At De Young Properties, we all work together to get the job done. It often requires wearing multiple hats. This fall, I assumed an additional role as a volunteer instructor teaching EnergySmart home construction at Fresno State.

Here is the Cliff Notes version for those of you who didn’t make it to class:

Class Offering:Sustainable Home Design & Construction

Department: Construction Management Program in the Lyles College of Engineering at California State University, Fresno

From the Syllabus:

The course will focus on creating entrepreneurial solutions to designing and building sustainable homes, specifically Zero Net Energy homes. Topics include efficient design of systems, energy efficiency, architectural design, site planning, life cycle cost analysis, and ownership costs evaluation for homes. Students will create business cases, design documents, and construction plans for sustainable houses.

This information barely touches the surface of this class. Being in the classroom, teaching about something I’m passionate about, was incredibly rewarding. This was a new experience for me, but with a lifetime in the business and a certification from the Building Performance Institute, it turns out I had a lot to say.

Here is a little more insight on the class and my experience —

Why is this class important?

This is where our industry is heading, especially here in California. At De Young Properties, we collaborated with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to build a Zero Net Energy home. The De Young Zero Net Energy Home supports California’s Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan that requires all new residential homes in California to be ZNE by 2020. We believe it is our responsibility to help teach and lead the next generation of homebuilding in our community.

Sustainable home design and construction is critical to the future of our industry, and anything we can do to increase awareness, understanding and help train a qualified workforce benefits De Young Properties, the industry as a whole, and future homeowners throughout the San Joaquin Valley.

What did I learn from the experience?

It was incredible how diverse the students were – their backgrounds, their knowledge of residential construction, and their future aspirations – all very different in the best way. In our class we had civil construction and engineering perspectives, commercial development experience and interior design backgrounds – and together we all learned about Zero Net Energy home design and construction. It is interesting to think about all the different fields that are impacted by sustainable construction and design.

My connection to Fresno State:

My father, Jerry De Young, is a Fresno State graduate, class of 1975, and was awarded the 2009 Top Dog Award from the Lyles College of Engineering at Fresno State. In addition, he serves on the Fresno State Construction Management Curriculum and Advisory Committee. My sister Ashley, as well as other De Young Properties team members have also graduated from Fresno State. We have a long history as Fresno State fans and supporters, so it was a natural fit for me to support the school.

What’s Next:

Looking forward, Fresno State will be participating in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Race to Zero Design Competition again and I will serve as a coach for the 2^nd year?

The De Young Zero Net Energy Home is open daily to the public at the De Young Welcome Center located on Armstrong, just south of Gettysburg in Clovis.

AUTHOR: Brandon De Young, De Young Properties

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