Cutting Edge Green Tour Design, Mobility & Sustainability - Urban design, sustainable development, and integrated transportation strategy in action
Jean Volum Natural Capital Center (aka Ecotrust Building) Originally built in 1895 as a warehouse where as many as 30 shipping companies once operated. In 2000, it was the first historically renovated building in the U.S. to receive a LEED Gold award. Some of the features that make the building such a remarkable example of sustainable building are:
• Green Roof: Light weight eco-roof featuring succulents native to Pacific Northwest. This not only helps to reduce the “heat-island effect” plaguing modern cities, but also helps to manage storm-water by minimizing runoff and allowing natural evaporation.
• Bioswales: The lush landscaping lining the parking lot is more than just visually pleasing. The depressions that run along 10th Avenue are bioswales and were designed to catch, hold and naturally release storm-water back into the environment.
• Waste Not, Want Not: The design team reclaimed 98% of the construction waste & reused 75% of the old shell. They reduced energy consumption by 1) forcing natural light into 75% of the interior; 2) using sensors to balance interior lights & natural light; 3) using occupancy sensors in hallways and restrooms; and 4) capturing the excess heat of the pizza oven at Hot Lips and use it to heat the water for the building.
Copyright © 2007-2010 ● Hometown Advantage / Portland Walking Tours http://www.portlandwalkingtours.com 1 Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability It is not just the private sector in Portland that is interested in sustainability. The city has a portion of their Bureau of Planning and Sustainability located inside the Ecotrust Building. Another city building, the Portland Building, was recently retrofitted with a new green roof and there are plans afoot to do the same to the Central Library.
Portland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar opened in 2001 and was of the first domestic streetcar projects in the U.S. since WWII. It is the city's intra-urban system running a loop from residential neighborhoods to the waterfront, where it then connects to our newest public transportation, the Aerial Tram. The streetcars are shorter and narrower than the inter-urban MAX lightrail trains, but the track bed is much shallower, allowing for cheaper construction and to share the road with car traffic.
Gerding Theater at the Armory This historic building is the city's latest showcase of sustainable design. This was the first historically restored building in the U.S. to receive a LEEDs Platinum award. Originally built in 1881 to muster soldiers for the Spanish- American War and store the weapons and armaments for the First Regiment Oregon National Guard, the building has gone through many incarnations in its lifetime, including a stint as the bottling line for a local brewery, before becoming the city's newest performing arts space. Some of the notable features of the building are:
• A cistern that captures rain water for use as a gray water supply for the building, used for water the grounds, recycling through the fountains in the adjoining Vera Katz park, and for flushing toilets. All of which reduce water usage for the building by 88%.
• Materials: During construction they were able to recycle and repurpose most of the materials during construction. Local and recycled materials were used whenever possible.
• Low Power Usage: Skylights were installed to fill the offices and lobby with natural light. Sensors and low- wattage bulbs also contribute to the energy savings.