About Bruce King
For over 45 years as a registered structural engineer, I worked on a wide range of projects, both locally in the California and throughout the world.
I became interested in ecologically sustainable building in the mid 1990’s and found I could make a difference in making it easier for other building professionals to make eco-friendly choices.
It started with my own challenge in finding the information I needed to engineer the world’s first large-scale straw-bale building – The Real Goods Solar Living Center in Hopland, California in 1994. From there became a quest to provide others with not just the information I had gathered, but to develop our collective knowledge about climate-friendly design and engineering.
“Buildings of Earth and Straw” was published in 1996, and yet there was a great deal more work to do. Together with my wife, Sarah Weller King, we founded the Ecological Building Network in 1997 with the goal of developing and distributing the information and technology building professionals need to make the built environment more ecologically sustainable.
Over the ensuing years, with the help of our growing community, we’ve made a substantial difference with a variety of projects and publication of books.
With more than a little help from my friends… here are a few accomplishments.
Professional
- Structural Engineer in practice for over 45 years.
- Founder and Director, Ecological Building Network
- Author of five books about sustainable building.
- Founder and Director of Green Building Press.
- Organizer of four international conferences on sustainable building.
- Conducted hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of research and testing into alternative building systems.
- Developed the ASTM International Earthen Building Standard
- Wrote the world’s first code for low-carbon concrete for Marin County California
Ecological Building Network
Bruce King is the co-founder and director of the Ecological Building Network, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our goal is to transform the global built environment from a climate-polluter to a carbon absorbing climate healer by making it easier for everyone in the design and construction industry to make climate-friendly choices.
EBNet has organized 4 international conferences and hosted countless events bringing design and construction professionals together to promote sustainable building practices.
In addition, EBNet has conducted extensive research and testing on alternative building materials, bringing them into the mainstream.
Click HERE to learn more…
Books
https://islandpress.org/books/build-beyond-zero#desc
Build Beyond Zero / New Ideas for Carbon =-Smart Architecture
(Island Press, 2022)
https://newsociety.com/book/the-new-carbon-architecture/
The New Carbon Architecture / Building to Cool the Climate
(New Society Publishers, 2017)
Design of Straw Bale Buildings
(Green Building Press, 2006)
Making Better Concrete
(Green Building Press, 2005)
Buildings of Earth and Straw
(Green Building Pres 1996)
Contributing Author to:
The Rammed Earth House (Chelsea Green, 1996)
Alternative Construction (Wiley, 2000)
Tradition and Innovation/ Green Architecture and Urbanism (The Prince’s Foundation, London, 2008)
Working with Ecological Building Network and partners, Bruce King is leading a team to produce videos highlighting aspects of sustainable and low-carbon building. The goal is to make climate-friendly design more accessible while providing links to more in-depth knowledge. To view the films CLICK HERE
BuildWell Launch with Cloe Lowder and Bruce King
Save it and fix it! Upgrade existing buildings with Erin McDade
Low Carbon Concrete with Bruce King
Carbon sequestering landscapes with Pamela Conrad
Mass Timber and forests: Is wood good?
Carbon-storing Building with Chris Magwood
Electrifying: A climate solution? with Ann Edminster
Buildings healing climate? with Bruce King
Work on Codes and Standards
The World’s First Low-Carbon Concrete Building Code
In 2019, Bruce King initiated work with Marin County, California, to develop the world’s first building code addressing the climate emissions embodied in building materials. King drafted the many versions leading to publication, with the participation of many stakeholders.
The “Marin Code” as it is widely known, has served as a template (as was the intent) for many subsequent provisions adopted by local, state, and national building standards all over North America and the World.
Additional Codes and Standards
- Revised California Straw Bale Construction Guidelines, 2002
- ASTM 2392 Standard Guide for Design of Earthen Wall Building Systems, 2009
Awards
Newsmaker of the Year, 2020, Engineering News-Record (for low-carbon concrete code)
Clinton Foundation Haiti Initiative, 2013 Finalist for rebuilding award
Speaking Events
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Academic
- University of California at Berkeley
- University of California at Davis
- University of Colorado, Boulder
- University of Bath, UK
- Notre Dame University
- Nottingham University, UK
- Queen’s University, Belfast
- Ryerson University, Toronto
- San Francisco Institute of Architecture
- Stanford Research Institute
- Zhejiang University, Hangzhou
- Tsinghua University, Beijing
- Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- University of São Paulo
- University of Santa Clara, Cuba
Research and Education
- Prince’s Foundation, London
- Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles
- Building Science Corporation, Massachusetts
Professional
- ARPA-E HESTIA grant program
- American Institute of Architects
- American Society of Civil Engineers
- ASTM International, Beijing
- BCI Asia Building Construction Information ,Hong Kong
- CALBO (California Building Officials )
- Cannon Design
- Carbon Positive, New York
- EarthUSA, Santa Fe
- Ecomateriales, Santa Clara, Cuba
- Greenbuild
- International Code Council
- LafargeHolcim 6th International Forum, Cairo
- Living Futures
- NOCMAT (Non-Conventional Materials)
- Northwest EcoBuilding Guild
- PCBC (Pacific Coast Builder’s Conference)
- Structural Engineering Institute
- Structural Engineers Association of California
- Turner Construction
- US Green Building Council