Pringle Creek Community Library

Preparing the Orchards for Spring

2012-01-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

Urban Farmer Update: Over the weekend I attended a pruning workshop held by the Marion County Master Gardeners in preparation for work this week in the orchard. It is the season for late winter pruning and all of the trees are ready for a trim. The plums are showing signs of spring with buds about ready to open. A pear tree appears to be ready to bloom too.

Living in the Willamette Valley

2012-01-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

What's it like to live in the Willamette Valley? Here is a collection of photos that Travel Salem put together that gives an idea of how beautiful and fun this little corner of the world can be. And if you are considering moving to Oregon, you should definitely check out the Travel Oregon site. Things really are different here....

Photo by Ron Cooper Photography, Copyright Travel Salem

Recent press

2012-01-04T12:18:00.000-08:00

Marcelle Fischler included us in a list of five standout sustainable communities in the United States, pointing out that today's leading developments focus on a particular quality of life that is rooted in an old-fashioned sense of community, as well as eco-friendliness.
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/eco-friendly-communities-are-surprisingly-retro.html

Eco-Friendly Communities are Surprisingly Retro

By Marcelle Sussman Fischler, Yahoo! Real Estate

December 15, 2011

The decision to live in one of America’s emerging eco-friendly housing developments isn’t strictly about reaping energy savings or protecting the environment.

Surprisingly, what a growing number of eco-friendly housing developments share is an old-fashioned sense of community: homes with welcoming front porches that encourage neighborliness, roads and sidewalks that are pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Locals gather on village greens and frequent farmers’ markets, local restaurants and shops.

As the demand for greener, more energy-efficient homes and sustainable living swells, home buyers from gen X to baby boomers are opting

to live in eco-friendly communities, whether they are downtown infill projects, walkable suburban retrofits, smart growth projects, transit oriented developments or sustainable communities designed to quell ex-urban sprawl.

"Green is something consumers really want and is the emerging trend of how people are going to live," says Ben Schulman, communications director for the Congress for the New Urbanism, an organization that promotes eco-friendly communities. "These communities tend to keep their value more than ex-urban sprawl."

Feeling Centered

“Even in a suburban setting, you can have a real town center that people can use and walk to versus a strip mall,” says Scot Horst, a senior vice president of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

“If you find a place like that, people are happy,” Horst says. “Buildings and neighborhoods are spaces that define who we are.” In 2010 the USGBC created a checklist for sustainable or green communities, LEED for Neighborhood Development, with 155 communities registered. Another 101 participated in a pilot program.

From a development called Mueller in Austin, TX to Serenbe outside Atlanta, in many ways these smartly planned, transit-oriented, eco-conscious communities are raising the bar on quality of life. Some are urban-infill projects, built on repurposed rail yards, Navy yards and defunct airports; many are geared to affordable housing.

Mueller used to be a place to catch a plane. Now you can live, work and play there. The former municipal airport’s 700 acres are being redeveloped and transformed into a pedestrian-friendly urban village with a town center, parks, hundreds of LEED-certified buildings and a green hospital. Its 660 energy-efficient homes have diverted 9,002 tons of construction waste from landfills and saved more than 900,000 annual kilowatts. Reclaimed water is used to sprinkle lawns. Mueller’s public art includes solar–collecting sculptures that return energy to the grid.

Thirty minutes from Atlanta, the hamlet of Serenbe has 200 homes, a 20-room inn, art galleries, boutiques, three restaurants and a 30-acre organic farm that feeds a thriving Community Supported Agriculture program and Saturday farmers’ markets.

Tucker Berta, a spokesperson, said the 40,000 acre community, including at least 70 percent preserved open space, “was built because of a concern for urban sprawl and traditional development” swallowing more land. When complete, Serenbe will have “1,000 rooftops.”

Echoing small towns of times past, the 7,000 residents of Issaquah Highlands in Washington State, one of the greenest residential communities in the United States, live on narrow, tree-lined streets designed to encourage walking.

“At its heart, it set out to recapture the sense of community life prevalent when most Americans lived in small towns along quiet streets, waved to their neighbors on their front porches, and walked to the store, school and diner,” said Chris Hysom, director of community affairs for Port Blakely Communities, the developer. Its newest 10 “zHomes” incorporate “zero impact living” with technologies that are “cost effective, practical and deep-green.”

Eco-sensitive homebuyers aren’t just seeking solar homes with energy efficient appliances, bamboo flooring and electric car chargers. Many also want to live in like-minded communities. Following are five standout sustainable green communities.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Here is the light show I stepped into on my walk home from Painters Hall last night. It was quiet out and the birds were darting around, really quite a beautiful sight, I felt very lucky to be there.

Paco's photos

2011-12-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

Paco, who takes care of the landscaping for the entire neighborhood using all-organic methods, enjoys snapping photos when he sees something beautiful (which happens frequently here). This is a shot he took yesterday in the wetlands.

New Planters in the Glasshouses

2011-12-08T16:14:00.001-08:00

Paco just built three new planters in the Pringle Creek Glasshouses, and
Nicole (Urban Farmer) is ready to put them to good use! She will grow
lettuce greens and herbs for Painters Hall Café and Farm Stand sales in the
community. Shangri-La and Leslie Middle School are continuing to use their
benches in the Conservatory for their gardening programs as well.

Solar-powered electric car charger

2011-11-28T12:39:00.001-08:00

Check out a post about our BLINK network electric vehicle charger -- tied to Painters Hall's 20.2 kW solar system (a net-zero energy building). We hope to eventually have an EV community car share program to plug in here too. Which EV on the market do you think is best? Post your thoughts or let me know. We have our eye on Eugene's Arcimoto and Portland's Greenlite Motors.

Pringle Creek in Metropolis Magazine

2011-11-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

Susan Szenasy, Editor-in-Chief of Metropolis (the stunning magazine of architecture and design), attended our presentation at Greenbuild Toronto last month, and wrote about it in the November issue's "Publisher's Notes." She picked up the key message we were trying to communicate: great, sustainable design is more than just energy efficiency or "doing with less" but rather about having more -- more of the features that improve our lives, the simple joys that typically come at no cost. Scroll through our Greenbuild PDF of the presentation here and thanks to Jackie (my lovely wife) for modeling in the magazine photo!

Painters Hall Cafe on urbanspoon.com

2011-11-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

Check out this incredible review on urbanspoon. Sounds staged but it's 100% real I swear.
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/276/1627426/restaurant/Painters-Hall-Cafe-Salem

"October 31, 2011
It's in the heart of...........
by Chuck Bradley (797 reviews)

Pringle Creek Community, a fledgling green development on the old Fairview Home property off Strong RD SE. The ancient and towering smoke stack from a bygone day looms above the building where the painters, who maintained the many buildings on the then state owned facility, worked and stored their equipment and supplies. The décor is an eclectic mix and includes large tables for big groups or intimate tables and conversation groupings with easy chairs, couches and coffee tables. The walls are festooned with "fine art prints" by Wayne J. Parker and an interesting fish sculpture created from keys and key-ring disks. The table at which my bride and I sat was fashioned from a section of Oak hardwood floor, no doubt salvaged from one of the old buildings since deconstructed on the property.
The restaurant has access to two huge depression era green houses that the developers have restored. Their goal is to provide all the fruit and vegetable ingredients they use from indoor and outdoor gardens on site.
Our server, Holly, was new and very eager and helpful.
It boasts "Natural & Organic Food & Drinks in a LEED-Platinum, net-zero energy Café". The menu is currently in seasonal transition and is rather limited but very healthy and good. My bride chose a half Whole Wheat Pita Chicken Salad Sandwich and a cup of Lintel Soup. Both were excellent. Her cup of Soup was almost as large as my bowl of Minestrone. I had a whole Caprese; fresh Mozzarella, fresh Tomato and Basil on Cascade Baking Company French Bread and drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar and Spices and a fresh Pear and Mixed Greens Salad with Onion, Walnuts and Feta Cheese. Yum!
The Sandwich prices are: $5 for a whole or a half with a cup of Soup. Soup is $5 for a bowl or $3 for a cup. Salads are $3. Fresh brewed Coffee was $1.
Painters Hall Café offers high quality food and service for an extraordinarily low price. We don't think you can go wrong here."

Paco's photos

2011-11-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

Paco took a photo of these two little Tree Swallows near the creek this morning. So many birds all around right now -- last week I saw no fewer than 30 Robins all together, between the Pacific Yew and the Fir Grove.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T17:01:00.000-07:00

Super Remy and Ninja E get ready to take on the world!

Urban Farmer Certification Class Tour

2011-09-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Urban Farmer participants toured several classmates' wonderful home garden spaces, checking out the organic gardening principles discussed in class.

Kristi's organized and bountiful tomato operation.

Susan's gorgeous peppers (above) and beautiful sunflower/bean trellis (below).

Megan and Andrew's pumpkins!

Mary and John's incredible food garden, encompassing the former grassy shoulder of the road.

It was so neat to see how the garden owners employed the organic gardening principles discussed in class. Thanks to all of our participants who hosted sites and attended our wonderful garden tour!

This year's Urban Farmer Certification is, sadly, almost over! If you are interested in signing up for next year's 10-month course, please contact shannon@pringlecreek.com.

Salem Green + Solar Fair 2011

2011-09-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in increasing the value of your current home?Would you like to learn what green-building leaders in the region have donewith their homes? Want to talk with experts andowners about design, products, and strategies to help get you there?

Join us Saturday, October 1st for:
Salem Green + SolarFair 2011
Broughtto you by Salem AIA, Pringle Creek Community, Marion County Public WorksEnvironmental Services, and Solar Oregon

The focus of this year’s fair is on increasing the value of your homethrough green renovation & remodeling! Join 14 other cities across Oregon for this annual event!

We will begin with a presentation by Presidentand Founder of Green Hammer Construction, Stephen Aiguier, who has remodeled and built several high-performance LEED Platinum and Passive House certified homes. Stephen will profile his most recent green home renovations, energystrategies, products, design considerations, and ways to increase existing homevalue for the long-term.

Following Stephen’s presentation

we will have a Vendor Fair and tours of LEEDPlatinum homes (including a yurt-inspired home) as well as the new OrganicFresh Fingers / Wandering Aengus Ciderworks Production Facility on FairviewIndustrial Drive. The afternoon will conclude with an After-Party at the newproduction facility!

DATE & TIME
Saturday,October 1st, 2011
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

SCHEDULE
10:00 am to Noon – Morning Presentation

Noon to 2pm – Vendor Fair and Tours of LEED Platinum homes &Production Facility
2pm to 4pm - After-party at Organic Fresh Fingers & Wandering Aengus CiderworksProduction Facility

LOCATION
PaintersHall at Pringle Creek Community
3911 Village Center Drive SE
Salem, Oregon 97302

COST
Suggesteddonation of $5 to Pringle Creek Sustainable Living Center.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact 503-315-1055 or visit http://www.pringlecreek.com

MIG Farm Dinner!

