New Colors and Logo for Cascadia
The Cascadia Green Building Council is proud to introduce its new logo, which symbolizes the strength and independence of the region it represents.  The double-fish mark is an image unique to the organization yet reflects the many cultures that have gained a healthy livelihood and quality of life from the land and water here.  In communities along the Pacific and along the great rivers of the Inland Empire, Fraser Valley, and beyond.  Thanks to softfirm for crafting Cascadia's new image.  Look for our new web site design coming soon!

Living Future 07 Conference – A Huge Success!

Cascadia and AIA Seattle COTE’s joint Living Future 07 “unconference” drew over 600 people for an inspiring and engaging line up of speakers and interactive sessions that enabled change, promoted dialogue and created valuable networks. The overarching theme of our event was mitigating climate change and providing a path towards a future of Living Buildings. The feedback from the design, construction, governmental and real estate communities has been fantastic, and we want to thank all who attended for your passion and hard work to make our buildings and communities more sustainable. Watch for videos, resources and follow-up groups in the coming months. Mark your calendar for Living Future 08 – hosted in April in Vancouver, BC!

Cascadia receives $225,000 grant from the Kendeda Fund for the Living Building Challenge!

Cascadia would like to sincerely thank the Kendeda Fund for enabling us to hire a Living Building program manager to launch this program nationwide!

Living Building Challenge: A National Program
The Cascadia Region Green Building Council is excited to announce the launch of the Living Building Challenge as a national program. At the end of May/beginning of June projects may officially register for the protocol from anywhere in the United States and beyond. If you have a potential Living Building Project, register it as soon as possible in order to tap into the growing community of users.

The US Green Building Council has proudly endorsed the Living Building Challenge and is hosting a national competition at Greenbuild Chicago this year to celebrate and share innovation in green building practices towards the achievement of zero-impact and restorative buildings, complementing the LEED Green Building Rating System. Winning entrants will be recognized on USGBC Member Day during the Greenbuild 2007, featured in a case study booklet; and displayed as posters during the conference.

The User’s Guide to support the program as well as other tools will be launched together and will feature an open source network of information sharing for leading practitioners all over the world. We encourage and support other chapters and green building organizations to widely share our standard and to communicate the need for living buildings in every climate zone and community on the planet. If your organization would like to be involved, an open invitation is in place.

Living Building V1.2 Released
The latest and most up-to-date version of the Living Building Challenge has been released.
Click Here to download V1.2

New Cascadia Positions
The Cascadia Region Green Building Council is excited to announce three new staff positions that we’ll be seeking to fill as soon as possible. Check back to our website over the next couple weeks as we post more information on these exciting career opportunities that promise to have considerable impact to the green building movement.

Assistant British Columbia Director in Vancouver, BC – an exciting opportunity involving considerable outreach to professionals in British Columbia. This individual will serve as the Interim Director while the current director is on maternity leave.  Click Here to view the full job description.

Pharos Materials Protocol Outreach Coordinator – a research and outreach position built around the missing ‘nutrition label’ for building products. The Pharos tool, jointly developed by the Healthy Building Network and Cascadia promises to transform how we understand and share information on the environmental and social dimensions of our specifications. This position will be posted by the end of the month. This position may be filled in either Portland, Seattle or Vancouver, BC.

Living Building Challenge Program Manager – the individual who will be responsible for day-to-day management of the program, ongoing research, its technical development and its supporting tools. A high level of green building expertise will be required. This position should be posted by mid-June and will be filled in Seattle.

New Cascadia Board Members
Cascadia would like to welcome its newest elected Board Members.
Randell Leach, Portland, OR
Douglas Kearsley, Spokane, WA
Thomas Nelson, Seattle, WA
Claudia Newman, Seattle, WA
Debra Larusson, Victoria, BC
Thomas Osdoba, Vancouver, BC

Thanks to all of the Cascadia members who ran for election to the board and voted in the elections.

Buildings in Balance 2007!
The Buildings in Balance educational series includes workshops and seminars on the most current and innovative issues in sustainable design. The 2007 series begins in May and runs through July in Cascadia’s three largest cities: Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, BC.
Speakers from across the United States and Canada will highlight the tremendous diversity of projects that are incorporating green building. The special focus in 2007 will be on projects that meet some part of the Living Building Challenge, and speakers with the leadership to show us how to meet the Living Building Challenge.
Click Here for more information.

Showcase your Products and Services in Cascadia’s New Seattle Office
Cascadia will soon be moving its Seattle HQ to a highly visible storefront location. If you are interested in donating products or services to the tenant improvement, contact info@cascadiagbc.org. All donors will be recognized.

