In America today, buildings account for one-third of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, use of raw materials, and output of waste. Jeff Cannon and Anj McClain at green|spaces, a Chattanooga resource center showcasing environmentally smart materials, methods and resources, want to help change the way buildings are built and the way people view urban park space (eco-friendly) versus buildings (eco-harmful). They believe there does not need to be a sharp dividing line between the two – that buildings can also be eco-friendly.
But it’s not business as usual at green|spaces - this resource center is in business to be out of business. In fact, they have set their goal to be out of business in three years. If successful, they hope that there will no longer be a need for their services.
Since opening green|spaces in August 2008, Cannon and McClain have discovered that many developers and contractors want to build “green,” but don’t know where to start. They have also discovered many myths about green design. Among many, those include: green design costs 20 percent more, it is burdensome on the construction process, it is more time consuming, and buildings can be built to LEED standards without certification.
The lack of information and misinformation about green construction has served as the foundation for green|spaces’s initiatives. The first, an environmental initiative, provides incentive funding for green and certified sustainable commercial projects and high-profile green features, such as solar panels and green roofs. The second is a resource initiative that provides educational support for commercial and residential projects using the best eco-friendly materials and methods. Green|spaces hosts continuing education workshops involving how to become LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). It also hosts classes focused on green building product information. In the nine months that green|spaces has been open, over 2,900 people have attended their workshops and classes.
Cannon and McClain’s leadership goes beyond incentives, workshops and classes. They walk the walk and talk the talk. The green|spaces office at 63 East Main Street makes use of energy, water and product sustainability. By using exterior and interior canopies, the glass storefront is constructed to let light in, but not heat. The walls are the original unfinished brick, and one contains bookcases made from 100 percent recycled wood. The floor in the front of the office is concrete with a “0 VOC” (“zero volatile organic compounds”) stain. The rear floor is made from recycled tires and houses a kitchen area with a countertop made from recycled paper. There is also a bathroom with a shower facility for people who might ride their bike to work (a nod to eco-friendly transportation). The water for the shower is collected and treated from a rooftop cistern. There are LED lights and a ground-source heat pump with five wells.
When Cannon and McClain founded green|spaces in 2008, they wondered if there was a market for green building in Chattanooga. Since its inception, both have been “blown away” at the reception to their service. From the beginning, green|spaces has been supported by the Lyndhurst Foundation, Benwood Foundation and RiverCity Company. The resource center has partnerships with the City of Chattanooga, RiverCity Company and the UTC departments of interior design and environmental science. Its pilot project, River Street Architecture, has become the group’s first LEED-certified project. Other projects working towards LEED-certification are the green|spaces office, Two North Shore, Outdoor Chattanooga and the new theatre currently under construction in downtown Chattanooga.
Together, Cannon and McClain have a goal of establishing 20 LEED-certified buildings downtown within three years. With that accomplishment, they will feel confident that their services will no longer be needed and that Chattanooga will be well on its way to becoming a model city for green building practices.