2011-09-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

Jackie and I went to the Minto Island Growers Farm Dinner last week and it was awesome! David Rosales and crew created a delicious all-veg multi-course dinner at the MIG Farm Stand, served family-style. Such a great group of people at all the tables, mostly CSA members, very elegant and classy, and a ton of fun. Can we do this every weekend? Awesome job Chris and Elizabeth! And to Sally for putting it together! Thank you for bringing an event like this to Salem. We hope there will be more! PS: if you would like to join the MIG CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program, visit their website. Painters Hall is one of their south Salem drop sites!

Dinner guests applaud Chris, Elizabeth, and David

Some of Minto Island Growers organic farm operations in the background

Intimate and fun, and perfect weather

Urban Farmer wanted!

2011-08-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

Pringle Creek Community is seeking a part-time Urban Farmer to maintain and expand our urban farming operations and related educational programming in the neighborhood. This includes a large intensive garden with 6,000 square feet of glass Conservatory, as well as 2 acres of organic orchards, blueberries, and community gardens, and additional acreage.

The position's primary responsibility will be to produce food for Painters Hall Café and farm stand sales through manual fieldwork, crop cultivation, planning, production, harvesting, and selling of produce. Other duties and responsibilities include: maintaining gardens, orchards, and Conservatory for productivity, yield, beauty, and interest; maintaining and repairing Conservatory and irrigation infrastructure; exploring potential community beekeeping and urban chicken keeping program; engaging volunteers and community partners in farm production activities; providing farm-related educational tours and activities; and assisting neighborhood organic landscape maintenance program.

Required qualifications: gardening or farming experience, preferably 2 years or more in organic or chemical-free agriculture; ability to work independently and as part of a team to achieve goals successfully; knowledge of (or willingness to learn) Conservatory operations, maintenance, repair, and basic carpentry. Preferred qualifications: experience teaching youth in a farm setting; demonstrated interest in issues related to food security and sustainable agriculture; ability to work creatively on a low budget; passion for sustainability and for challenging yet rewarding work in an outdoor setting.

Accepting applications until September 9th, 2011. We may not be able to respond to all candidate applications.

Please send resume and cover letter to James by email.

Update: thanks everyone, we found someone awesome! Nicole McDavid is now our Urban Farmer and is taking care of the Glasshouses and gardens. Stop by to say hi! and come try her produce in Painters Hall Cafe.

Favorite Salem secret (again)

2011-08-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Kelsey Wilson was just featured in the Statesman Journal Young Professional spotlight, and said her "favorite Salem secret" is "Pringle Creek Community. It's the perfect place to ride bikes, have a picnic or go for a walk."
Thanks Kelsey! You aren't the only one who loves this place. Julia McFerron told the Statesman Journal that Pringle Creek was her "Favorite Salem Secret" last year too, and we have a lot of friends that come here just to enjoy the 12 acres of natural open space and well-designed streets -- like living in a park. It's beautiful, as you can see from these photos taken in front of the Root Cellar, gardens, and creek by Katie Brown Photography.
Thanks Kelsey! We're glad you like coming here!

Today's Young Professional: Kelsey Wilson
August 21, 2011
Name: Kelsey Wilson
Age: 29
Residence: Salem
What I do at work: Public Affairs Manager at Vox Public Relations Public Affairs. I am responsible for
client account management, new business development and government
relations, including lobbying.
What I do on my time: I spend my spare time with my husband, Andy, keeping up with our two boys, Avery (5) and Riley (3). I have a feeling that my "soccer mom" days are just beginning. I also enjoy working in the yard, playing golf and spending time with my extended family. I'm a member of PRSA, OSAM, the president of my neighborhood homeowners association and an active parishioner at Queen of Peace.
Why I work and live in the Mid-Valley: I was born and raised in Salem. We lived in Portland for a couple years, but when we had kids we came home to be close to grandparents. Salem is a great place to raise our family and I don't see us ever leaving!
What's my favorite Salem secret: Pringle Creek Community. It's the perfect place to ride bikes, have a picnic or go for a walk.
What's something people wouldn't guess about me: I played college golf at Gonzaga University and, back in the day, my handicap was two.
What was I like at 12 years old? Pretty much a goodie-two-shoes.
My smartphone: iPhone 4.
Twitter or Facebook? Both.
I'd love to have lunch with: Tiger Woods. I'm in awe of his golf talent, but would also like to
know what the heck he was thinking?

Salem Area Young Professionals is focused on showcasing Salem as a choice destination for
young professionals while establishing Salem's next generation of business and community
leaders. Information: www.salemyoungpros.com.

Lunchtime!

2011-08-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

Painters Hall Cafe is an awesome place to have lunch -- have you discovered it yet?

To see the menu (which includes organic blueberry gelato, espresso drinks, and great food), visit http://paintershallcafe.blogspot.com seriously the best gaspacho this side of Seville...

The best place in Salem to sit outside, have lunch in the shade, and listen to the birds sing.

Organic greens, incredible bread, home baked chicken, fresh fruit, balsamic dressing.... all this for $5

Painters Hall mentioned in Statesman article on WOU

2011-08-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

We received a brief mention in today's Statesman Journal, as Painters Hall was the first LEED Platinum building in Salem. Congratulations to Western Oregon University!Link to Statesman Journal article
WOU hall becomes first Polk LEED Platinum building
Justin Much
Statesman Journal
August 4, 2011

The newly anointed nexus on the Western Oregon University campus just officially earned its green stripes.
Ackerman Hall, which opened in September, achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The Hall’s builders aimed for the Platinum rating from the onset, while its architect, Kurt Haapala, also prized the building’s

physical location as a campus crossroads, connecting residential, academic and social life at WOU.This week’s announcement officially ushered Ackerman onto the green horizon.

“In the US, Ackerman Hall is the first major higher education residence hall to achieve certification at the Platinum level,” said Rita Haberman, a sustainability advisor with Brightworks, which provides guidance in eco-friendly development strategies. “It was officially certified on July 25.
“Ackerman Hall is truly a national model for the direction building design and construction can and must go," she added.
Haberman noted that in Oregon there are currently 151 LEED new construction certified projects, only 20 of which are certified Platinum.
The WOU facility has fit the bill so far.
“Ackerman Hall has been an amazing addition to the WOU campus,” said WOU Dean of Students Tina Fuchs. “This building has far surpassed our expectations of a living-learning facility. The building was filled to capacity for much of the first year, and the waiting list to live in Ackerman Hall in the fall is impressive.”
WOU reports said the project earned 53 certification points; a minimum of 52 is needed to achieve Platinum status.
WOU’s new Health and Wellness Center, which opened this year, is seeking slightly less lofty certification.
“It's going for LEED gold,” WOU spokesperson Lisa Catto noted. “Since part of the project was a remodel to an existing structure, they were more limited in what they could do.”
Pringle Creek Community’s Painter’s Hall, a remodeled 1938 structure, became Salem’s first Platinum commercial building in 2009. The list of area registered LEED projects includes the Kroc Center, Mid Valley IPA, Willamette University’s Ford Hall, WaterPlace on Liberty Street, Oregon State Hospital Replacement Project, Central High School remodel and Salem Alliance Church’s Broadway Commons.
Ackerman houses living, academic and meeting areas.
The school estimated Ackerman’s water savings at 75 percent of a comparable building of its size, and about a 35-percent savings in electricity use.
Courtesy of Statesman Journal

Open Houses!

2011-07-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

With three new LEED homes under construction, priced $240K to $340K, we are having some scheduled Open Houses for those of you interested in making Pringle Creek Community your home. We will giving tours beginning at Painters Hall four times a month on either Thursdays after work (4 - 6pm) or Sundays in the afternoon (12 - 2pm).

Our next Open House will be Thurs 8/11, Sun 8/14, Thurs 8/18, and Sun 8/28. Stop by if you have any questions or want to experience what living here is all about. If possible, let us know you plan to visit either by email or phone 503-315-1055 so we can look for you and introduce ourselves.

New cottage homes for sale!

2011-07-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

We have three homes currently under construction this summer, priced between $259,500 and $329,000. The first (the Alder) is already spoken for, and has a young family (Keith and Alicia + boys) moving in September 1st!

The Coho combines smart modern design with a traditional craftsman look. It is designed by Architect Ross Chapin.

The second home (the Coho) is now available for sale, and it is going to be awesome -- 20ft lofted ceiling above the kitchen and living space, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, custom cabinetry andcountertops, ultra-efficient ground-source heating and cooling forremarkably low utilities, LEED® Platinumcertification, and a warranty for materials and workmanship through 2021.

The Coho is 1,271 square feet with an additional detached garage (with a greenroof -- the master bedroom looks out onto it!). The Coho combines the best of smart designwith that timeless craftsman look – front porch, private nooks, wood windowsyou love to open, and traditional lines and trim. It will also have a beautifully-landscaped common pathway courtyard just off the front porch, and french doors opening out to a private backyard space adjacent to a 10-acre park and ballfield.

The master bedroom of the Coho (left) currently under construction, looks out onto this awesome greenroof!

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified Beech custom cabinetry.

Custom Eco-stone countertops made form 75% recycled materials.

No-VOC adhesives and paints for healthy indoor air quality.

Home fire suppression system for total fire protection and safety.

100% FSC lumber and advanced framing techniques.

Double-pane U.30 Sierra Pacific Aluminum-clad wood windows.

Highly insulated – R49 ceiling, R38 floor, R26 walls.

Ground-Source Heat Pump for ultra-efficient heating and cooling.

If you would like a walk through, let us know, I'd be happy to show you around! Or call James at 503-315-1055 to set up a time to visit. Check back for more photos!

Watch Shannon on TV this weekend!

2011-07-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

Catch Shannon on cable TV this weekend talking about the Painters Hall Zero Waste program and our 100th EarthWISE certification! Watch the video below and learn more about the free EarthWISE program here. The commercial is showing on MNBC, TBS, CNN, A&E, TNT, Discovery, ESPN, HGTV, and the History Channel throughout the weekend!

Zena Forest Products kiln-dried beer tap handles

2011-06-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Check out this video on urban tree salvage and Widmer Brothers brewing tap handles. The Oregon White Oak blanks are kiln-dried out at our friend Ben Deumling's place -- Zena Forest Products.

Learn more about Ben here or read about the floors he did for us, and some urban forest salvage of our own on page two here. Ben also made some tap handles for Wandering Aengus Ciderworks, also out in West Salem. You can find their cider on tap at Venti's downtown.

Tour de Pringle Creek

2011-06-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

What an awesome bike race Sunday! Organized by Capitol Velo Bicycle Club, racers sped through our neighborhood streets (the one and only time of the year when high speeds are ok on our streets) and along Fairview Industrial Drive in hopes of winning cash prizes and notoriety -- riders came from across the state. This was serious intensity circuit racing, high speed over the course of 75 or 90 minutes! Competitors enjoyed the technical cornering and design of our streets, which made their laps way more challenging and interesting than typical circuit speed races. Who needs to go to France when we have the Tour right here? Also great food provided by Minto Island Growers (if you are craving the fresh berry shake, you can go to their stand on River Road S. during the week) and James the Waffle Guy. And the all-natural sports-drink company Orbana provided race fuel and free samples to racers and spectators. Thanks to all of the sponsors, Upper Echelon, Bike Peddler, Scotts Cycle, Santiam Bicycle, Orbana, and Lulay's Car Connection and of course Capitol Velo for all their work, and Oregon Bicycle Racing Association. See photos below and check out the video of what it's like to actually ride in this race...

