Engineering Design and Construction Team

Acknowledgements and Contributions

Halford House is design team leader for the Triangle School Alternative Wastewater Treatment Facility. House joined the Department of Forestry at North Carolina State University as a research associate in October of 1992. His research combines knowledge of natural ecosystems and engineering principles to protect and improve the quality of natural environments and water supplies. He is currently developing new approaches for managing and recycling domestic and agricultural wastewater using designed ecosystems, such as constructed wetlands. Hal was born and raised in the swamps of eastern North Carolina, where he developed an interest and love for wetlands. During his early years on a small self-sustaining farm, his family of nine utilized a single pit privy for sanitary facilities. These experiences, along with the much celebrated installation of indoor plumbing and the general approach toward "making do" with what was available around the farm, inspired his interest in waste management. He currently lives in nearby Chatham County with his wife, Karen, and their three year old daughter, Melissa.

Nathan A. Scheaffer, co-founder of Neon Impressions, Inc., has led the construction of the Triangle School Wastewater Treatment System. He is a native of Liverpool, Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in German Language and Literature. With his brother Curt, he founded Neon Impressions in 1986 as a custom sign and neon sculpture studio. He married Jo Ann Everhart in 1989 and currently resides in Chatham County. Nate is a member of the Chatham County Economic Development Commission.

Lyle Estill, president of EMJ America, Inc., initially purchased the Triangle School with the intention of preserving an historic building, creating an office site for his business, and implementing an educational, ecological, and innovative system for managing wastewater. He brought Halford House and Nathan Scheaffer together for the implementation of the Triangle School Wastewater Mangement System. Lyle, a native of Canada, founded EMJ America, Inc. in 1990. He and his wife, Tami, along with their son, Zafer, live in an old farmhouse in Chatham County. They have renovated the house and renewed the land, and have implemented a variety of alternative technologies at their farm.

Andy Cahan has been a prime force in the implementation of the Triangle School Alternative Wastewater Treatment System and has been instrumental in all phases of construction. His new role will be as manager of the wastewater treatment and recycling system.

Mike Ortosky (not shown) is a native North Carolinian and founder of Environmental Design Group, P. A. He received degrees from North Carolina State University in Soil Science and Landscape Architecture and currently specializes in innovative design techniques for managing human ecosystems in a regenerative way. Mike proposed the schematic layout within the courtyard as well as site/landscape elements for the Triangle School Project. Mike, his wife Val and children live in Raleigh, N. C.