30 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} is just right,” David describes. Even the concrete used by the construction team was produced with 60 percent less energy, by using waste products from coal-fired power plants and steel smelting factories. In San Mateo, Earth Bound’s project, dubbed the Asymmetrical House, highlights the importance of a home’s crawl space as a foundation for wellness. Unlike many houses around the Bay Area, its crawl space is a sealed, insulated and conditioned zone that plays an important role in the home’s performance. If a crawl space is untreated, it can impact a house’s air quality and introduce mold and chemicals such as radon, David says. But buildings aren’t the only kind of local impact Earth Bound Homes is making. To promote wellness and sustainability to the entire building industry, David created the Bay Area Building Science Collaborative. Through it, he shares research and information with builders, architects, designers and trades workers. “I try to be a teacher who protects people’s health,” he says. “Especially against cancercausing chemicals.” He creates educational videos for his YouTube channel, “Building a Better Way,” to help homeowners and builders learn state-of-the-art techniques. Recently, David and his team developed a stamp called Healthy Building Approved, which they’ll use to verify individual materials as safe based on their chemical content. As David spreads his vision for healthier homes by giving talks, creating videos and working with the collaborative he created, he reflects on what drives him. “The great joy is to be able to do a job that you’re passionate about, that you love and you think makes a difference in the world,” he says. For David, in work and in life, it seems there’s always another mountain to climb. He’s set his sights on conquering the Alps and Dolomites next year. “If I can get 1 percent better at the things I do every day, that makes me a better mentor, educator, father, boss and human being.” PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: EARTH BOUND HOMES clean living earthboundhome.com
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