Racers for the Men's Pro Race blast off

Jackie shows off the incredible menu of Minto Island Growers Farm Food Cart!

Minto Island Growers Farm Food Cart mother & daughter serving it up fresh.

Sage (racer and one of the event organizers) enjoys a well-deserved fresh strawberry shake.

Weeding without chemicals

2011-06-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

Paco's strategy for weeding without chemicals includes BBQing them with his flame thrower. A quick blast of high intensity heat literally boils the plant's cells and tap root. It is most effective in gravel or paved areas where the torch won't burn nearby plants that you want to keep. Children: do not attempt this at home!!

Summer is here!

2011-06-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

Wow it actually feels like summer!
Today was so beautiful, I thought I'd walk around and take some photos of what's new around here...

Urban Farmers adding to their garden plots and getting ready.

Painters Hall is a perfect place to hang out, drink some iced tea, and get refreshed.

We are pouring the foundation of the Coho cottage today! It's the second house currently under construction.

This Coho is a 3BD / 2BA LEED Gold home, perfect size at 1,300sqft.

The garage greenroofs are really amazing this time of the year. There are more than 30 different plant species up there! Watch out for bees and ladybugs.

James Meyer & Opsis featured in Portland Architecture

2011-06-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

A lean, green studio: talking with James Meyer of Opsis Architecture

By Brian Libby at http://chatterbox.typepad.com/portlandarchitecture

Though the Great Recession has not been kind to the architecture and construction industry, Opsis Architecture may serve as proof that the combination of skills - collaboration, innovation, humility, ingenuity - can still propel certain firms to prosperity.

Not among the biggest or smallest firms in town, Opsis remains busy with a host of public and private projects across the region. In particular, the firm - which Meyer formed with Alec Holser and Jim Kalveledge (all were colleagues at Yost Grube Hall) in 1999 - has made its name with several school projects over the years, both K-12 and colleges. Though the firm has yet to design a major building in central Portland, they've long been on the cusp. They were one of three finalists for Portland State University's new building on the Urban Center plaza two years ago, for example, and produced an arguably far more compelling design than the ultimate winner, Yost Grube Hall. But as Meyer notes, the variety of projects, and the future in which they are designed, is what gets him excited.

"We’re doing food service, theaters, basketball courts, media centers, offices. Even as you start thinking about new working environments, we’re intrigued by that conversation related to all of these projects going on."

Among the most recent Opsis projects is the Pringle Creek housing community in Salem. A 32-acre development, Pringle Creek is first mixed-use LEED-rated community in the United States, blending of the residential and commercial communities are developed to enhance livability. The community integrates

130 carbon-neutral/net-zero-energy residences (including single and multi-family houses, cottages, row houses and apartments) with LEED-certified retail, work spaces, parks and community buildings. There is geothermal heating in 70 homes, commercial and mixed-use buildings as well as a porous asphalt street system for managing rainwater; an onsite biodiesel co-op; and community flex car (car-sharing), all while protecting a bounty of native landscape and habitat. At the center is Painters Hall, a circa-1930s barn that has been restored into a net-zero-energy community space with meeting spaces, a community kitchen, conference room, art space, and a café.

"Pringle is such a commitment. If you can do it and stay with it, that’s where the future is. It’s so light on the land, so light on energy, and so heavy on buildng community and respect. It’s humble but it’s a flagship in terms of what it represents."

He also says Painters Hall typifies a kind of sweet spot for Opsis in terms of size and scope of a project. "Painters Hall is 3,400 square feet. We can do a little super hands on building. I can walk around there and point stuff to the contractor. It’s guerilla architecture," he explains. "You work with the contractors and subcontractors to make it happen. But then when you’re doing a net-zero 200,000 square foot building, you’ve got to be smart and think about all those pieces. If you can get things that always do more than one thing, you can really amp up the juice that you get out of a project."

Opsis was also a co-developer of the project, which Meyer says was a good teacher. "You sure really develop a respect for developers and contractors by doing yourself. It’s a different stomach required in the development game. You don’t just sit and tell people what to do. You’ve got to understand repercussions. But that’s helped keep our spirits up in the recession. You make core financial decisions about who you are, what’s your brand."

The firm once made a similar bet on its headquarters, a circa-1910 horse stable building on NW Lovejoy that Opsis retored into a LEED Platinum rated office. "We’re only about 4 or 5 years old when we bought this building. But six years ago, when we finished, it was one of the highest rated LEED buildings on the west coast."

Another recent project is the new Music and Science building at Hood River Middle School, which last year became the Oregon building to be honored by the Energy Trust's Path to Net-Zero program. Designed to earn LEED Platinum certification, it also was a winner of the AIA’s 2030 Challenge Design Award.

Situated directly adjacent to the historic main school building on the campus, the design of the Music/Science building had two primary objectives: create a public building that truly fuses sustainable design with sustainability curriculum, and carefully integrate the facility into the existing National Historic Landmark site. The new building is home to a new music room, practice rooms, teacher offices, a science lab and a greenhouse.

Insulated concrete formwork walls are augmented with a brick veneer carefully detailed to complement the pattern of the existing building. Triple-glazed windows complete the airtight, well-insulated building envelope with good thermal mass to buffer against Hood River’s seasonal temperature swings. Geothermal heating and cooling is paired with heat exchange with water from an adjacent stream, a radiant slab and heat recovery ventilators using displacement air distribution. A plenum sits under a 35 kilowatt solar panel system, simultaneously preheating air for the building and cooling the panels to make them more efficient. The project is estimated to consume approximately 35,000 kWh, all of which will be supplied by the photovoltaic array on the roof.

Key to the Opsis working method, the architect says, is its studio environment. That and never being satisfied.

"You worry about a certain confidence," he explains. "Have you listened to what the building could be? Can you find the balance where everything has due thought but you’re moving forward and it’s not cavalier? We don’t pull a style out of the drawer. We just apply rigor. I think everyone’s talents are mixed and they’re shifting. What an open studio means to us is the conversation is broad."

Meyer believes that each team member has certain tendencies and talents that can then be meshed into the whole. "I tend to just see things. It’s a gift and curse. You go through five pages and see the detail that's not right. The mission was this. Did we capture the mission? It’s an ability to be reflective and critical. You just have to look at stuff and criticize. You’re not going to get good architecture accidentally. It’s very complex. Everything we do is unique. We are always balancing between the benefit of repetition coupled with seeing everything for the first time. I think Opsis is able to capture the freshness. We’ve been around for along time. But we want the competence to allow us to do highly dynamic work."

Another project underway is a new performing arts facility at Reed College. Due for completion in 2013, the new academic facility will bring the three performing arts departments together in a building carved into the slope above the tennis courts on the west side of campus.

“At every corner, this is a teaching facility,” says Meyer's Opsis partner, Alec Holser. “Whether it’s a stair landing or a lobby space that works for performance, it’s got to be a place where students come together to learn and connect, to do what Reed students do—get together in small groups and discuss.”

The centerpiece of the three-story building will be a 6,929 square-foot atrium winter garden that frames the view to the west hills. Extending from the west entrance to the second-level east entrance, it has been designed as a place that will accommodate impromptu jam sessions, guerrilla theatre, and spontaneous gatherings. Outside, an informal amphitheatre is created by a series of terraces descending from the Gray Campus Center quad to the entry plaza.

"It started out as a reasonably straightforward response to the broad student experience, which in their view would include the arts: theater, music, dance," Meyer explains. "At Reed there is a desire to have synergy in how different portions of the school can be integrated. What came in a highly collaborative exercise with them is the notion of space as a connection.Also, because of the steepness of the campus you couldn’t really get to Kaul Auditorium next door. We were able to create space in the winter garden atrium that otherwise just doesn’t exist on the campus. You have this ability for informal learning going on all the time, and an attractor related to community. It can’t be all planned. You want somebody going, 'I’m just going to walk in because it’s cool.' The black box, you can open up the wall to what’s going on. You don’t always want all those walls all the time. It can being daylight and activity in and make you feel like you’re on display. You already have an audience. That’s connecting you to an audience in a way."

Meyer says the firm's studio environment helped produce the best possible design for Reed, like all clients. "Alec and Jim and I touch every single project. It just depends on timing and relationship. We don’t have any kind of structure," he explains. " One project might be on a fast tract, so we’ll have a project manager who lives and breathes it. Or it might be about capturing a vision, so we’ve got a young designer creating different renderings and ideas. We’re pretty much a 3D studio now. When we build the teams, typically the people at the beginning go all the way to the end, from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting, so we have that continuity. At the end of the day, I think we still have a real personal investiture in the work and the places associated with it."

Statesman covers Morningside Annual Meeting at Painters Hall

2011-06-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

Morningside Neighborhood Association Meeting

31 May 2011

By Cindy Ulshafer from the Statesman Journal

In the renovated Painters Hall in the Pringle Creek Community on May 12, the 35th annual meeting of the Morningside Neighborhood Association was buzzing with lively discussions.

Chairwoman Pamela Schmidling called the meeting to order and introduced the speakers. Angie Hedrick from Salem's police department urged everyone

to check out CrimeReports.com —"the most up-to-date report" pinpointing Salem's crime locations, according to Cpl. Jeff Wiedemann of the city's Crime Prevention Unit.

He responded to neighbors Lee and Randy Lloyd's concerns of speeding on Commercial Street. Jeanne Spaziani described a hazardous street corner near her home. "I drive by there all the time," said Wiedemann, and said he'd watch for offending evidence. Knowing your neighbors is the best crime deterrent, he added, and Hedrick put in an early pitch for the Neighborhood Watch program.

City Councilor Brad Nanke, a volunteer in that position for 11 years, talked about the city's revenues, improvements and goals. One neighbor asked if there is a plan for handling heavier traffic after Trader Joe's opens, and Nanke said he'd invite a city traffic engineer to the next association meeting. Talking about a "big nasty earthquake" that could be due in this area, Roger Stevenson of Community Emergency Response Team was pleased that a third of the people in the audience have a two-week emergency preparedness kit. When assembling a kit, he said, think of it as "just a long camping trip in your front yard.”

Jeff Kresner of the Red Cross suggested that each family have one contact person outside of the area. Text messages transmit easier than cell phone calls during a disaster. Like other guest speakers, he said there are volunteer positions open. Salem's mayor Anna Peterson praised the work of the association, saying, "You're well represented. The city is only as strong as an individual." She said that already two years ago the city budget was being adjusted so now there's less "jostling for those very few resources."

Before closing, Schmidling asked if there were two neighbors willing to fill out the association board, and Mike Mitchell and Tony Sorem volunteered. She also lauded Pringle Creek for offering gardening space for neighborhood use. Several college-age people attended, seeking ways to be involved, reassuring the rest of us that our neighborhood will be in good hands in future years.

Cindy Ulshafer is a freelance writer covering events in South Salem. Contact her at c_ulshafer@yahoo.com at least two to four weeks before your event if you'd like it to be considered for coverage.

