2011年7月7日

今天，美国驻加拿大大使戴维·雅各布森（David Jacobson）来参观“科技居所，传统生活”（TRTL）的施工现场。我们的宗教文化顾问、雷吉‧克罗绪（Reg Crowshoe）陪同参观，与大使一起分享原住民传统屋（tipi ）（它激发了我们设计TRTL的灵感）的重要意义。

具有特别重要意义的是在原住民传统屋和其他传统民居内生活时感到的自豪感和住房归己所有感。据克罗绪说，在原住民社区内引进现代化住房时无法对这些价值观予以充分传达或诠释。他认为，这要归因于责任和维护等问题。

我们希望通过把TRTL与传统的设计和价值观联系在一起，可以在一座现代化家庭住房内建立起一份房屋属于自己的自豪感。

我们与指导老师洛雷恩·福洛（Loraine Fowlow）一起讨论了住房的耐用性、防火性和霉变问题、以及TRTL的模块结构和临时性基础如何可以促进在加拿大的原住民保留区内拥有住房所有权的问题。

依照法律规定，永久性房屋为保留区土地的不可分割的部分，归原住民部落所有。但个人可拥有临时性建筑，便于通过抵押贷款和金融手段来创办小型企业或农场。

我们荣幸地与大使分享我们这个项目的详细情况。雅各布森转而向我们描述了他最近访问加拿大北部的经历，那里的原住民住房问题属于最困难之列。材料和运营成本在那里可能比其他地区高出两至三倍。在某些社区，取暖费用每月超过1,000美元。

我们希望，TRTL将有助于对这类问题——包括分布式能源和高效、耐用建筑的潜在好处 ——展开更广泛的讨论。

美国国务院国际信息局 http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/iipdigital-mgck/index.html

David Jacobson, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, discusses Native housing with Reg Crowshoe during a visit to the TRTL solar home.

Johann Kyser is working on a master’s degree in environmental design at the University of Calgary and is a member of the Canadian team participating in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon in late September. The State Department asked Kyser to chronicle seven days in June and July when the team was finalizing work on the house. This is Day 6 of his diary.

July 7, 2011

David Jacobson, the United States ambassador to Canada, visited the TRTL construction site today. Our spiritual-cultural advisor, Reg Crowshoe, was present and shared the significance of the tipi — which inspired our TRTL design — with the ambassador.

Of particular importance is the pride and ownership that accompanies the tipi and other traditional dwellings. According to Crowshoe, such values were not adequately translated or interpreted when modern housing was introduced into Native communities. This, he says, contributes to problems of responsibility and maintenance.

By linking TRTL to traditional designs and values, we hope pride of ownership can be established in a contemporary home.

Together with our faculty lead, Loraine Fowlow, we discussed durability, resistance to fire and mold, and how TRTL’s modular structure and temporary foundations can facilitate home ownership on Canada’s Native reserves.

By law, permanent structures become part of reserve land, which is owned by Native bands. Temporary structures may be owned individually, however, allowing for mortgaging and financial leverage to start a small business or farm.

We were honored to share details of our project with the ambassador. Jacobson, in turn, described a recent trip he took to northern Canada, where Native housing issues are among the most difficult. The cost of materials and operations there can be two or even three times that of other areas. In some communities, heating costs exceed $1,000 a month.

We hope that TRTL will contribute to a broader discussion about these issues — including the potential benefits of distributed energy and efficient, durable construction.

Read Kyser’s last journal entry: A House That Will Last

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/iipdigital-en/index.html)