Keeping It Local: Edith Green

The homely, humongous federal building in downtown Portland is currently being transformed into an environmental showpiece and is Oregon's single biggest federal stimulus project. Portland based SERA Architects has taken on the massive job. It is an opportunity to showcase how an existing building can be turned into a high-performance green building.

 

Before.

 

After.

The green on the outside of the building on Southwest Third and Jefferson, is a vertical garden. 250 vertical feet of garden. The plants will grow on ‘fins’ that are set at acute angles and will grow much like plants in a garden climb trellises. 

The idea is that lush foliage will grow during the spring and summer, and will shade the building’s west facade enough to reduce energy bills. In the colder months, the plants will naturally drop their foliage and sunlight can once again penetrate the building to provide warmth. 

For more on what is transforming this into the greenest government building around, click the links below. 

Portland leads the nation in green living and building. With our avid recycling, curbside composting, bicycle commuting, re-purposing, public transit, buy local, organic, solar operated sidewalk trash and recycling cans, farmers market abundant little world. I think it's great the this government project is happening here.

GSA

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