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Habitat for Humanity has been increasing its green and sustainable building practices every year and here in Portland we just completed the first two LEED certified Habitat homes in the state of Oregon, in partnership with Walsh Construction and the Cascadia Green Building Council. In fact, these two homes achieved the LEED Platinum rating, which was beyond what we were even shooting for. The more we got into the project and the LEED qualifications, the more realized that with advance planning achieving LEED does not have to mean increased costs. 

In addition to the Energy Star products and practices implemented on all our homes, these two homes used locally produced materials; formaldehyde-free interior wood products; a gray-water filtration system that uses runoff from the metal roof to water the yard; hardscaping with reclaimed materials; Forest Stewardship Council Certified Wood; low emitting paints, carpets, adhesives, flooring, and composite wood; water re-use system for toilet flushing; Perlite foundation insulation; and low-flow kitchen and bathroom fixtures.

At Habitat for Humanity we beleive that is is absolutely essential that Habitat homes are not only affordable to buy, but affordable and healthy to live in a well.

You can see more about these homes on our web site at www.habitatportlandmetro.org

Steve Messinetti, Executive Director

Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East

posted 3 years, 12 months ago
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