Because spirit and intention matter.

It matters to Chaden and I. It matters to the Willowsong Midwifery team providing theCare. It matters to the artisans of Silent Rivers. It matters to the community we serve. And this spirit, this intention, has the ability to set the path for a more connected, sustainable, safer future for our planet. Or NOT.

 
On the hilltop corner of 800 19th Street, in the historic Sherman Hill neighborhood ~ up the street from where Willowsong Midwifery Care has been since 2003 ~ there sits a two-story masonry building that has sat empty for years. Chaden Halfhill, of Silent Rivers Design+Build had a vision to bring the building to life through a sustainable renovation aimed to “decrease our carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency and promote better use of materials”.

The site has a green roof…

And a rain wall and rain garden to effectively manage stormwater runoff, as well as geothermal heating and cooling, natural ventilation and solar panels…

The very caring, intentional restoration of this prominent building in the neighborhood is the beginning of a greater vision to restore, create and nurture sustainable communities, one building at a time, all around Iowa.

“This project will not only help to beautify a historic piece of our community, but it is our hope that we will inspire others to follow suit,” said Chaden. “There are over 10,000 buildings around Iowa alone that have a structure similar to that of our pilot project.

We could drastically change our environment if we were to implement more sustainable practices when renovating those existing buildings”.

 
Now that sounds a little like the purpose, mission, vision & values of Willowsong Midwifery Care.
 

We could drastically change our environment if we were to implement safer, more sustainable birth practices around the world.

 
This is theHeart of why Healing Passages, the entity that provides theSpace, chose Green & Main’s pilot project to be its future home. We know that when we CARE for one another, we must not disconnect from being human, from the cycles of LIFE, for we all are connected to one another and to our planet. The journey is not sterile. It is organic. The power to HEAL, comes from these connections and this knowing.
 

Take a moment to imagine a space that holds the belief that BIRTH is SACRED…

An opportunity for transformation for all who participate, an unfolding of a mother and baby’s journey beyond our control, a biological process designed to be SAFE for mother and child, where technology is only used when medically necessary, where the mother’s intuition is honored, where she and her newborn are seen as ONE and her soul’s connection to her baby is valued.
 

Now, feel yourself in another paradigm, in a space where the belief is that BIRTH is a MEDICAL PROCEDURE…

A physiological condition fraught with danger for mother and child, a process meant to be controlled and pushed, where all who participate feel nothing but FEAR expecting the worst to happen, where technology is seen as far superior than  the body’s design and mother and baby are seen as TWO ~ their soul’s connection devalued.
 

One paradigm does everything from a point of connection to each other, to our planet. The other from a point of disconnect from ourselves and the planet.

 
Not only does the building and the land upon which it rests synergistically work with and remind us as human beings of our connection to all the cycles of life; so does the design and intent of the space reflect those connections.

The next blog post will reflect upon how every aspect of the interior is designed for the women and families of Willowsong and what we, as women, do with each other ~ we hold space ~ guiding each other through all the passages of life. It is in this building’s design that theSpace, within which this hard work occurs, shall feel connected and organic as a gentle reminder to us all that this is where all healing begins.
 
 
Cosette Boone is the Founder and Executive Director of Healing Passages Birth & Wellness Center, which is the main tenant of the renovated building.
 

Ann Wilde

If you’ve ever planted a garden, or even one pumpkin seed, you know the excitement of seeing those first sprouts emerge. So imagine thousands of plants and flowers surfacing, expertly orchestrated to grow and bloom spring through fall to bring function and beauty to the Green & Main site. The Green & Main Pilot Project landscaping was installed this past October, so you can count on a burst of fresh greenery and flowers to greet spring.

Beginning the Installation Process

Just in the nick of time, the Green & Main site was ready for the grass and flower plugs to be installed. Under the design guidance of Zach Heitzman of Green Bean Landscapes in Ankeny, the task of strategically positioning the plants to support the site’s environmental and aesthetic goals began.

Blue Lobelia

I talked to Zach on a chilly December day as he worked in his Ankeny office designing Green Bean’s landscaping projects for next spring.

