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Green Building – It’s Not Just About Green Building

Volunteer organizer for PCUN Javier Lara addresses the audience, while architect Patrick McDonald of Communitecture (left) and Green Hammer president Stephen Aiguier (right) look on. More photos

Sometimes we green building folks live in a bubble. We talk back and forth among ourselves and trade information on best building practices, the benefits of rainscreens and the latest energy efficiency equipment. We often forget that sustainability is about society and creating a culture -- not just designing, constructing, and worrying whether the buildings will achieve gold, silver or platinum certification.

Last night I went to a reception where I saw all that green building can be. The occasion was a fundraiser for a union of Mexican immigrant farmworkers, called PCUN. This group, located in Woodburn, Oregon, leads a network called CAPACES, consisting of nine Latino organizations that do many things to help their constituents: building and managing housing, operating a radio station, providing services, and involving immigrant parents in their children’s education.

PCUN President and Master of Ceremonies Ramon Ramirez (left, in white shirt) chats with Governor John Kitzhaber and First Lady Cylvia Hayes, a project supporter and Co-MC. More photos

The network is now building an office structure to house the CAPACES Leadership Institute (CLI), which will train leaders in grassroots engagement of the Latino community and help resolve serious issues facing the immigrant population. Yes, it will be certified Earth Advantage Commercial, and not only that – it will be the first passive house office building in the United States, intended to achieve “net positive” energy generation. It will use reclaimed and innovative materials, will have a green roof and a rain capture system. Oh yes, and they’re building it debt-free. The only thing they are lacking is full funding for the solar PV system.

But that’s really only a side point. What hit me is that the group is more in tune with the true meaning of sustainability than we are. They are engaging volunteers from all around their Woodburn and other Oregon communities -- young and old, advanced builders and beginners, all ethnicities -- to deepen the community investment. This project’s advanced green certifications and features will be used for a different purpose – to bring people together, improve education and living conditions, and to create a culture of social sustainability within Oregon’s Latino population. It will provide a chance for all to learn about what can be achieved through communal effort – and not just green building, but a full spectrum of sustainability.

Would you like to contribute or volunteer? Take a look at PCUN’s website. I’ll be heading down there with my 13-year old son down so he can help out on construction alongside other kids his age. Maybe I’ll see you there.

See more photos of the fundraiser on our Facebook page.

About the Author

Tom Breunig

Tom Breunig, director of marketing, joined EAI in 2009 from the high tech industry. He brings 20 years of marketing, communications and competitive research to the team. Prior to joining EAI, he served as vice president of corporate communications at a publicly held European semiconductor firm. He holds an M.A. in East Asian Studies from Columbia University. His interests include tracking green building technology trends.