Spring News & Update

2011-06-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

We just released our Spring Newsletter! You can read all six pages here. If you'd like to receive these updates updates automatically, send us an email and we'll get you signed up! (it might go without saying, but we manage our own list, never share it, and you can exit at anytime).

Rainscreen

2011-05-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

Tim with Spectra Construction working hard! Vertical strips behind him keep the siding off the wall allowing any moisture to drain away instead of be trapped. This is called a rainscreen -- helps protect the life of the wall and prevent mold growth typically found in conventionally built wall systems. Rainscreens are now code for new construction in Oregon!

Urban Farmer Certification: Irrigation Basics

2011-05-24T11:51:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, the Urban Farmer Certification class gathered in Painters Hall to learn about the science of water and its role in plant propagation. Instructor Val Tancredi of Stettler Supply Company led the class in a discussion of the benefits of drip irrigation, and then directed the class to the garden where they installed the entire drip system for the 5000 sq. ft. space.

Contact Shannon at shannon@pringlecreek.com if you would like more information on the Urban Farmer Certification, or to join the wait list for next year!

Leslie Middle School Plant Sale

2011-05-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

Leslie Middle School students are hosting another great plant sale in the greenhouse, starting Monday, May 16th and running until Saturday, May 21st. All plant starts, including tomatoes, marigolds and peppers, are $.50. Stop by anytime 9am-4pm M-F and 9am-1pm Saturday! All proceeds go toward building raised beds in the Leslie Middle School garden.

Contact shannon@pringlecreek.com for more information.

Framing walls

2011-05-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

FSC plywood, 2x4s and 2x6 wall studs!

Morningside Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting

2011-05-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

Morningside Annual Meeting happening right now! Great group of concerned citizens working to make Salem neighborhoods better.

Concrete pour

2011-05-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

Moving forward with the Alder house, concrete pour today!

Tickets on Sale Now for Capital City Chicken Coop and Garden Tour

2011-05-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

New construction

2011-05-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Two new homes under construction with a third on the way! These will be 1,100 sqft, 2BD 2BTH, LEED Gold certified cottage homes, with whole house fire suppression and ground source heat pump heating and cooling (we're talking a $350 annual heating and AC bill). Call James if you want to learn more or to stay posted on the progress 503-315-1055.

Greenroof action

2011-05-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Our greenroofs are responding to the longer days and warmer weather! And new growth is beginning to unfurl. It is literally exploding with life up there. Really neat to see the specialty native lilies like the camas and tiger poking through the thick carpet of native sedums. It is a very dynamic and textured roof! Look for more photos in coming weeks when everything starts to bloom.

Cover crop

2011-05-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Crimson clover planted last fall made for an excellent cover crop this year! Kept most of the weeds out and captured nitrogen from the air. We will cut and work back into the soil next week or so. Interested in community gardening? Contact Shannon at 503-315-1055 or stop by the Conservatory.

Pringle Creek Community Featured in 1000 Friends of Oregon Newsletter

2011-05-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we spent a gorgeous afternoon (one of the few sunny days in April!) with Craig Beebe and Eric Stachon of 1000 Friends of Oregon. Check out Craig's writeup in their latest Oregon Stories newsletter.

1000 Friends of Oregon is a wonderful organization that works to protect Oregon forests and natural areas and promote livable neighborhoods. The group has been around for over 35 years, and we are honored to be included in their latest newsletter focusing on walkable, livable communities.

Leslie Middle School Plant Sale

2011-03-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Leslie Middle School gardening class will be selling plant starts all next week in the Pringle Creek Community greenhouse starting next Monday, April 4th from 10am to 12pm. They are selling lettuce, cilantro, and other varieties. Each 4" pot is only $.50 and contains several organic seed starts! All proceeds go toward their gardening classes and will help pay for raised beds at their school garden.

Please pass along this wonderful opportunity to support our local middle school gardening program!

Gardening Workshop Opportunities at Zena Farm

2011-03-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

If you weren't able to sign up for our Urban Farmer Certification this year, check out these spring learning opportunities from Willamette University's Zena Farm:

Sunday, April 3 from 2-4:30pm
James Cassidy, Soil Scientist at OSU and Faculty Advisor to the Organic
Growers Club, will lead a workshop entitled:

Keeping your Soil Healthy: the ins and outs and ups and downs of soil

Through this workshop, James will help participants answer the questions:
What exactly is soil? How can we maintain the essential properties and
health of our soil while asking it to work so hard to produce good food?
And what is good compost and how do I make it at home? Activities for
this workshop include bringing a sample of your own soil to analyze,
examining compost in various states of decomposition, AND creating a new
compost pile.

Sunday, April 17 from 2-4:30pm
Casey Kulla of Oakhill Organics on Grand Island will lead a workshop
entitled:

Seed Saving on Small Scale Properties

Tired of buying seed each year? Want to develop your own variety of
tomatoes (or spinach or beans) ideally suited to your space? Through this
workshop, participants will come to understand the difference between GMO,
hybrid, open-pollinated, and heirloom seed. What do these distinctions
mean? Casey will then explain planting designs that will maximize seed
production and the steps needed to grow, harvest, clean, and save your own
seed. Activities include cleaning seed with small scale machinery and
hand threshing some winter wheat.

Sunday, May 8 from 2-4:30pm
Joe Bowersox of Willamette University will lead a workshop entitled:

Backyard Beekeeping

Do you love the taste of honey? Want to ensure good pollination of your
crops? Worried about the decline of honeybees? Bee part of the solution!
Through this workshop, you will learn the basics of bee biology, the steps
needed to establish and care for your own hives, and the process of
collecting your own honey. Participants in this workshop will get to
observe the ins and outs of the hives at Zena Farm, and depending on
enrollment, may get to work with the bees.

You are welcome to attend any number of workshops. Each workshop costs
$20, or attend all three for $50. The money raised through this program
will go, in part, to supporting work-study students at Zena Farm. To
register, feel free to send me an e-mail to notify me of your interest.
Then send your name, which workshop(s) you will attend, your e-mail
address, and weekend contact information, together with a check made out
to Willamette University for the appropriate amount, and return it via the
US Postal Service or via campus mail, to:

Gardening Workshops at Zena Farm
c/o Jennifer Johns,
Associate Director for Sustainable Agriculture Programs
Center for Sustainable Communities
Willamette University
900 State Street Salem, OR 97301

Mid-Valley Green Awards

2011-03-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual Mid-Valley Green Awards is April 9th at Salem Conference Center! Get your tickets from the Straub Center!

Painters Hall was nominated for Green Building of the Year. We will see you at the dinner!

Nature of Cities & Open House

2011-03-11T13:02:00.001-08:00

Special Open House this Saturday at Noon! In response to last night's film, five homeowners are opening their homes to people interested in learning why a neighborhood that is beautiful and healthy to live in is so great, and what a home that integrates with nature looks and feels like.

Last night I presented at Salem Progressive Film Series, after the film "Nature of Cities." One of the data points I shared was
the percent of parks and open space in a typical neighborhood development in Salem. I took a look at the Morningside Neighborhood, in south Salem, and found that the land already spoken for in terms of residential development -- land that already has streets, houses, and parks space accounted for -- is roughly 900 acres. Within that 900 acres there are three existing neighborhood parks (12.4 acres total), one future park (5 acres), and one school district ball field (10 acres), which provide an overall public open space acreage of 27.4 acres -- roughly 3%.

In contrast, Pringle Creek Community has 32 acres, 20 of which are lots/homes and streets, and 12 of which are parks, gardens, and open space -- about 38%. If we add the ball field adjacent to the neighborhood, that jumps up to 52% park space! This, as you can imagine, provides a completely different atmosphere compared to a neighborhood with just 3% neighborhood park space.

I also shared a bit about reclaiming urban space into nature -- either through rain gardens, turning lawns into landscaping, planting trees, gardens, and greenroofs. One of the best visuals was a "before and after" shot of our greenroofs. Which one do you prefer...

The trend towards community

2011-03-04T16:08:00.001-08:00

Here's a nice nytimes article highlighting why people are drawn more and more to the idea of living in a community where neighbors know and look out for one another, share resources and spaces, and in general live happy and healthy lives together.

While Pringle Creek isn't co-housing, we have certainly borrowed from many of the values of co-housing; community gardens, tool library, Painters Hall, clustered houses, 12 acres of open space, and neighbors that know and care about one another...

From the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/realestate/06Wczo.html?_r=1

March 3, 2011

Co-Housing Group Plans for Shared Future

By LISA PREVOST

NEW HAVEN

A BOOK editor, two physicians, a nurse, a retired teacher, an organic gardener — the people
gathered in Dick Margulis’s living room were all well established and financially secure.

They had gathered on this recent weeknight, as they have on countless evenings over the past five years, to discuss another commonality: all residents of Connecticut suburbs, they have each felt alienated or disconnected from their communities.

“It seems like the only time we see our neighbors is when there’s a big snowstorm and we’re all out shoveling,” said Marie Pulito, a nurse who works at Yale-New Haven Hospital and lives in Bethany with her spouse, Brenda Caldwell.

The members of this group hope to put an end to that. They have been working toward an alternative to suburban isolation — one that goes well beyond get-togethers over tea and cookies. They intend to build Connecticut’s first co-housing community, an energy-efficient development they have named Green Haven.

A kind of condominium with a conscience, co-housing is collaborative living, usually around a unifying theme or vision. Residents own their own homes but share other spaces, like a kitchen and dining area, recreation facilities, a laundry and gardens.

The concept originated in Denmark, but the Cohousing Association of the United States has documented more than 100 co-housing communities in this country, according to its Web site.

Such communities are planned, designed, managed and maintained by their members, in a system that helps keep costs down. Houses are typically clustered close together, and the shared areas are contained within a large common house.

The Green Haven group, some of whose members have been involved since late 2006, is working with a housing consultant, has an architect lined up and is shopping for a suitable site. Its members have completed what is possibly the hardest part of creating such a community: reaching consensus on defining values. Green Haven’s overarching theme is sustainability, which will require maintaining more than just an ecological balance. If the community is to be vibrant and lasting, they say, it will need residents of all ages, with a variety of skills and backgrounds.

“We want a community that is multigenerational so we can support each other to stay there our whole lives,” said Ms. Caldwell, who manages a small organic farm in Cheshire.

They are looking for a New Haven-area property of at least seven acres, enough to support 20 to 33 households, a common house and a sizable organic garden with open space to spare. They envision small, energy-efficient homes averaging 1,000 square feet. The common house is to have a kitchen, a dining room, guest rooms, a library, workshops and a laundry.

The members are also aiming to keep home prices in the $200,000-to-$300,000 range.

“It’s a wonderful challenge,” said James Childress, a partner in Centerbrook Architects, Green Haven’s chosen architect. “It’s not a moneymaker. It’s just something that’s easy to get passionate about.”

This would be Centerbrook’s first co-housing project, and an opportunity to apply the knowledge gained incorporating energy-efficient technologies into large academic buildings, like the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, on a smaller, highly cost-sensitive scale.

The affordable aspect has piqued the interest of some of the architectural firm’s younger employees, and a few have attended informational sessions.

