Green Hammer, Inc. Wins Designing & Building with FSC Award
AWARD RECOGNIZES SINGLE FAMILY CUSTOM BUILT HOME |
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The Designing & Building with FSC Award recognizes building projects that further responsible forest management through their use of FSC-certified wood products. The 2008 award was presented to Green Hammer, Inc. based in Portland, OR at a reception in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council’s “GreenBuild” Conference and Expo in Boston, MA on November 19, 2008. Completed in July 2008, Green Hammer, Inc.’s custom built house is a 2,600 square foot single family home with a detached 600 square foot studio apartment. This project has applied for LEED Platinum certification and is located in the Portland, OR region. Project entries were judged by an independent selection panel based on the inclusion of FSC-certified wood products, efforts to incorporate certified forest products market transformation, overall wood design, appropriateness of wood use, and creative expression and innovation in the project. Green Hammer, Inc. is being recognized for its outstanding accomplishments in each of these areas. With a few exceptions, all the wood used in construction was FSC certified and locally harvested. The exceptions included the trim (salvaged bleacher seats from a local high school) and stair treads (salvaged from a tree removed on-site). The project highlights the quality and diversity of FSC certified products available in the marketplace. Products range from framing lumber to countertops; species range from traditional Douglas fir to lesser-known Madrone; and no wood was wasted, with knotty and lower-grade material serving as unique accents in the design and construction. The open design plan makes these attributes easily visible. Finally, the project tells a story of local, responsible forestry. The framing lumber was sourced 50 miles away, from Zena Timber, a nearby forest managed by a family member of the homeowner. The homeowners not only wanted to support the local FSC market, but also to set an example for responsible building in their community. “FSC certified products are at the heart of our project because we believe in minimizing the negative impacts traditionally associated with building. We’ve seen plenty of clear cuts, plenty of imported lumber, and plenty of jobs lost in our community. We demanded locally sourced FSC certified wood to prove to our many visitors that it’s possible to build “green”, and that the results look great and feel great—we are doing our part to steward the forests, and the local economy” explained homeowner Charlie Weiss. Jack Mackin, Vice President of F.D. Sterritt Lumber Company and part of the selection committee for the Award stated, “All of the entries this year have raised the bar for what it takes to win this prestigious award. After considerable debate and analysis it was evident that this year’s winner Green Hammer has reached unprecedented levels of sourcing and incorporating FSC wood into their work. Green Hammer has also incorporated FSC-certified wood use as a standard product offering to their clients. Their level of commitment shows true leadership in the area of sustainable design and construction.” Green Hammer was also recently awarded Chain-of-Custody certification by Scientific Certification Systems, becoming the first FSC-certified building company in the US. DiGiacomo Homes & Renovation, Inc. based in Minnetonka, MN, earned this year’s “Residential Honorable Mention” Designing & Building with FSC Award for their custom built single family home in Golden Valley, MN that is also being considered for Minnesota GreenStar certification (A cold climate regional certification program modeled after LEED). Nearly 100% of all wood products in the 2,800 square foot home were FSC-certified, including softwoods for framing and hardwoods for flooring, custom cabinets, and millwork. DiGiacomo Homes & Renovation, Inc. (www.dghomesandrenovation.com) has been utilizing FSC certified wood in all new home construction and remodel projects since 2003, when FSC-certified framing lumber first became readily available in the local market. Since then, DiGiacomo Homes & Renovation, Inc. has worked to actively educate suppliers, subcontractors and clients about the FSC mission. This year, they had the opportunity to educate the general public as well during the 2008 Luxury Home Tour when nearly 1,000 people visited the Golden Valley home. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park located in Woodstock, VT received this year’s "Commercial/Institutional Honorable Mention" Designing & Building with FSC Award for their Forest Center (www.nps.gov/mabi). The building is a public learning center intended to be used by the National Park Service and other conservation organizations as a meeting and gathering space, making the FSC-certified wood something that can be seen and touched. The 1,700 square foot education center used 76.4% FSC-certified wood harvested from their own FSC-certified forest. The Forest Center is being considered for LEED Silver certification. The Designing & Building with FSC award is open to owners, architects, interior designers, general contractors, builders, consultants or other professionals. Projects can be any building type, including commercial, institutional, mixed-use, or residential. To submit a project, applicants must use a significant amount (at least 50% of the new wood by cost) of FSC-certified wood. Visit www.fscus.org for more information and to learn how to submit a project for next year’s competition. For more information on this year's winner, contact Stephen Aiguier, Green Hammer, at 503.804.1746, Stephen@greenhammerconstruction.com, or www.greenhammerconstruction.com Also in this newsletter  Wisconsin’s Group Certificate brings 31,000 landowners into the FSC system
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