“Really, the basic concept of the Green & Main’s landscaping had been sketched out for a long, long time by the Green & Main team” stated Zach. “My role was to incorporate landscaping into the site that would accommodate their stormwater management goals, including building a bioswale, meeting the LEED and SITES (the Sustainable Sites Initiative) requirements, and offering an aesthetically pleasing experience as well. It was all about creating the details around the vision.”

“Of course, the final design also had to be documented for the City of Des Moines’ approval to ensure it complied with their guidelines regarding ground elevation, easements and pavements,” concluded Zach.

Butterfly Milkweed

Contaminated Soil Amended to Make Ready for Our Plants

Before a single seed was planted, the soil at the site needed to be amended.

“Since the ground had been used for many, many purposes over a hundred or so years,” Zach noted, “we assumed that it would be contaminated with impurities. So the first step was to amend the soil. As required by SITES, we documented the before-and-after health of the soil. Prior to amending it, we took samples of the existing soil and sent it to the USDA where they evaluate the nutrients, the permeability and the organic matter. Then we sent a sample of the amended soil. We also sent samples to Iowa State to test the organic matter. Before-and-after test results have yet to come back.”

The method used by Zach for amending the soil was one that was recommended by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. This method included using a mini excavator to tear up 24 inches of the site’s topsoil to make it less compacted. Prior to this, two inches of compost were placed on top of the ground in order to be incorporated into the existing soil. The affect is a significant increase of organic matter and nutrients in the soil. Also, by making the soil more permeable and nutrient-rich, we now have soil that absorbs stormwater much more aggressively.

The compost used on the Green & Main site was acquired from Des Moines Metro Waste Authority and consists of leaves, sticks, and grass clippings that were collected from Des Moines residents and businesses.

Prairie Aster

How SITES and LEED Requirements Affect the Landscaping Design

SITES and LEEDs requirements apply to the Green & Main landscaping design primarily in the areas of increased energy efficiency, water conservation and stormwater management.

Energy efficiency.

Zach designed the strategic placement of shade trees in the landscaping in order to decrease the heat inside the building. According to the EPA, trees and vegetation lower surface and air temperatures by providing shade as well as through evapotranspiration, the process of transporting water into the atmosphere. Shaded surfaces, for example, may be 20–45°F cooler than the peak temperatures of unshaded materials, which then decreases demand for air conditioning.

Water conservation.

Using plants that are more adaptive to our climate will thrive without a lot of extra fertilizing and watering. Once these types of plants are well established, they are pretty self-sufficient.

Stormwater management.

The type of vegetation incorporated in the Green & Main landscaping was selected specifically for its ability to absorb more water via root systems and soil. Vegetation reduces runoff and improves water quality by absorbing and filtering rainwater.

Prairie Blazingstar

A small bioswale was also built by Zach Heitzman to affect stormwater management goals. “This was one of my more challenging projects at the Green & Main site,” added Zach. “Essentially I had to create the bioswale by hand. It was too hard to bring in machinery to dig and form the bioswale, so I came in with a rake, shovel and wheelbarrow. More challenging was keeping the construction crew away from it! Of course, there were a lot of people on site and once we graded and shaped the bioswale, we couldn’t have people walking over it.”

“Overall, I’d say that the vegetation on the site is more functional than aesthetic,” concludes Zach. “[But] it will definitely be beautiful, from spring through the fall.”

Kelly Hayes of Allendan Seed…and Her Forbs

Allendan Seed of Winterset is one of the largest producers of native prairie grass and wildflower seeds in the United States. Allendan Seed produces over 250 species of native grass and wildflowers. Dan and Sonia Allen began farming conventional row crops in 1976. Today they are still a family operation. Their four children migrated home to farm upon graduating from Iowa State University.

Prairie Dropseed

Daughter Kelly Allen Hayes is Allandan’s production manager. She oversees the greenhouses and fields, planting about two million seeds a year, overseeing all production from plugs to harvest on the company’s 40 acres.

“Forbs” are technically defined as herbaceous flowering plants, wildflowers being a type of forb. Kelly Hayes can assure us thousands of these little beauties will poke up through the ground at the Green & Main site come next spring.

