The Build Local Alliance, a fledgling group trying to encourage local sourcing of sustainably harvested wood products, has announced the three winners of its first-ever Build Local Challenge.
The alliance offered awards for companies making significant progress in using more local and sustainably harvested wood products, and for development projects that were completed in 2008 using such products.
Green Hammer Inc. won the challenge award for companies, for becoming the first Forest Stewardship Council-certified general contractor in North America. The company also in the last year has used FSC certified products for 100 percent of its wood products, and 75 percent of that product was from local suppliers.
"There's folks saying you could never base a company off of FSC supply," said Stephen Aiguier, president and founder of Green Hammer. "For us it was low hanging fruit. It doesn't need to be us, it can be anybody."
FSC is the most stringent and widely accepted sustainable wood certification program, which requires third-party verification of environmental practices.
B & G Builders Inc., formerly known as Barrs & Genauer Construction, won in the project category for its Daybreak Cohousing development, which is under construction on North Killingsworth Avenue. The development bought used FSC-certified material for 100 percent of its framing lumber, plywood and solid wood interior trim. The building also includes shared cooking and laundry facilities for residents. It used recycled products in its construction.
"The project as a whole was just stellar," said Ben Deumling, who helped organize the awards.
Homeowner Sarah Ferguson won the small project award for using all local and sustainable wood in her kitchen remodel. Wood for cabinet doors came from Hyla Woods, a family owned timberland and sawmill 40 miles west of Portland. Countertops were supplied by a Washington company that supplies post-consumer recycled content, and backsplashes were handmade in Portland by Tempest Tileworks.
"That's something lots of people could do and could latch onto," Deumling said.The Oregonian
