TTGBC President Mandilee Newton was invited to participate in a panel discussion on the screening of The Absent House, at the Little Carib Theatre on September 20, 2014.

TTGBC President Mandilee Newton participated in a panel discussion on the screening of The Absent House, at the Little Carib Theatre.

(Excerpt from the Trinidad Guardian on October 8, 2014):

On September 20, the T&T Film Festival joined with Sustain T&T’s Green Screen for a co-screening of the documentary film The Absent House, at the Little Carib Theatre.

The joint screening also featured a panel discussion on the topic of sustainable architecture.

The film The Absent House (La Casa Ausente) looks at the work of pioneering green architect Fernando Abruña Charneco and his flagship work, a house that is completely self-sustaining, leaving almost no carbon footprint. The house is off the grid, with complete solar power, rainwater harvesting and recycling, as well as a compost toilet. In the ten years since its construction, the Absent House has become a powerful argument for sustainable architecture, a release said…

[TTGBC President] Mandilee Newton noted that most home builders in T&T seek to build large structures. She said if we “live a little smaller,” with an emphasis on less consumption, we can reduce our negative environmental impact. She said instead of viewing the earth in terms of a natural resource, we should consider “natural capital” to better appreciate its precious and finite nature.

Read the entire article at the Trinidad Guardian here: http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2014-10-08/architects-lobby-green-buildings