Thank You to our New and Renewed 100 Friends

Platinum Level

Gold Level
 

Silver Level
NW Construction magazine
PBS Engineering and Environmental
Portland Development Commission
Structural Engineer/ CE News
Sustainable Industries Journal

Certified Level
Flexcar
Group Mackenzie
Kearsley Construction
New Buildings Institute
Radiance Lighting and Design
Sunset Air
University of Washington

Cascadia LEED Statistics
As of 5/1/07

LEED-NC Version 2.2 Flash Cards!
Cascadia has updated our “Flash Cards” to Version 2.2
Click Here

Women in Green
Is there a greener gender? Studies show that women are more likely than men to support environmental causes through voting, activism, and consumer choices. What are the implications for the design industry? Does sustainable design have special appeal for women, and do they in turn offer something unique to the field? In Women in Green: Voices of Sustainable Design, Kira Gould and Lance Hosey explore these questions through informal conversations with architects, designers, consultants, policymakers, educators, and students. What they find is that women may be changing how we all see our world and our work.
Click Here to Order

FSC Design Competition
Design a winning house made of FSC certified wood products and win a free badge to GreenBuild 2007. All applications must be received by 5:00pm (PST), Friday, June 29th, 2007.
More Info

Multifamily Green Building Guidelines
A comprehensive resource for architects and project managers, including 63 recommended measures and 8 case studies
More Info

Okanagan Reuses
The on-line trading post is intended to help people in the Okanagan-Similkameen reuse items they don't need by giving, selling or trading them to others. 
More Info

Top 10 Green Building Products 2007
Sustainable Industries Journal is taking nominations for the 2007 edition of the Top 10 Green Building Products. Submissions due by May 14th.
More Info

Top 10 Green Building Products 2006 and Green Real Estate Guide 2006
Download these free supplements to Sustainable Industries Journal.
More Info

Energy Trust New Buildings Program
Energy Trust of Oregon’s New Buildings program is hitting the road. Program managers will be at a location near you.  They  would like to meet with you one-one to help you learn about how you can leverage incentives to make your new building or major renovation more energy efficient
More Info

Green Building Playing Cards
Cascadia is excited to offer Green Building Playing Cards. These full decks of cards offer a creative and fun way to educate and inspire people to adopt green building practices.
Click Here to Order.

City of Issaquah Zero Net Energy Demonstration Project RFQ
The City of Issaquah is seeking a builder for a high profile, cutting edge, attached residential green building demonstration project which, at completion, would be one of the most innovative sustainable housing projects in the Pacific Northwest More Info

Green Energy TV
Green Energy TV is dedicated to sharing with millions of viewers, the success stories that are occurring with Green Energy Projects. These projects include: Solar Energy, Wind Power, Hydro Power, Hydrogen, Biomass, Biofuels, Geothermal, Fuel Cells, Wave/Tidal Energy, Energy Conservation, Recycling and Hybrid vehicles.
More Info

Washington State Green Building Financial Incentives
Includes, rebates, grants, and tax incentives for building green in the state of Washington.
More Info

Solar Incentives for Washington State Residents
Includes Federal, State, and Local incentives for going solar.
More Info

Jason of Cascadia: Green Warrior
by Bill Walsh, Healthy Building Network
Read More

Meeting focus is how to move sustainability forward in the region
by Katie Zemsteff, Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce
Read More

Green construction saves money and energy
by Anne Thompson, NBC News
Read More

Mayors Take the Lead,
by Anne Underwood, Newsweek.
Read More

Renewal on the riverbank
by Joseph Gallivan, Portland Tribune
Read More

Campus homes pioneer green heating
by Kim Davis, The Vancouver Sun
Read More

Vancouver Island projects strive for LEED certification
by King Lee, Journal of Commerce
Read More

More low-income housing being built green
by Aubrey Cohen, Seattle Post Intelligencer
Read More

DNR seeks green star for logging
by Robert McClure, Seattle Post Intelligencer
Read More

Cascadia is hiring an Assistant British Columbia Director,  Pharos Materials Protocol Outreach Coordinator, and a Living Building Challenge Program Manager
More Info

Autodesk is hiring a Director of Sustainability
More Info

The City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development (OSD) is hiring a Sustainable Economic Development Coordinator.
More Info

The City of Seattle is hiring a Green Building/ Conservation Specialist.
More Info

HDR Inc. is hiring a Sustainability Project Coordinator
More Info

The Headlands Institute is hiring an Executive Director
More Info

Kema Green Building Group is hiring a Green Building Specialist for their Oakland office.
More Info