Finding a place to build the development may be a challenge, said David Berto, the president of Housing Enterprises, a consulting firm in Enfield that is working with Green Haven.

“Most of the towns would not have inherent zoning that would allow this type of development and density as a matter of right,” Mr. Berto said. “But it’s very probable that some cities and towns would find this to be really desirable and would approve it.”

According to Mr. Margulis, Green Haven has 11 committed members, and another 10 loyal followers who don’t have time for the planning process but may buy in later.

New members must do more than sign a contract, however. Green Haven requires that they first visit other co-housing communities, read six months’ worth of minutes from group meetings, and take a course in cooperative decision-making. The approach guides all meetings.

Hewing to formal consensus can be time-consuming — no decision is finalized until everyone is satisfied — but it’s an effective way to keep the peace, said Tina Smillie, a physician, who is Mr. Margulis’s wife.

“If you have majority rule,” Dr. Smillie said, “you’re going to have an unhappy minority.”

The members came close to buying a piece of land last month, but ultimately decided against it. Now they’re back on the hunt, checks in hand and “ready to jump,” Ms. Caldwell said.

She and other members are eager to get to the fun part of the process: designing their compact houses. And they talk excitedly about the finished community, with Mr. Margulis looking forward to cooking big dinners, and Ms. Pulito glad to be able to downsize without losing access to amenities.

Joanna Heller, the retired teacher, who now lives in Greenwich, envisions herself outside in the dirt, spade in hand. “I like the idea of being able to garden with a group of people,” she said, adding, “some of whom actually know what they’re doing.”

Another reason to walk!

2011-02-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

This morning I saw a young woman walking her dog with her little son (no school, President's Day) while I was biking into work along the Leslie Middle School walking/bike path. I stopped and said, "Hi, did you know, there is a really great place to walk just over there?" (pointing to Pringle Creek). She said, "Actually, that's one of my favorite places to walk!!" She was headed that way.

It reminded me of when Julia McFerron told the Statesman Journal that Pringle Creek was her "Favorite Salem Secret."
It also reminded me of another reason why, I think, we are naturally drawn to going for walks -- not only because it makes us feel good, it's healthy, it helps us get centered, but it also improves brain function...

http://nyti.ms/i4eQJt

From the New York Times

February 7, 2011

Fitness: A Walk to Remember? Study Says Yes

By PAULA SPAN

In healthy adults, the hippocampus — a part of the brain important to the formation of memories — begins to atrophy around 55 or 60. Now psychologists are suggesting that the hippocampus can be modestly expanded, and memory improved, by nothing more than regular walking.

In a study published on Jan. 31 in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers randomly assigned 120 healthy but sedentary men and women (average age mid-60s) to one of two exercise groups. One group walked around a track three times a week, building up to 40 minutes at a stretch; the other did a variety of less aerobic exercises, including yoga and resistance training with bands.After a year, brain scans showed that among the walkers, the hippocampus had increased in volume by about 2 percent on average; in the others, it had declined by about 1.4 percent. Since such a decline is normal in older adults, “a 2 percent increase is fairly significant,” said the lead author, Kirk Erickson, a psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh. Both groups also improved on a test of spatial memory, but the walkers improved more.

While it is hard to generalize from this study to other populations, the researchers were delighted to learn that the hippocampus might expand with exercise. “And not that much exercise,” Dr. Erickson pointed out.

People don’t even have to join a gym, he noted. They just need shoes. PAULA SPAN

Urban Farmer on Living Culture TV

2011-02-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

Check out this episode of Living Culture TV devoted to our Urban Farmer Certification!

Thanks to Nate Rafn for featuring us on his wonderful tv series focusing on agriculture and food in the Pacific Northwest.

Salem-Keizer Sustainability Summit

2011-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

You might be interested in this.... looks like a good lineup of topics and presenters.

We are presenting Pringle Creek in the 9am slot!

Salem-Keizer Sustainability Summit - Greening Our Communities

Date: March 8, 2011

Time: 07:30 AM - 01:30 PM

http://www.keizerchamber.com/community_events.asp

Event Description

Presented by: Portland General Electric

 Sponsored by: Oregon Department of Energy, Marion County, City of Keizer, City of Salem, and Energy Trust of Oregon  

Who Should Attend:  Commercial Property Owners & Business Operators Home Owners Government / Public Works / School Maintenance , Energy Industry Allies.

  Join us, March 8th at the Keizer Civic Center, on a journey to incorporate sustainable practices in your business, home and community. Find out how you can minimize your impact on our environment. Meet local, State and regional experts on the trends, resources and opportunities available to help you "green" your business, home, and community.  

AGENDA: 7:30-8:00am: Registration and Continental Breakfast and Trade Show.

8:00am: Welcome Remarks by:

• Keizer Mayor Lore Christopher

• Salem Mayor Anna Peterson

8:15am: Keynote -  JIM PIRO, Portland General Electric, CEO  

9:00-10:00am: Breakout Session Choices:

• Sustainable Development - Building Green

• Going Green -Good for the Environment; Good for Business

• Innovative Technology: Vehicle Electrification

• Foods that Sustain - Growing Green

10:00-10:30am: Trade Show & Break 10:30-11:30am Second Breakout Session choices:

• Sustainable Development - Low impact practices

• Going Green -Show me the Money

• Foods that Sustain - Serving Green

• Innovative Technology: Renewable Energy Generation

11:30-11:45amTrade Show & Break, Lunch check-in/Registration

 11:45-1:00pm Chamber Luncheon Keynote Speaker   JACK GRAVE Chief Cultural Officer Burgerville

  1:00-1:30pm Trade Show & Green Tours

Urban Farmer Certification

2011-01-29T11:16:00.000-08:00

Chris and Elizabeth with Minto Island Growers kick off the first Urban Farmer class!

EarthWISE 100th certification!

2011-01-21T11:26:00.001-08:00

We are really proud to be a part of this program!

Thanks Alan, Beth & Bailey for your great leadership in Marion County!

Read more about it here, here, here and here.

If you are already EarthWISE certified, come join us to celebrate!

Date: Saturday, Feb. 26
Time: 2:30 to 5:30
Tours: at 3, 4, and 5
Who: Owners, CEOS, Green Teams (spouses and children welcome).
Where: Painter Hall (directions at: http://www.pringlecreek.com/directions.htm)
What: Snacks, soft drinks, coffee, fun
How: By RSVP to Alan Pennington

Painters Hall-iday Decorations!

2010-12-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

In preparation for our neighborhood holiday party, we decided to make all of our decorations from materials used in the Painters Hall or from around the site.

Our tree was especially charming; it was based on a craft project featured in the Nov/Dec 2010 Natural Home Magazine. It's made from days of collected newspaper, two soda cans, and a branch garnered from Paco's Aspen trimmings.

The ornaments are expired cafe coupons and paper scraps from events!

The baskets are full of trimmings and branches collected from around the neighborhood.

Happy Holidays!

Aaron Good's "Thursday Drawings 2"

2010-12-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was the opening reception for Aaron Good's "Thursday Drawings 2" in our Painters Hall community center. The show was very successful, with about 80 friends and family members attending. Aaron's work will continue to be on display for the month of December, so be sure to stop in to check out his beautiful drawings. The Painters Hall is open weekdays 9am to 5pm.

Here are a couple photos from the opening:

Twenty-eight year-old Aaron Good has been active as an artist in Salem for the past fifteen years. His art was featured in a one-person show at the Salem Art Association in 2008. Very Special Arts and the National Downs Syndrome Association selected Aaron’s art for use on their holiday cards. Aaron Good has donated a number of his drawings to charity auctions during the past three years.

Light show

2010-12-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

Urban Farmer Certification

2010-11-30T11:38:00.000-08:00

Our educational objective for the Conservatory is simple: teach people, particularly children and young adults, how to grow their own food. In response, we started the Leslie Middle School Learning Garden to encourage students to explore the connection between the classroom and the natural environment. Now we are excited to debut our newest Conservatory program geared toward people in their 20s and 30s, the Urban Farmer Certification.

Developed in partnership with Friends of Salem Saturday Market and the OSU Master Gardener Program, the Urban Farmer Certification will allow you to learn valuable gardening skills while cultivating your own healthy, organic fruits and vegetables. With a monthly class taught by OSU-Extension Service Master Gardeners and local farmers, the course curriculum will include garden planning, seed starting, beneficial insects, composting, and chicken keeping, among others. Classes will include both a theoretical lesson and a hands-on component that takes place in our greenhouses and community garden. As a participant in the course, you may utilize a portion of the community garden for your own cultivation space. All participants will apply their acquired knowledge in their personal garden space in order to obtain the Urban Farmer Certificate.

Schedule: the last Saturday of the month, January-October 2011

Cost: $60

scholarships available and a 20% discount for FSSM members

Sign ups begin December 1st! Please call 503-315-1055 or email shannon@pringlecreek.com for more details or to sign up!

First snow!

2010-11-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

The Leslie Middle School students' cold crops are happy and cozy in the Conservatory, and everything seems brighter with last night's dusting...

Morning walk

2010-11-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

A couple photos from my walk in this morning, of the Guest Cottage and Fir Grove. So beautiful!

Chemical-Free Weed Control

2010-11-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

Sustainable landscape management is an important value in our community. We were recently recognized as the first residential development to be Salmon-Safe certified, and as part of our commitment to protecting biological diversity we choose to eliminate and control invasive species using manual methods instead of herbicides.

Last weekend a group of Willamette University students participated in a creek restoration work party to tackle the Japanese knotweed growing along our stretch of Pringle Creek. Japanese knotweed is a highly invasive species that devastates natural riparian areas because it spreads rapidly and prevents the propagation of native species. Here's what the site looked like before our work party:

Our strategy for knotweed removal without chemical agents follows the guidelines devised by the King County Noxious Weed Control Program. The students carefully cut the stems close to the ground and dug up as much of the root system as possible.

The plant matter must be quarantined until it completely dies, and then we can compost it. After the students dug up the roots, we covered the site with overlapping thick canvas fabric and several yards of mulch to suppress any new growth. Here's what the site looks like after all their hard work:

We hope that our efforts will demonstrate the feasibility of herbicide-free eradication of invasive species. Japanese knotweed is a particularly resilient weed, and total eradication will likely take years of manual control. However, the hard labor is worth it because it means we will not cause further harm to the creek and surrounding riparian area. It's really easy to use an herbicide and consider the weeds "taken care of", but to consider the long term environmental impacts of weed control is a much more rewarding task.

Thanks to the Willamette University student volunteers! Also thanks to the City of Salem for their generous Watershed Protect and Preservation grant!

Fall photos

2010-11-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Some photos of colors around the neighborhood...

Garden action

2010-10-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Students helped harvest the last of the peppers, tomatoes, and pumpkins -- a little till and Shannon will plant the red clover cover crop before tomorrow's rain. First time operating a rototiller!

Leslie Middle School Learning Garden!

2010-10-18T15:03:00.001-07:00

We recently partnered with Leslie Middle School to establish the Leslie Middle School Learning Garden. Led by Leslie teacher Consuelo Kammerer, the students visit the Pringle Creek Conservatory a few times a week to learn useful gardening skills.