“Once I had become familiar with the Green & Main site itself and the objectives of the initiative, I chose over 30 species of plants, grasses and forbs to incorporate into the landscaping,” said Kelly. “I focused on species with root systems that would be beneficial to the ecosystem, aiding with stormwater absorption and water conservation. But I also added some visually appealing colors, heights and textures to the site that will appear from spring to fall.”

Some of the species planted by Kelly are prairie violets, prairie smoke, prairie blazingstar, prairie dropseed, little bluestem, blue lobelia, rattlesnake master, New England aster and silky aster. Butterfly milkweed was placed all along the bioswale. The plants and flowers range from four-inches to seven-feet tall. “I also incorporated some mountain mint into the landscape,” continued Kelly. “Mountain mint really aids in erosion control because it forms runners, essentially a type of living carpet after a few years of growth.”

Prairie Smoke

Personal Touches to the Landscaping

The designer’s creativity plays a part in any landscaping project, and Zach Heitzman’s creative contribution to the site can be found in every foot of the landscaping. However, in talking with him, he says his most significant personal contribution to the design is in the limestone incorporated into the landscaping.

“One of my favorite parts of operating my own business is that I can create my own designs in some of the detailed elements,” explained Zach. “The limestone pieces that I worked with were acquired from an Anamosa quarry – all limestone in Iowa comes from the Anamosa area – and they are a rich cream color that really complements the site. The pieces of limestone are raw and broken, so I created natural-looking outcroppings among the plants and placed some of the stone in an informal path that suggests native limestone outcroppings.

Prairie Violet

“I’m proud of that stonework on the site,” continued Zach. “But I’m mostly proud of how we all worked together to make the final landscaping a success. We got it done to specifications within a very tight timeframe. Everyone really contributed their talents to the project and that collaboration resulted in success”

Asked what he would do differently if he had more space to work with, Zach responded that he’d love to have the additional space to incorporate more educational opportunities. “I would really like for people to be able to walk through guided pathways with signage explaining the plant species and how they specifically benefit the environment.  I would use the very same technologies that I used on the Green & Main site; I’d just make it a more dramatic experience for visitors.”

A big “thank you” to both Zach and Kelly for the colorful flowers and vegetation coming up next spring. I, for one, am looking forward to it.

–Ann Wilde is a Des Moines marketing strategist and writer who also has a special interest in preserving and creating sustainable communities.

Michelle Peiffer

Renovating a historic 1930’s brick building presents many challenges. Renovating that same building to exceptionally high energy standards adds further layers of complexity to the project. Fortunately, for a vacant 5,000-square-foot brick storefront, developer Chaden Halfhill has not shied away from these challenges.

Storefront window facing east.

Few of these challenges are as convoluted as maintaining the delicate balance between the respect for the building’s historic character and the integration of modern energy-saving technologies. Halfhill’s renovation pilot project, Green & Main, aspires to LEED platinum certification as it transforms an abandoned grocery building into a first floor business and a second floor residence. As it turns out, windows are a particularly complex piece of the puzzle.

Balance Between Historic and Modern

Located in Des Moines’ Sherman Hill neighborhood, all 54 original windows, including two large storefronts, will be retrofit for energy efficiency in a variety of ways depending upon the condition, location and window type. While the default choice for most developers is often to replace historic windows in order to increase energy savings, most of the windows at Green & Main will be repaired, restored and specially renovated in accordance with the project’s energy efficiency and historic preservation goals.

“It is extremely important to find the balance between historic integrity and modern efficiency,” states Halfhill. “Windows are the place where historic preservation is combined with the goals in improving the efficiency of the building. Sometimes they are inclusive, sometimes exclusive.”

Halfhill recently explained the process of window restoration in detail during this month’s Green & Main Sustainability Renovation Workshop Series. “Windows are the biggest components to both preservation and efficiency,” Halfhill emphasized.

Storefront Windows

Exterior of the building, facing east.

There are two fixed storefront windows facing 19^th Street. These windows have been boarded up for a very long time. Removing the boards and restoring the windows will have a huge impact on both the appearance and the character of the building.

