Oregon’s Rise to the Top in Sustainable Building Practices
Among the towering Douglas-firs and alongside the mighty Willamette, Oregon has been quietly etching out its place as a leader in sustainable building practices. In a region that values the harmony of nature as much as the vibrancy of urban life, it’s no surprise that this green ethos has blended seamlessly into our day-to-day living. We’ve not only managed to balance our pursuit of progress with reverence for Mother Nature, but placed preservation and sustainability at the forefront of our architecture and construction.
Let’s Go Back to the Beginning
Wander through Portland’s Pearl District, and you can’t miss the Brewery Blocks – one of the premier sustainable building projects that truly set Oregon on the map. Its story traces back to the turn of the century, when Henry Weinhard’s near-century-old brewery was about to be torn down. Instead, however, our forward-thinking locals decided to breathe new life into the dilapidated relic – setting off a wave of thoughtfully planned and environmentally friendly building projects that soon swept through the Beaver State.
Preservation, restoration and adaptive reuse aren’t just buzzwords here. They are principles we live and build by. Heck, it’s as Oregon as Saturday’s farmers market or that constant drizzle in winter we secretly love. We saw it again with the revival of the White Stag Block in vibrant Old Town Portland. This beautiful historic building, once a thriving hub for the Hirsch-Weiss Canvas Products, now breathes new life as home to the University of Oregon’s Portland programs, all while championing US Green Building Council’s LEED Gold standards.
Stewardship: It’s in Our Nature
As Oregonians, we take pride in our breathtaking environment, sweeping from the Coastal Range up to Mt. Hood’s snowy peaks. It’s in every hiker tackling the Pacific Crest Trail, every vineyard budding in the Willamette Valley, every fisherman patiently casting a line on the Deschutes River. And it’s this love for our stunning surroundings that makes sustainable building practices a natural fit in Oregon. It’s just another way of showing Mother Nature a little courtesy.Local Innovation Paves the Way
In addition to restoration, Oregon’s rise as leader in sustainable building also hinges on modern innovation. Pringle Creek Community in Salem, anyone? Built on a historic, 32-acre fairgrounds site, this neighborhood pushes the boundaries of sustainable living. The community showcases energy-efficient homes, ample green spaces, community gardens, and even a geothermal heating system. It’s the epitome of “living green”, and it also happens to be the first community in the U.S to receive LEED-ND (Neighborhood Design) Platinum certification.Then there’s the Bullitt Center in Seattle, proudly called the “greenest commercial building in the world.” Yet, it could never have achieved this feat without the helping hand of an Oregon-based business, SolarWorld, who provided the seabird-friendly solar panels that power the building.
The Bigger Picture
Sustainable building isn’t just about technology or architecture. It reflects our dedication to bigger goals – minimizing waste, reducing energy use, and giving back to our environment. There’s a reason why the roof of the Oregon Convention Center hosts a thriving honeybee colony and why the Multnomah County Library’s Hillsdale branch gets over half of its electricity from its fleet of solar panels.Moving Forward, Sustainably
In Oregon, the future is as green as our lush forests. From the eco-conscious homes in Bend’s Tetherow neighborhood to the “living walls” filled with plants at the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in downtown Portland, we continue to pioneer the future of sustainable building. Because in Oregon, we don’t just live in our environment. We live with it, cherishing the union between cultural progress and natural preservation.So, stroll along our LEED-certified streets, breathe in the clean air and marvel at the harmonious blend of innovation and nature. Here in Oregon, sustainable building isn’t a trend – it’s just the way we do things. And we’d have it no other way.
Oregon has a story to tell about sustainable building – and we’re only getting started. Come join us in penning the next chapter, one energy-efficient straw-bale or rammed-earth building at a time.