Nathan Helbach is a sustainable developer and the CEO of The Neutral Project. When he was in school working on a degree in sustainability, he came up with the idea to build carbon-neutral developments. Today, with The Neutral Project, he is working to make that dream a reality. Key to reducing the embodied carbon in these buildings was moving away from steel and concrete to mass timber. Currently, Nathan is behind the construction of what will be the tallest mass timber building in the world.
Nathan and show host Neal discuss Nathan’s path to starting The Neutral Project, including his childhood experience helping his father with small projects in Madison and then in his early 20s, working for a traditional developer on hundreds of traditional stick frame buildings. Once Nathan got the idea to start a business dedicated to carbon-neutral construction, he started working against the inertia of routine and tradition. He had to learn how to acquire and build with mass timber, as well as follow passive house principles. Finally, they touch on the exciting future of The Neutral Project and the many developments they have in the works. To learn more, check out theneutralproject.com.
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