Leslie Middle School students plant organic broccoli and cabbage in the Conservatory.

Throughout the fall and winter, the students are cultivating winter greens in a raised bed in one of the greenhouses, and growing garlic outside on a portion of the community garden space. The project is the first aspect of Pringle Creek's new Conservatory objective to teach people, particularly children and young adults, how to grow their own food.

In the Learning Garden students will experience the connection between the classroom curriculum and the garden environment firsthand, giving them a deep understanding of the processes involved in sustainable agriculture. We just got started and we'll post more photos as we go! If you are interested in learning more, contact shannon@pringlecreek.com

Salem Green Professionals

2010-10-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

This is a group we think is really great: a social network in town for young professionals specifically involved or wanting to be involved in the sustainable business movement.

What's cool is that so far each tour site has been hosted by a fellow Salem Green Professional -- Painters Hall (James), Sequential-Pacific Biodiesel (Tyson), Wildwood-Mahonia (Travis), Zena Forest Products (Ben), Wandering Aengus Ciderworks (another James), and now Organic Fresh Fingers (Evann). It's an awesome group of people! To get on the email list, contact salemgreenprofessionals@gmail.com

For our November gathering, Salem Green Professional and entrepreneur Evann Remington, Founder and CEO of Organic Fresh Fingers, will provide a tour of her company's production kitchen on Broadway. Organic Fresh Fingers provides fresh, local, natural and organic, high-quality foods for kids, childcare facilities, and schools in Oregon, and can be found on the shelves of Roth's, Lifesource, and several large Portland supermarkets.

We will gather at the Kitchen and learn about the Organic Fresh Fingers business philosophy, commitment to environmental and social responsibility, their products & processes, the importance of nutrition in child development, as well as how our food choices impact the environment.

Organic Fresh Fingers has become the expert on the National School Lunch Program and why so many school districts in the U.S. struggle to feed kids fresh, healthy food – come with your questions!

Salem Green Professionals

November 4th, 2010

5pm-6pm

1010 Broadway NE -- just north of downtown Salem on the corner of Broadway and E streets (not too far from Boone's Treasury).

Please bring your own glass or cup, and something to share (food or a drink).

Salem Green Professionals is a social and educational group focused on young professionals involved or wanting to be involved in the sustainable industry. We meet once every other month at different sustainable sites in Salem for a a tour and presentation about the site’s sustainable business practices, followed by some socializing. Feel free to pass this invitation to others who might be interested.

The future is bright: Oona, the official mascot of Organic Fresh Fingers (Evann and Gavin's daughter), enjoying chocolate covered strawberries....

October photos!

2010-10-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent shots from around the neighborhood. Such beautiful Fall weather right now!

Fariborz's "Round House" is almost wrapped up, here is a shot of the front.

The countertops in his kitchen just went in yesterday.

South-facing windows provide natural daylighting, views and warmth (he also has a very comfortable radiant heating polished concrete floor).

The ceiling and skylight, viewed from the first floor. Nice spot to watch clouds moving overhead.

A spontaneous wine party at the Roots Cellar. We stayed until dark!

Sun and shadows on the west side of the Roots Cellar.

Sunlight coming through the fir grove, part of 12 acres of open space, parks and trails shared by the neighbors.

Pringle Creek & Salmon Safe Event

2010-10-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

This is a great event and will include a presentation by James Meyer, partner at Opsis Architecture, and Master Planner of Pringle Creek Community. It's an excellent opportunity to learn about sustainable design and the pressing need to reduce our impact on our watersheds.

Please join us at Salmon in the City, a free public event highlighting recent innovations in ecologically sustainable design as well as the latest research on urban stormwater runoff and the fate of salmon.

UO Portland Center -- White Stag Building
70 NW Couch Street, Portland

Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Presentations from 4:30–6:00pm
Wine Tasting with Willamette Valley Vineyards 6:00–7:00pm

Presented by:
Salmon-Safe, UO Graduate School of Architecture, Metro

The event includes Nat Scholz, Ph.D., NOAA Fisheries, presenting new stormwater research; Metro, with its regional vision for greener cities and innovative, salmon-friendly design in on-the-ground projects; and presentations from UO's innovative studio collaborations bridging architecture, business and ecology, including examples of new urban ecological innovations both at home and abroad. Salmon-Safe will unveil the first certified Salmon-Safe residential development.

For more information, please contact Dan at Salmon-Safe
503.232.3750 or info@salmonsafe.org

Bradbury lecture kicks off Climate Masters training at Painters Hall on 10/12

2010-10-09T09:19:00.001-07:00

Friends of Straub Environmental Learning Center is holding a Climate Masters Training Program at 6 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 12 at Painters Hall. At 7 p.m. former Secretary of State Bill Bradbury will give a talk. He has spoken about climate change hundreds of times in the past few years.

Bradbury’s talk is free and open to the public. No RSVP required for the talk, but space is limited and individuals will be admitted on a first come, first served basis.

Climate Masters is a 10-week training program developed by the Climate Leadership Initiative at Univ. of Oregon. It was modeled after the Master Gardener/Recycler programs and provides participants with 30 hours of in-depth, how-to knowledge on climate science and on ways to use resources wisely and reduce carbon emissions.

All the classes will be held at Painter's Hall. After Tuesday’s kickoff, Climate Masters classes will be every Monday from Oct. 18th - Dec. 20th at 6:00. The cost of the Climate Masters program is $25. If you're interested, email Alexandra at alexandra@fselc.org or call 503-391-4145 or visit www.fselc.org.

Green + Solar Tour a great success

2010-10-07T12:35:00.001-07:00

This year's Green + Solar Tour was the best we've had in four years -- incredible tour sites and enthusiastic tour participants -- an all-around quality event. Thanks to our sponsors for helping make it happen!

Also a big thanks to homeowners and project site tour guides, who took their entire Saturday off to share their knowledge with others. Overall we had 200 people on this year's tour! More than 90 packed in to hear Nathan's greenbuilding presentation at 9am, and ten local vendors and organizations had great conversations with tour participants out on the deck of Painters Hall. Tour sites had a steady stream of people all day. One homeowner told me he basically was talking for five and half hours nonstop, with barely a breath between. He had to eventually just eat his lunch in front of everyone!

The tour is a very effective way to advance green building in our area. Nathan Good observed that "by walking through and directly witnessing a green home, the concerns and doubts about building green morph into opportunities and aspirations." That's what it's all about....

If you weren't able to make the tour this year, here is is a glimpse of the brochure/ticket in case you weren't able to come...

If you would like to sign up to receive a Quarterly Newsletter from Pringle Creek that will let you know about events like these, you can sign up here http://www.pringlecreek.com/learnmore.htm You can also join the Straub Environmental Learning Center's monthly email list, which outlines all the programs, events and opportunities happening in Salem. http://www.fselc.org/contact.html

Salem Green + Solar Tour 2010

2010-09-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Be inspired by your neighbors!

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

9am-4pm

This year's Salem Green + Solar Tour offers an incredible lineup of nine cutting-edge projects: the first Passive House certified home in Oregon; the first net-zero energy commercial building in Oregon; an existing home solar remodel in McNary Estates; downtown's newest green commercial-retail building, WaterPlace; the first home to receive a Solarize Salem Co-op installation; the green update to Frank Lloyd Wright Gordon House; and ABC Extreme Makeover's newly-completed LEED Gold dormitory at the Oregon School for the Deaf, among others.

Architect Nathan Good will begin the event at 9am with a preview of the tour sites and a presentation on building and design -- key terms, costs, features and benefits. Tour sites across town will be open 10am to 4pm.

Each site will be hosted by an owner, architect and/or builder who will explain the green features of the project, and benefits, costs, and lessons learned. Tour participants will have the opportunity to learn about energy efficiency, passive and active solar systems, daylighting, on-site energy generation, rainwater harvesting, innovative construction systems and building materials, and a lot more.

Registration: Begins at Painters Hall at 9am, Pringle Creek Community Click here for a map & directions http://tiny.cc/paintershall or go to http://www.pringlecreek.com

Cost: $10 per car, carpooling encouraged. Bicyclists free. Organized ride leaves at 10:15am.

Special thanks to our sponsors!

Pringle Creek Community, Salem AIA (American Institute of Architects), Marion County Environmental Services, Nathan Good Architect, Wild Pear, Friends of Straub Environmental Learning Center, Tanner Creek Energy, Zena Forest Products, Solarize Salem, Lifesource Natural Foods, Barnwood Naturals, Mahonia Vineyards & Nursery, Bilyeu Homes, Spectra Construction, and City of Salem.

Hey bicyclists! what better way to travel to Green + Solar Tour sites than by bike, especially when it's free! If you're ambitious, visit all the sites. We've also put together a shorter route that focuses on sites within the City of Salem. Bicyclists can take a self-guided loop or let Patrick and Jenny lead the way with a group tour. Group tour departs Painters Hall at 10:15am.

For more information:

Call 503-315-1055 or info@pringlecreek.com

Salem Green + Solar Tour is part of a state-wide tour in 14 communities across Oregon, all happening on the same weekend. According to Solar Oregon, which oversees state-wide coordination, "the Oregon Green and Solar Tours are one of the biggest events of their kind in the nation" and "each tour reflects the unique interests of the community, yet all share a common goal: to educate the public about green and solar strategies." You can also read about the National Solar Tour overseen by the American Solar Energy Society.

Hope to see you there for this great event!

Gardens & Conservatory shots

2010-09-21T16:20:00.001-07:00

The gardens are looking beautiful... Here are some shots of our dahlias, sunflowers, pumpkins and the Conservatory. Contact shannon@pringlecreek.com if you are interested in learning more or getting involved!

Painters Hall is focus of Solar Today article

2010-09-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

You will want to take a look at Pringle Creek's Path to Net Zero in the September/October issue of Solar Today magazine (to read it all you just click the page-turn buttons at the top of each page). Written by James Santana, the article features photos by Pringle Creek's favorite photographer, Visko Hatfield (including the cover photo. Here are some choice quotations from the text:

Under a rooftop covered in solar panels, Pringle Creek neighbors sit on the deck of Painters Hall community center, sipping iced tea, bird watching and looking out over acres of open space. It’s a modern vision of a sustainable future — integration of the built and natural environments, innovative design and technology — as well as a reminder of simpler times, when community and resource conservation were ways of life.
. . .
The center demonstrates the potential for existing building stock to be renovated in a way that outperforms conventional new construction, saves money, preserves history and inspires beauty and creativity.
. . .
When it came to selecting PV panel manufacturers, the team looked for quality, reliability and efficiency, and if possible, local manufactur- ing. Sanyo Solar (us.sanyo.com/solar), one of the world’s leading solar panel producers, had recently opened a new solar ingot facility just 6 miles away, bringing 200 new jobs to Salem.... For inverters, the team chose the PV Powered (pvpowered.com) PVP4800 for its 96 percent California Energy Commission-weighted efficiency rating, 10-year warranty and manufacturing plant located in Bend, Ore., just 130 miles away.
. . .
The building is, once again, a signal of health and prosperity, and also of a new direction — toward a smart future rooted in innovation, respect for nature and love of community. In this way, Painters Hall, and the entire neighborhood at Pringle Creek, is ready for the next 80 years of new challenges and opportunities.

