Oregon is living up to its reputation as one of the greenest states in the US, this time with an office tower designed to be the first Living Building Challenge - certified in the world. The Oregon Sustainability Center certainly looks gorgeous, and it's packing every green trick in the book:
The Portland-based skyscraper is being developed using the LBC’s doctrine of neither taking resources nor causing environmental harm — this means that the building will produce all of its own water sources and energy. That’s a tall order for a tower, but the collection of non-profits that comprise the Center, along with a strong community, feel up to it. Ground breaking is projected to start by the end of the year.
Check out the source to see the efforts necessary to keep it certified (everything matters... from recycled toilet water to the angle of the building).
I once went to have dinner alone at McMennamins on Market st, and the hostess mistook the two men behind me as people I knew and tried to seat us together. We were so equally amused by the mistake that we went along with it. They turned out to be working on a building in the South Waterfront that included a water recycling system in the basement. It was cool.
As if it travels around the country showing itself off. Heh.
Now that's the type of thinking we need to turn this country around!