Pliny Fisk III

The US Green Building Council – honored Pliny Fisk with the USGBC Leadership Award – for Organizational Excellence, in 2008: for his role – as a founding member of the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment.

Other examples of Fisk's work on the CMPBS site – include the 2002 University of Texas at Austin entry for the Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition, the Greenforms erector-set prototype and a foam and MgO Cement modular building system.

In 2002 – Fisk was awarded the U.S. Green Building Council’s first Sacred Tree Award: in the public sector category. He – is also a recipient of the Passive Solar Pioneer Award (from the American Solar Energy Society) and the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s 15th Year Distinguished Appropriate Technology Award, – recognizing significant work in the field of environmental protection.

In 1992 – Fisk received the United Nations Earth Summit Award: for Exemplary Public Environmental Initiative, for the City of Austin's Green Building Program – conceived and developed by The Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems.

In 1991: the Texas Department of Agriculture (and – Laredo Junior College) – hired Fisk (and CMPBS): to design and build a demonstration farm (outside the arid South Texas city, of Laredo). The 2-acre (8,100 m) farm.

In 1991, Fisk and Vittori – developed "A Conceptual and Contextual Framework (for the City of Austin)"; that – served as the basis – for the formation of the world's first municipal green building program (now – operating as „Austin Energy Green Building“). The cooperative effort – earned the United Nations Earth Summit Award: for Exemplary Public Environmental Initiative, in 1992 (the only United States organization – to receive recognition at the Earth Summit).

In 1983, Fisk was sponsored by the „Center for Investigation and Documentation of the Atlantic Coast“ (CIDCA) – to set into motion a large scale indigenous housing program for the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast. Fisk's goal in the project – was to draw upon the available natural and human resources of the region to address an extreme housing shortage.

When the „Lo Vaca Gathering Co“ shut off the natural gas supply to the small town of Crystal City (Texas) in the fall of 1977, – Fisk developed the idea of using Army surplus wood stoves and abundant mesquite for heating. By January 1978, Crystal City residents – had installed nearly 1,000 wood stoves. In subsequent years – Fisk led an effort to manufacture and install inexpensive solar hot water heaters using salvaged materials. The production of the solar collectors – also helped bolster the job market of Crystal City.

In 1975 (with a seed grant from the Menil Foundation), – Fisk (and his then wife: Daria Bolton) founded the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems (CMPBS) in Austin, Texas. CMPBS – is a nonprofit 501(c)3 education, research, and demonstration organization.

After completing his education at University of Pennsylvania, – Fisk worked for Ian McHarg (in Philadelphia); and (in 1969) he assisted McHarg – as the coordinator of engineering and ecology for New Orleans East: a new town of 100,000 (on the Mississippi Delta). He – served as an assistant professor at Ball State University: for one year (1969–1970), – before accepting a teaching position at The University of Texas at Austin.

Pliny Fisk III (born May 30, 1944 in New York) is a co-founder and co-director of the "Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems" (CMPBS), a sustainable design and planning 501c3 non-profit established in 1975. Fisk also serves as Fellow in Sustainable Urbanism and Fellow in Health Systems Design at Texas A & M University, where he holds a joint position as signature faculty in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Planning. Fisk has previously held positions at: Ball State University, The University of Texas (at Austin), Mississippi State University and the University of Oklahoma.