House makes warmth without furnace"
Radio interview, kwmr West Marin, Post Carbon program, October 27, 2008 "Passive Houses with Nabih Tahan"