Another top ten award for Pringle Creek

Our Pringle Creek Cottage won an award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
AIA Seattle's contest, called "What Makes It Green," judged 60 submissions from all over the northwest and pacific regions--entries from from Montana to Hong Kong. About the Cottage Home the jury said:

This project has it all. The individual strengths of the project (small footprint, cistern) and the use of green infrastructure on a community level makes this an exemplary exercise in sustainable development.

Click here for the 34-page online magazine (pdf). The "Top Ten Regional Green Awards" article is on page 25, the Pringle Creek item is on page 29.

About the contest: "In an age where green is on everyone’s mind, finding answers to the question “what makes it green?” has moved beyond a simple introduction of green building practice to become an insistent drive for excellence. . .
Jury members began looking beyond certification metrics to focus on how regenerative the project was in its entirety, environmentally and for communities. Questions included: How does the project use a variety of innovative yet replicable strategies to reduce energy consumption and its carbon footprint, to generate its own power or move towards zero energy consumption and climate health? Do we hold all projects to the same standard or should they be considered in context of local precedents? Which projects provide opportunities for continual learning, both for the users and for the larger design, planning and engineering community? What do they or will they provide in terms of “collective wisdom?”

Here are the ten winners, in alphabetical order:

Bertschi School, Seattle WA
Center for Urban Waters, Tacoma WA
Corvallis CoHousing, Corvallis OR
Home on the Range, Billings MT
Kitsap SEED, Bremerton WA
Lake Sammamish Park, Issaquah WA
Mosler Lofts, Seattle WA
Portland City Storage, Portland OR
Pringle Creek, Salem OR
Staley-Vidas Residence, Bend OR

Statesman Journal's green business section

The Salem Statesman Journal devoted their recent "Inside Business" section to articles about greening businesses. Prominent was this piece written by Pringle Creek Masterplan Coordinator Tony Nielsen. In the article Tony praised a number of the local businesses that have been part of the project. Tony mentioned DeSantis Landscaping ("a leader in green landscapes and maintenance services"), Evolution Paving Resources ("a leader in pervious concrete applications"), O'Neil Pine Co. and Withers Lumber ("partnering to ensure a steady flow of Forest Stewardship Council-certified lumber"), North Santiam Paving (which "demonstrated ingenuity when it came up with the idea of reusing some concrete beams to build a small bridge over the creek"), and builders Blake and Larry Bilyeu and Spectra Construction (who "have brought knowledge and passion for green building techniques to the homes at Pringle Creek").

Web article praises community-building at Pringle Creek

A new web article on the Worldchanging site, "Outside Ideas: Sustainable Community at Pringle Creek" is very complimentary:

But these building components do not themselves alone create communities that are exciting, inclusive and rooted places for people to live. In my own experience as a professional planner, I have been involved with a number of green building projects and innovative neighborhood developments, but when it comes to successfully creating a sustainable community, only one stands above the rest.

The Pringle Creek sustainable development in Salem, Ore. offers much more than your conventional residential subdivision; it offers individuals the chance to be part of a community.

The author of the article, Ashley Deforest, used to work as a planner for the City of Salem. She is now up in Seattle and writes a blog called Urban Musings. Thanks, Ashley.

September 28 event, you're invited!

Prepare yourselves for . . .
BATTLE OF THE LOCAVORE!

Join SALEM LOCAVORES for a local food potluck and cooking competition!

When: Sunday, September 28th at 4 p.m.
Where: Pringle Creek Community, 2110 Strong Rd. SE, Salem, OR 97302

Here’s what you do:
1. Prepare a dish of any kind, made with as many local ingredients as you can, to share with others at an awesome party.
2. If you would like to enter the competition for some very nice prizes you will also need to provide an ingredient list and brief narrative about your dish!

People’s Choice Awards given to:
● Battle of the Locavore Award (First, Second and Third Places)
● Best All-Marion County Award (100% ingredients sourced from Marion County only)
● Best Hunter-Gatherer-Grower Award (100% ingredients grown, gathered or hunted by contestant)
● Best Local Dessert Award

How to register:
RSVP and join SALEM LOCAVORES at http://groups.google.com/group/Salem-Locavores or you can RSVP by emailing Salem-Locavores@googlegroups.com or by leaving a message at 503-763-1770. You must RSVP to enter the competition!

What is a locavore?
People who prefer to eat food that is grown and purchased as close to home as possible (around 100 mile radius).

Why eat local?
1. Strengthens our economy
2. Reduces our carbon footprint
3. Builds a stronger community
4. Tastes way better!

Resources to help:
● Oregon Farmers' Markets: directory listing of all farmers' markets by region & city http://www.oregonfarmersmarkets.org
● Local Harvest: searchable directory to find family farms and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area http://www.localharvest.org
● Oregon Tilth: searchable directory of certified organic farms and processors http://www.tilth.org
Seasonal Recipes: http://www.wisefoodways.com/recipes/
● A 100-mile radius map: http://100milediet.org/get-started/map
● The Locavore website: http://www.locavores.com/

This event brought to you by SALEM LOCAVORES, a group of food enthusiasts supporting local farms and economies, eating fresh seasonal foods, and providing opportunities for education and community celebration. To join, share recipes and local food sources, and for more information, go to http://groups.google.com/group/Salem-Locavores