Pliny Fisk III


Pliny Fisk III is a co-founder and co-director of the "Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems", 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:
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 to wide-ranging material development. 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.

“... 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 ... 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 ; and he assisted McHarg – as the coordinator of engineering and ecology for New Orleans East: a new town of 100,000. He – served as an Assistant Professor at Ball State University: for one year, – before accepting a teaching position at The University of Texas at Austin.

Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems

In 1975, – Fisk founded the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems in Austin, Texas. CMPBS – is a nonprofit 5013 education, research, and demonstration organization.
The CMPBS site – features numerous demonstration projects: including the „Advanced Green Builder Demonstration Home“ – 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. 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 GreenformsTM erector-set prototype and a foam and MgO Cement modular building system.
Pliny Fisk – currently co-directs CMPBS with his wife.

Crystal City, Nicaragua and the Laredo Demonstration Farm

When the „Lo Vaca Gathering Co“ shut off the natural gas supply to the small town of Crystal City 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“ – 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:
In 1991: the Texas Department of Agriculture – hired Fisk : to design and build a demonstration farm. The farm:
Shade structures – protect the farm.

City of Austin: Green Building Program

In 1991, Fisk and Vittori – developed "A Conceptual and Contextual Framework "; that – served as the basis – for the formation of the world's first municipal green building program. The cooperative effort – earned the United Nations Earth Summit Award: for Exemplary Public Environmental Initiative, in 1992.

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. The technique – identifies and maps local natural resources in suitability maps – of where sustainable methods work, that can serve as alternatives. All interventions – are place-sensitive. Second, “Point Resources,” – are sought central, to an area resource. The flow linkages between these examples – defined above provide the final map, in the Area Point Resource Network. The Network Resources map – tracks four flows:
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.

BaseLineGreen

Baseline Green – is a methodology to design and engineer environmentally sophisticated buildings, using national data for approximately 12 million businesses. The approach – was developed between 1995 and 2000, – and connects four fundamental tools:
  1. Baselining environmental impacts – within the U.S. economy, 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, economic input/output modeling – and Geographic Information Systems. The methodology – is applicable at multiple construction scales: from single family residential – to large-scale commercial. The procedure – compares the upstream environmental costs with its market cost – to determine the material's “external environmental cost ratio.” The “employment impact ratio” – is a ratio: of employment t o its market value.

Carbon Dioxide Intensity Ratios (CDIR)

A carbon dioxide intensity ratio – is the ratio: between the net upstream CO2 impact of a material – and the weight. 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, 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. The EcoBalance method – asserts that: sustainability – is measurable.
During the EcoBalance planning process, – space uses – are determined and analyzed, according to the footprints. The framework for EcoBalance planning – remains essentially the same, with the process typically directed toward the building, site, and master planning scales. The objective – is to understand the limits of human activities: by carefully managing those activities’ resource use. In addition, the degree – is shared with the next scalar boundary; either on or off the building boundary.
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 – and the amount of life support needed ;
  2. the ratio: of the sourcing requirements – and the resourcing capacity ;
  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 a graphic summary of site analysis data, including inventories of site characteristics and resources – such as:
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 ;
  4. Resource balancing;
  5. Integration.

    ProtoScope

ProtoScope – 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. The ProtoSpace aspect of ProtoScope – reveals other sites with similar biophysical characteristics. ProtoPartners – are examples of people, who have successfully reached an understanding of balance – within one of the five balance areas:
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 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:
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