Years ago, I rented a section on the second floor of a very large three-story Victorian house in Evanston, Illinois. It wasn’t that long after grad school and I was still feeling very communal, but in an ‘I need space’ sort-of way.
The D.M. Renovation Boot Camp and its Resident Rehabber
February 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment
More often than not, when I don’t see Steve Wilke-Shapiro at the Indigo Dawn office, I see him at Mars Café in the Drake neighborhood. When he mentions to me, as he did this morning, that he hasn’t seen me lately, it means he hasn’t seen me at Mars. And today he looks a bit different—he’s growing a beard. In true rehab fashion, Steve takes a seasonal approach to his temperature control needs, adding insulation layers on an as-needed basis.
Sustainable Design: G&M’s First Workshop
February 7, 2011 by 1 Comment
What do we mean by Green Design or Sustainable Design? It includes a variety of areas such as community design, energy efficiency, water-use efficiency, resource conservation and indoor environmental air quality.
Six-Part Education Series on Sustainable Renovation Begins Tomorrow
February 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment
As part of the ongoing Green & Main education efforts, a six-part series on sustainable renovation will begin Friday, February 4th 2011. The first workshop will present a sustainable building overview while also providing tips on prioritizing a rehabilitation project, assessing existing projects, selecting a contractor, and staging for site preparation. The Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) is providing the educational component for the series.
Design Well, Live Simply and Celebrate Wellness
January 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Each day we have an opportunity to live the life we want to live, to explore, learn and grow. Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, also known as LOHAS, is an ever expanding group – more of a demographic really – that individually and collectively makes choices in our growing world of accountability and impact.
A Message from the Developer – Looking Ahead to 2011
January 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment
I prefer looking forward over staring backwards. Driving is generally easier this way and so is piloting a new vision. As a pilot project celebrating high performance Main Street renovations, the Green & Main pilot project is definitely no exception. We have entered our fifth year developing this vision and are now just breaking ground.
Connecting Community During the Holiday Season
December 20, 2010 by Leave a Comment
During the holidays, eco-minded individuals may find themselves overwhelmed with the environmentally wasteful customs of the season. Recapture the magic by creating new traditions that make meaningful connections for you, your family, and friends.
Sustainable Thought Leader: Suzet Nelson
December 15, 2010 by 1 Comment
One of the goals of the Green & Main Pilot Project is to increase discussion about how we can live more sustainably, not only in our business practices but also in our community. To highlight members of the Des Moines’ sustainability community, the Green & Main Team has asked sustainability experts from across various disciplines to share their thoughts.
Have a Main Street Season
November 29, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Recently a blog post from Des Moines Juice Staff Writer Brianne Sanchez made me rethink what local holiday shopping means to me. While one could emphasize the benefits of purchasing items produced in a 150 mile radius, I realized local shopping meant more than buying an ‘Iowa Made Product.’
Pilot Project Becomes First in Iowa to Participate
November 23, 2010 by 1 Comment
The Green & Main Pilot Project joins more than 150 projects from 34 states as well as from Canada, Iceland, and Spain as part of an international pilot project program to evaluate the new Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) rating system. SITES is testing the nation’s first rating system for green landscape design, construction, and maintenance. Green & Main will be the first SITES project in the state of Iowa.
Sustainability and Vision in the Greater Des Moines Region, Part 2
November 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The trick—to reference my blog post of November 13th—is not to be overwhelmed by the enormity of any task. As a friend once said to me years ago, ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’
Collective visions are tough to come by, particularly in the face of competing needs, cultural and social commitments, economic infrastructures and layers of political policies. The facilitator of the meeting—a focus group on sustainability and the Des Moines region that was hosted by the Greater Des Moines Partnership—began with all things positive as the group members jumped in to the conversation, which flowed without pause.
Sustainability and Vision in the Greater Des Moines Region, Part 1
November 17, 2010 by 2 Comments
On Tuesday afternoon (yesterday) I attended a focus group on sustainability and the Des Moines region that was hosted by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. A wide variety of interested people were in attendance, from a regional mayor to small- and medium-sized business owners, architects, city planners and those interested in what green space meant for this region and its inhabitants.
Today’s the Day to Act
November 13, 2010 by 1 Comment
One of the astounding aspects of the green and sustainability communities is the depth and breadth of its diversity. It’s also one of those things that can make it difficult to jump in, to find something to do so as to feel that you have made a difference.
A Message about How the Pilot Project Supports Women
September 22, 2010 by 1 Comment
Chaden Halfhill had a grand vision to create a building that lived and breathed as one with nature. One that the human spirit and physical body could find peace and comfort within its walls. It is a lofty dream for the building industry and the first of its kind in Des Moines. In this building, he envisioned a healing, holistic women’s health center.
Our Pilot Project Scores Some Illustrations by Scavo Students
September 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
If you have a chance to drive by the Green & Main Pilot Project, you should! And not just to see the building at 800 19th Street. You should see the current display of impressive 3’ x 5’ art murals created by students of Scavo Alternative High School.
Shovel Some Dirt at the Groundbreaking
September 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment
We wanted to do something symbolic at our September 23rd groundbreaking ceremony that everyone could participate in. So here’s what we came up with…