Solar Today is a publication of American Solar Energy Society, a nonprofit established in 1954. Their mission is to change how American's think about solar, bring the solar community together, and create a sustainable energy economy.

Come out to Pringle Creek anytime between 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to look around and enjoy a cup of espresso, coffee, or iced tea in the Community Café. See for yourself what all the buzz is about.

BTA bike commute challenge!

2010-09-13T20:18:00.001-07:00

Shannon and Santiago are participating in the BTA's bike commute challenge this month! http://bikecommutechallenge.com So far Shannon is in the lead but not by much.

Opsis Architecture Picnics at Pringle Creek

2010-09-07T20:38:00.001-07:00

Opsis Architecture has led the Masterplanning and Design of Pringle Creek Community since day one. Co-founded by Salem native James Meyer, Opsis is responsible for the thoughtful layout of our green streets and open spaces, for the preservation of so many wonderful mature trees, and for the beautiful restoration of the Painters Hall. Opsis has set the bar high for sustainable construction and sophisticated design with seven different housing types, including the Tall Houses and Cottages.

On a recent Saturday, the folks at Opsis enjoyed an afternoon of food, games, conversation and family. As you can see from the photos, a good time was had by all.

Click here to see more Opsis picnic photos

The upside of downsizing

2010-09-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

We can't say we anticipated the housing market losing so much steam so fast, but we did anticipate a trend where downsizing would become a vibrant niche in the home building industry. As more and more developers and builders see the "new normal" coming at them, they are struggling to understand what it means.

Well, I can tell them what it means:

People don't want to spend so much money buying and maintaining a big home;
Neither do they want to spend so much time taking care of a large home and lot;
They don't want to spend an arm and a leg on utility bills;
And neither do they want to spend so much time and money commuting.

Now, you might say each of these points has an economic foundation. That is the gist of this article, Death of the 'McMansion': Era of Huge Homes Is Over:

Just 9 percent of the people surveyed by Trulia said their ideal home size was over 3,200 square feet. Meanwhile, more than one-third said their ideal size was under 2,000 feet.
She said the trend there is more toward building green homes instead of big homes. Right now, they're building a 1,200-square-foot uber-green home for a couple that's downsizing from 3,000-square feet, Cheatham explained."
What's more, many in the real-estate business say they think this trend of downsizing, or "right-sizing," as Flint likes to call it, is here to stay.

All true, all very interesting, but take a look at some
of the thousands of responses to the article and you will see two other engines of change: the desire to protect our environment and to create a stronger sense of community. In our experience at Pringle Creek Community, the equation includes wanting to downsize and simplify, to reduce ones carbon footprint and save money. People want to live in a neighborhood where a culture of sustainability and stewardship prevails, where ecological and social values lead to green and safer streets, community orchards and gardens, mature groves of fir, oak and redwoods connected by walking and biking trails.

Pringle Creek Community is about downsizing housework and yard work and upsizing the important things, like friends, community, nature. Pringle Creek's renewable energy comes not just from solar panels and ground-source geothermal systems; there is renewable energy in the smiles of people who come to Pringle Creek Community for the first time and immediately recognize something remarkable is happening here. And from the residents here, who renew my energy when I meet them at the Café or walking or biking through the neighborhood. They recharge my batteries every time.

Neighbors play ball in the Village Green

2010-07-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

Pringle Creek wins Urban and Community Forestry award

2010-07-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

Pringle Creek won an award for its innovative approach to trees, landscaping and homebuilding. It’s the 17th year of awards, presesented by Oregon Community Trees and the Oregon Department of Forestry. James Santana attended the Urban and Community Forestry Conference, held this year at the Oregon Gardens, to receive the award, which was in the "Development" category, one of eight categories overall.

Paul Ries, manager of ODF’s urban forestry program, states on the award webpage, "These recipients are to be commended for their efforts to improve the livability of our cities. Their actions are notable for showing creativity, initiative, and leadership in community tree care programs that all cities can aspire to and achieve.” Pringle Creek is noted for successfully preserving more than eighty percent of the site’s existing trees during development.

The mission of Oregon Community Trees is “to promote healthy urban and community forests through leadership, education, awareness, and advocacy.” Their members include aborists, urban planners, community activists, foresters and nurserymen, who assist community groups, local governments and schools with their expertise and limited resources.

Statesman Journal reports on Pringle Creek Conservatory

2010-06-26T12:15:00.001-07:00

The recent article, "Pringle Creek greenhouses get a facelift: Historical structures produce food and unite community, is all about Pringle Creek's two 1930s-era greenhouses being back in operation. The Statesman Journal reporter, Rachel Bucci, came out and talked with James Santana. He is quoted throughout the article.

One of the highlights of the article: an announcement that the Painters Hall Café is open! "For now Painters Hall Café, open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday, offers brewed and French press coffee (a Craigslist procured espresso maker is getting a tune-up), tea and Wild Pear box lunches if you call ahead. There is also wi-fi and an incomparable setting — a sunny deck, the soft rustling of trees along Pringle Creek, and a great view of the newly restored greenhouses."

Below are a few paragraphs about the partnerships Pringle Creek has with some local nonprofits:

At Pringle Creek's first community garden, up and running since 2005, community members and neighbors tend the plots, with extra produce donated to Marion Polk Food Share.
The now fully functioning greenhouses have enabled Pringle Creek to have an even larger impact with the Food Share. This year they used to start flats and flats of vegetables that have since been distributed and planted at MPFS sites across the region.
Another partnership, between Pringle Creek and Shangri-La's LEAP program (Life Enrichment and Activities Program), is giving developmentally disabled adult volunteers an opportunity to grow flower baskets. Three days a week the volunteers tend the baskets of fuchsia and purple hued petunias, while enjoying the therapeutic benefits of gardening.
"They've really enjoyed going down and having time to work with the plants," says project coordinator and Shangri-La's business developer Sandi Bjorkman. "Right from the get-go, they planted seeds, have been watching them grow and nurturing them. It's been quite a process and they are really enjoying it."
Santana says that some of the flower baskets will be displayed around the Pringle Creek community, while others may be sold to the public with proceeds benefiting Shangri-La.

"James Santana stands at a restored
greenhouse at the former Fairview Training Center property in South Salem."

Roofs gone wild!

2010-06-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

Our two greenroofs are in full bloom! Here are some photos of the roof of the detached garages (for the five cottage homes on Cousteau Loop). Our other greenroof is located on the pump house for the district ground-source geothermal loop.

Greenroofs have many benefits, for instance:

Durability: our roofing membrane is shielded by the soil from degrading effects UV rays, so the roof will outlast shingles and metal three to five times. That saves some money over the life of a building. Our greenroof cost $5 psf to install, including roof membrane, rock, stabilizer bars, soil, plant material, seed and labor, about the same cost as metal.
Insulation: eight inches of soil act like a protective, insulating blanket, keeping the building cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, reducing overall surrounding temperatures as well.
Habitat: the diverse plant species provide habitat for birds and pollinators, extending the boundaries of surrounding ecological systems.
Stormwater & streams: the roof acts like a giant sponge, absorbing rain as it falls and releasing it slowly drip by drip to the ground. Slowing down stormwater is important for returning water to the aquifer and for reducing stormwater flows on our waterways.
Beauty: so much prettier than asphalt shingles!

-- santiago

TED & Google Powermeter

2010-06-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we installed some energy monitoring equipment in Painters Hall and our LEED Platinum cottage. It tracks total consumption, PV production and ground-source heat pump (HVAC) energy consumption. The results have been fascinating!

The hardware is made by TED (The Energy Detective), which comes with its own software for viewing data. But TED also communicates with Google Powermeter, a free software program that can be accessed on the internet. Owners can log in at their computer to view real-time energy use and trending over time. Also Google Powermeter can send a summary by email each week. The hardware is around $250 and comes with sensors and a wireless gateway, as well as a little wireless display that tells you in real-time what you are using and at what cost.

The above photo shows real-time energy use. We are netting -14kW on Painters Hall, overproducing about $1.80 worth of electricity per hour. This is on top of total building consumption. With real time energy display, we can isolate certain electrical loads to see what kind of power is being consumed.

Click here to see some screen shots of the google power meter system of Painters Hall and the cottage. We’ll post more about our energy savings as we get more data!

Here are some links for further reading:
http://www.google.com/powermeter/about/about.html
http://www.theenergydetective.com/ted-5000-overview.html
http://blog.google.org/search/label/PowerMeter

http://www.techwandering.com/2010/02/02/monitor-your-electricity-usage-with-ted-the-energy-detective/

While we're on the subject . . . Solar PV is going to get some attention as a political issue this year. The Statesman Journal recently ran an article, Financial incentives bolster a push for solar, about a proposed pilot program that will provide payments to some businesses and homeowners who install solar systems (after July 1).

A new pilot project will reward a select group of homeowners and businesses with monthly checks for installing solar cells. Customers of the state's largest utilities will be funding the program through their electric bills. The owner of a 3-kilowatt system, a size typically installed on homes, could get monthly payments of more than $100 during 15 years, according to the Oregon Public Utility Commission.
. . .
Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski introduced the solar incentive concept to the 2009 Legislature after seeing a similar program in Germany, said Rem Nivens, a spokesman for the governor's office. The PUC recently issued rules for the four-year pilot program.
"Right now, it's just a test to see how many people will participate," Nivens said. The program will help determine if a "feed-in tariff" is a viable option to increase the use of solar power in Oregon, he said.

The folks at Tanner Creek Energy, who installed Pringle Creek's panels, might do a presentation on feed-in tariffs in the next few weeks at Painters Hall. Check back for details.

This photo was with the SJ article. It shows the solar panels on the roof of the Painters Hall

--santiago

New book by Patrick Condon

2010-06-08T10:34:00.001-07:00

Patrick Condon's new book is called Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities: Design Strategies for the Post Carbon World. Patrick sent an email to other Pringle Creek Team members upon its publication and had this to say:

My new book is out. In it I try to simplify the complex, and boil down the work that we have all been doing into a set of simple to understand "rules". These rules are nested, meaning they represent a systems approach to sustainable cities where all things are considered together in their economic, social, and ecological relationships. There are a few things that make this book different from any other, I think:

--It recognizes cities as they are, not as we imagine they are. The concept of the streetcar city embodies this aspect.

--It compares and contrasts US and Canadian circumstances, thus shattering a number of myths about why our cities developed the way they did, and

--It recognizes the importance of green infrastructure as the very underpinnings of a sustainable high density, walkable, transit city.

Naturally SFA and Pringle Creek are a big part of the book, used to illustrate all seven principles and mostly to show a real world example of green infrastructure in action. I hope that the book helps elevate the profile of the project(s) and that more people end up knowing about what to me seems like a heroic and crucial effort.

