Research & Education

Recent Agenda Promoting Sustainable Technology (Since 2000)

2011: The State of Green, a Splinter Group Presentation, featuring Dan Smith, Dan Smith Architects, Jeremy Fisher and Rick Diamond of Lawerence Berkeley National Laboratory.

2008: American Concrete Institute, Los Angeles.

2008: "Historical View of Green Building." Presentation in Sea Ranch, CA, featuring Chris Avant.

2008: Green People-The Center of Change, a Splinter Group Presentation, featuring David Gottfried, founder of the US Green Building Council, Dr. Raquel Pinderhughes, Professor of Urban Studies at San Francisco State University and Donald Simon Esq. of Wendel Rosen Black and Dean.

2008: "Green Building in Today's Marketplace." Nevada Contractor’s Association, presentation by Chris Avant.

2008: West Coast Green, Largest Conference & expo on Green Innovation, San Jose, CA.

2008: Contractor for highest rated LEED Platinum existing home in the Nation.

2007: West Coast Green, Largest Conference & expo on Green Innovation, San Francisco, CA.

2007: "History and Evolution 2007 Sustainability Plan." UC Berkeley Presentation, featuring Chris Avant.

2007: "The Use of High Volume Fly Ash in Residential Construction." Presentation for the American Concrete Institute, Los Angeles , featuring Chris Avant.

2007: The Green Transformation, a Splinter Group Presentation, featuring Marc Porat, Entrepreneur and ecological Visionary, Founder and Chairman of Serious Materials, Chairman and CEO of CalStar Cement., and of Global Homes Inc. Author and producer of a 60-minte PBS documentary, “the Information Society.” Also featuring Bruce King, Structural Engineer, Founder of the Ecological Building Network, Author of “Buildings of Earth and Straw,” “Making Better Concrete,” and Design of Straw Bale Buildings.”

2007: "Green Building Careers." Berkeley High School, presentation by Chris Avant.

2007: Solar Decathalon, Third Place Winner. Constructed the bamboo I beams which were designed by Santa Clara University.

2006: Participated in Global Homes Institute, was donated to Architecture for Humanity in 2008. GHI's mission was to supply a construction platform for robust, environmentally sustainable, culturally adaptable and ultra-low cost homes.

2005: Design for Life, a Splinter Group Presentation, at the University of Berkeley Botanical Gardens, featuring Sim Van der Ryn, is a visionary, author, educator, public leader, and internationally distinguished pioneer in ecological design.

2005: Sustainability in the New Millennium - Beyond Green Building, a Splinter Group Presentation, at the Lawrence Hall of Science, featuring Richard Farson (founder of the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute), Gil Friend (founder of Natural Logic) and David Johnston (founder of What's Working).

2004: American Concrete Institute Conference Concrete for a Sustainable World Conference, 1000 Year Concrete Hilton Hotel, San Francisco.

2004: Blueprints for Building Green-Nature's Blueprint, a Splinter Group Presentation by Canyon Construction, at the Berkeley City Club, featuring Sim Van Der Ryn, former State Architect and Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley; and David Gottfried, founder of the US Green Building Council

2004: LEED Accredition, Five members of company become United States Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Accredited Professionals.

2004: AEP Conference, Los Angeles

2003: NARI Green Certification Lecture Series, featuring Chris Avant

2003: NARI Green Certified Builder

2003: BluePrints for Building Green IV: A Splinter Group Presentation by Canyon Construction, featuring Chris Avant, Dennis Allen, and Sim Van Der Ryn, Oakland Museum

2002: ACWMA Educational Seminar Series with Truitt & White Lumber Co., Speaker on the "Culture of Sustainability in Business"

2002: Kaiser Center, Oakland, Speaker on the "Business of Building Green" with Paul Murray of the Herman Miller Company.

2002-2003: Development Committee: Drafting a Certification Training program for contractors in Green Building technologies and products, sponsored by NARI and the ACWMA

2001-2002: Speakers Bureau ACWMA, Presenting Green Building Guidelines to local community groups

2002: EduTracks: Deva Rajan and Chris Avant, hosts for a national Green Building tele-class

2002: ISG National Convention: Guest speakers on "Lessons Learned: Placing HVFA Concrete" Salt Lake City, Utah

2002: Blueprints for Building Green II, A Splinter Group Presentation by Canyon Construction and Sim Van der Ryn Architects with Case Studies, Lessons Learned in Green Building Technologies and Future Trends, with former California governor and Oakland mayor Jerry Brown, guest speaker, Oakland Museum of California

2002: Environmental Lunchtime Lecture Series, City of Oakland Employees, guest speaker on "Building Green with Concrete"

2001: Blueprints for Building Green: A Splinter Group Presentation by Canyon Construction with special speakers on Guidelines for Building Green, Construction Waste Management, Design Specifications for Sustainable Systems and Sustainable Alternatives to Conventional Engineering Structures, Berkeley

2000: Green Remodeler Guidelines Development Committee: Organized by the Alameda County Waste Management Authority (ACWMA) to draft a new Green Building Guidelines for Remodelers

2000: Doing Things Better with HVFA Concrete: A Splinter Group Presentation by Canyon Construction and Professor P.K. Mehta on achieving improved performance of concrete, Berkeley