San Luis Sustainability Group

Passive-solar architectural practice founded in 1976 by Ken Haggard and Polly Cooper in San Luis Obispo, California. Current mailing address: 16550 Oracle Oak Way, Santa Margarita, CA.

Practice

Over 300 buildings designed, approximately 200 built over the founders’ career, including over 200 passive solar residences on the Central Coast. Named “Top 10 Green Architects 2005” by Natural Home magazine.

Notable projects include: Congregation Beth David Synagogue (completed November 2006, 16,190 sq ft straw bale construction, described as the first LEED-certified synagogue in the world); the SLO Botanic Garden Education Center; California’s first permitted straw-bale building (Noland House, Lone Pine, CA); and one of the first PV-powered passive solar houses. Their own office and home was destroyed in a 1993 wildfire and rebuilt with fire-resistant straw bale walls (2-hour fire rating), earthen plasters, and masonry and water Trombe walls.

Teaching and publications

Both founders were Cal Poly SLO faculty: Haggard taught architecture from 1967 to 1988 and directed the Renewable Energy Institute (1984–88); Cooper taught from 1974 to 2002 (emerita).

Key publications: Passive Solar Architecture: Heating, Cooling, Ventilation, Daylighting and More Using Natural Flows (2011, with David Bainbridge, Chelsea Green); Fractal Architecture: Design for Sustainability (2006); Passive Solar Handbook for California (1978/1980).

Awards

• ASES Passive Solar Pioneer Award (1996, Haggard and Cooper jointly)
• 1st place, AIA/UIA International Competition on Sustainable Communities (1993)
• Best Paper Award, World Solar Congress (1989)

See also

• Ken Haggard
• Polly Cooper
• David Bainbridge
• Living Systems
• Passive Solar Institute