The paragraph below is from the promotional materials:

The IPCC has declared that global greenhouse gas emissions, which are inordinately produced by North American cities, must be radically reduced by the year 2050--or risk global environmental collapse. But as the world becomes increasingly more urban, how can our cities reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become more energy efficient? This book clearly describes how changes in the design of our communities can achieve dramatic reductions in carbon emissions, improved livability, and the reduction of the cost of building and maintaing infrastucture systems. With specific and well-tested examples he demonstrates that it is indeed possible to create more compact, energy-efficient, pedestrian-friendly, and transit-served regions with green infrastructure systems that reduce resource consumption and pollution of all kinds.

Patrick is James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments at the University of British Columbia. He has served as friend and both technical and creative advisor to Sustainable Fairview and Pringle Creek Community. Here is our post about his previous book, Design Charrettes for Sustainable Communities.

New bike racks

2010-06-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

We installed our Painters Hall bike racks last week, made from old steam pipe from the Conservatory. They are awesome! And already being put to good use.

Speaking of bikes, Portland, just 45 miles up the freeway, is without any doubt Bike City USA. A lot is happening there and it is fun to follow their progress. A recent On Point NPR radio show, "Bicycle culture," featured Heidi Swift, who writes the Everyday Cyclist column for the Oregonian. She also blogs at Grit and Glimmer. Ms. Swift credited the blog of Jonathan Maus, Bike Portland, with being a major catalyst, a "powerful force for connecting us [bicyclists] as a community, so that we can communicate and have discussions and bring issues to the table." She also mentioned a bike website called Ride Oregon Ride. Check them out.

Remembering Panchirris

2010-05-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

Last month, Paco’s dad, Francisco “Panchirris” Sanchez, passed away peacefully in his home in Pachuca, Mexico. He was surrounded by Paco’s mom, brothers and family. Señor Sanchez was a great man whom we will all miss. He was gentle and tough as nails at the same time, and a loving father to Paco. He came to Oregon to visit two years ago and insisted on coming to Pringle Creek during the day to work alongside his son. They worked side by side, having fun together, landscaping and setting glass in the Conservatory. We love Paco so much, and it is clear that the person he has become--wise, generous, calm, gentle, intelligent, curious about the world, and driven to work hard--were passed down from his father, who had the same qualities. Thank you, Panchirris! We will miss you!

--santiago

Protecting streams and the aquifer

2010-05-12T09:32:00.001-07:00

The porous asphalt of Pringle Creek Community contrasted with the city street.

You’ve probably heard about the problem of water shortages in the American Southwest. Here is "Time, Water Running Out for America's Biggest Aquifer," an article about unsustainable use of the Ogallala aquifer in the Great Plains. It will affect the food supply, so there is plenty to worry about.

Here in western Oregon we’re blessed with ample rainfall. Day after day, all winter long--blessed. But it’s still important to conserve water and reduce runoff, slow it down so that creeks are protected and the aquifer is replenished. Pringle Creek Community is designed to do those things as a key part of our sustainable initiatives. And when cities have to repair, replace, or expand stormwater infrastructure it can cost a ton of money. In Salem, ratepayers' water and sewer bills go up 8% a year on average, and these bills are based on water consumption, so these initiatives will save money.

Green roofs like the ones at Pringle Creek reduce heat and provide habitat for butterflies and birds. They absorb rainwater, reducing runoff.

Green streets of pervious asphalt or concrete, along with blue-green bio-swales and gravel verges, provide conditions that allow 95 percent of rainwater to infiltrate naturally into the aquifer and dramatically reduce stream pollution from runoff and storm drains. Click here to see a pdf diagram of Pringle Creek's green streets.

Geo-thermal loop will take water from the aquifer and circulate it to 70 homes where ground source heat pumps will extract up to 10 degrees of heating or cooling without touching the water, then will re-inject it to the aquifer.

Native plants and drought tolerant landscaping require less water.

Rainwater collection around individual homes and commercial buildings use rainwater indoors for commodes and outdoors for irrigation of gardens.

Pringle Creek repeats in Natural Home top ten

2010-04-30T12:18:00.001-07:00

Pringle Creek Community is on Natural Home magazine's list, America’s Top 10 Best Green-Built Neighborhoods.The magazine states that "our favorite planned communities strive for responsible construction and promote sustainable living.”

Two and half years ago Natural Home published a similar listing, their top 10 “green housing projects,” and Pringle Creek was also on that list.

Two entries on the new list that weren't on the previous list are in Oregon:
Mosier Creek is in the small town of Mosier, seven miles west of Hood River. The other is Northwest Crossing in Bend.

Pringle Creek in Forests for Oregon magazine

2010-04-27T14:41:00.001-07:00

The Oregon Department of Forestry has written about Pringle Creek Community in their quarterly magazine, Forests for Oregon. The article, "An innovative approach to trees, landscaping, homebuilding," by Cynthia Orlando, is on pages 6-7 of the online 12-page pdf.

The pervious asphalt is an important feature – it allows 90 percent of rainwater to infiltrate on-site to the aquifer, thereby protecting local rivers and streams. Pervious asphalt notwithstanding, “our trees are our most effective stormwater management tool,” says James Santana, Director of Community Development at Pringle Creek.
The site’s commitment to mature tree retention – an astounding 80 percent of the site’s trees were preserved during development – is another important feature. “Retaining existing trees on a development site is often more valuable than planting new trees,” says ODF’s Urban and Community Program Director, Paul Ries. “Mature trees deliver and instant sense of place – as well as a variety of environmental, economic, and social benefits that small trees take many years to provide,” he adds.

Photo log

2010-04-21T10:05:00.001-07:00

Shannon (our Urban Farm Intern) working with Pete and Mark from Marion Polk Food Share

Pete, Mark, Shannon and Will in the Conservatory growing starts for MPFS

Our first blooms of passion flower inside the Conservatory!

The passion flower vine soon will be covered in incredible flowers

Kristen's LEED tall house is just about finished, gets exterior paint next week or so

Fariborz's LEED roundhouse getting framed

It will have a one car garage with master bedroom above

Inside the great room, lots of south facing windows

View of the north side. The crane work was done by local company Santana Crane.

Cousteau Loop beginning to take shape with six LEED certified houses!

Fairview Wetlands Park

2010-04-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

Fairview Wetlands Park is a 40 acre naturalized park space with trails just a one mile walk from Pringle Creek Community. There are native plants and flowers and migratory birds to observe. The wetlands is a small wildlife oasis in the city, and a very nice place to walk or go for a run. Pringle Creek Watershed Council is asking for some help with maintenance.

Click to enlarge

Exchange students check out Pringle Creek

2010-04-14T06:54:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos from a recent gathering in the "net-zero energy" Painter's Hall. Sixteen South Salem families are hosting 16 foreign exchange students from Munich, Germany, and they all came out for a potluck dinner. Afterwards, many in the party filtered outside to play and visit and check out Pringle Creek Community.

"This place has good potential for a disc golf course."

"Clouds are a problem for solar power in Germany too."

Potluck for 60? Notice the ceiling detail, which is an assembly of wood strips removed from another pre-existing building at Pringle Creek.

No clue as to which ones are German and which are American.

"We're hiding what tree?" Inside joke; behind the group is the "nurse log" in front of the Painter's Hall, a 300 year old naturally-fallen Oregon White oak that we’ve incorporated into the neighborhood landscaping plan.

A local award goes to Pringle Creek

2010-03-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

Pringle Creek won the award for Sustainable Small Business of the Year at the first annual Green Awards, an event to raise funds for the educational programs of the Straub Environmental Learning Center. The nominees and winners were picked by the Friends of Straub along with representatives of Marion County Environmental Services and Garten Services. Pringle Creek team members DeSantis Landscaping and Bilyeu Homes were also winners. Here is the listing of nominees with the winners in boldface:

Recycler of the Year (Resident)
Greg Craven, Steve DePina

Recycler of the Year (Education)
Linda Nishioka, Jon Yoder

Recycler of the Year (Business)
Cascade Baking Company, Hillyer Ford, Sabroso, Salem Habitat for Humanity ReSTORE

Sustainable Business of the Year (Small)
Advantage Pre-Cast, Cascade Baking Co., First Impressions Last, Illahe Vineyards, Pringle Creek Community, Willamette Valley Fruit Co.

Sustainable Business of the Year (Large)
DeSantis Landscaping, Grand Hotel Salem, Green Acres Landscape, Heritage Seedlings, Hillyer Ford, LifeSource Natural Foods, Performance Health Technology, SAIF Corp., South Town Glass

Sustainable Business of the Year (Organization)
Oregon State Capitol,Oregon Department of Energy

Green Building of the Year (New)
Bilyeu Construction: residence on 14th and Nebraska, City of Keizer City Hall/Police Department/Community Center, Kroc Center

Green Building of the Year (Retrofit)
Travel Salem

EarthWISE Businesses of the Year (two winners)
Cascade Baking Co., Hillyer Ford, Sabroso, Advantage Pre-Cast Inc., Willamette Valley Fruit Co., DeSantis Landscaping, Grand Hotel Salem, Green Acres Landscape, Performance Health Technology, SAIF Corp., Oregon State Capitol, Oregon Department of Energy, Travel Salem

Here is the link the article in the Statesman Journal, which said the following about Pringle Creek's award:

The development was built as a living laboratory to show sustainable practices from its geo-thermal heating to its strict green-building standards.
Painter's Hall, the development's community center, is one of the few buildings on the West Coast to reach the highest level of LEED certification from the Green Building Council. It also has a zero-waste policy for events. Developers also reused materials from several existing buildings on site, repurposed others to minimize waste and used local, sustainable products and practices throughout.
The development was recently certified as the Salmon Safe residential development for its efforts to promote water quality and fish habitat on site.

"Manufactured Landscapes" at Grand Theater

2010-03-06T11:10:00.001-08:00

We love the Salem Progressive Film Series but this one, Manufactured Landscapes, coming up on Thursday March 11, is the one we're most excited about seeing. Edward Burtynsky is AMAZING. The film is about his photography. The director of the film, Jennifer Baichwal, will "appear" via Skype at the Grand Theater to talk about it. Variety magazine says the documentary is "a profound, open-ended meditation on Man's physical impact on his environment." To read more about it and see the trailer, go to the Salem Progressive Film Series website.

Location: Grand Theater
191 High Street NE, Salem, Oregon
Doors open at 6:15p, Films begin at 7p
Admission: Adults $3, Students $2

Courtyard cottages

2010-02-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

Springtime is around the corner and its a great time to come out and see what's new at Pringle Creek Community. Designer and builder Spectra Construction has two cottage homes that are close to completion. These unique single-level homes are two bedroom/two bath, LEED gold certified, and are each available for under $200,000. This includes landscaping and access to the geo-thermal heating and cooling system. The courtyard cottages share a common backyard green space. They are at different stages of construction but in both cases a buyer is able to choose finish details such as cabinet design, paint colors, countertops and bath fixtures.

Call (503.315.1055) or email (sarah@pringlecreek.com) Sarah de Haan for a personal tour of these homes and the community.

Photo log

2010-02-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

Sanyo solar photovoltaic panels on Painter's Hall

Recycled decking and trellis on Painter's Hall

Painter's Hall in the sun

Paco on the greenroof

Oak log

Marge walking Sampson

Lumber milled onsite . . .

. . . becomes coffee table