During the process of renovation, special care has been made to salvage windows and other pieces of the existing building for a similar use or for repurposing. During removal of the window infill boards, the original wood sill was uncovered. This wood sill will serve as a template for both the window reconstruction and from which the workers will replicate the angles of the old storefront window. While the original look and detailing of the historic storefront will be retained, new double pane insulated glass will be installed. The new panes are required under applicable preservation guidelines to match the appearance of historic storefront glass.

Row of small transom windows.

Above each of the two storefront windows and the entry vestibule, are smaller transom windows that allow more natural light into the building. The original glass had a translucent texture and several remaining pieces were salvaged intact. The salvaged glass was cleaned and sent to a factory where it will be incorporated into new double-paned assemblies. This will increase the R-value, or thermal resistance, while also maintaining the window’s historical appearance. Fortunately for our project, the manufacturer was able to locate new glass with a similar pattern to repair the transom windows that had damaged or missing panes.

Double-Hung Windows

The double-hung windows in the second floor apartment require a multi-pronged approach in order to meet historic preservation guidelines and energy efficiency goals. A double-hung window has two operable sashes – the top sash opens down and the lower sash opens up. This allows air to circulate effectively through a room and minimize the need for mechanical heating and cooling. The benefit in restoring historic double-hung windows is twofold. First, historic windows are “repairable” without specialized products or tools. Second, reuse of existing windows diverts material from landfills.

‘Anatomy of a Window’  See glossary below.

The first step in the process was removing sashes from the window frames. Historic double-hung windows are designed to be “deconstructed” and repaired. Deteriorated lead paint was removed from the windows using a chemical stripper, in accordance with Federal and state guidelines. Removal of the paint allowed workers to better assess the condition of each sash and make the necessary repairs.

Along the way, we also discovered that the weight pockets to the side of older windows have to be rebuilt. The missing sash rope, weights and pulleys have to be located, repaired or replaced to return each window to working order. The final step is to put the windows back together with new glazing, which is the material that holds the glass into the wood frame. It’s a long and exhaustive process to meticulously restore each window, yet Halfhill believes in the importance of keeping these windows out of the landfill.

To optimize the Green & Main building, a double-window assembly was designed. Inside each historic double-hung window will be a new double-hung window. This assembly will create an air-tight seal on the inside while retaining the historic appearance from the outside of the building. The new interior windows will be the same as the historic ones and installed in a new insulated wall construction adjacent to the original masonry wall.

The New Addition

It is important to note that window’s are a major component of a building’s “shell,” and one of the main points that must be examined in an energy retrofit. However, buildings behave as interactive systems where the foundation, walls, windows, doors, insulation and roof work together to keep energy in and weather out.

An important consideration to look at when integrating new windows with an existing building is to pay particular notice to the existing window positioning and reflectivity of the existing windows. With careful deliberation, the building can take advantage of natural wind patterns that can allow for natural cooling of the building. The focus of the window reflectivity is to take advantage of the opportunity to gain solar heat in the winter and keep the building cooler in summer. The new construction on the back of the building will have newer energy efficient windows, but they will correspond well with the positioning of the older windows to achieve maximum energy efficiency naturally: they will be designed to instinctually manage heat and heat loss.

Green & Main      storefront window.

All of the components touched on in today’s article require detailed, constant attention as the Green & Main Pilot project continues to evolve. Whole building awareness helps ensure major milestones and decisions to the building envelope itself are made and supported accordingly, resulting in building science at its maximum efficiency.

* * * * *

Anatomy of a Window Glossary

Upper/Lower Sash: A frame in which the panes of a window or door are set

Rail: A bar extending horizontally between supports, as in the framework of a sash

Head/Side Jam: The straight side of arch, door or window

Stiles: A vertical member of a panel or frame, as in a door or window sash

Parting Bead: A small narrow molding used to separate and guide the upper and lower window sash in Victorian double-hung wood windows

Meeting Rail: The rails in sliding sash windows, which meet in the middle of the frame

Window Sill: The flat piece of weed, stone, or the like, at the bottom of a window frame

– Michelle Peiffer is director of communications strategy for Indigo Dawn.

Michelle Peiffer

What is Geothermal Energy?

Geothermal Energy is heat (thermal) that comes from the earth (geo). The layers of the earth are heated in different gradients, originating from the 4,000-mile deep core, which has a temperature similar to that of the sun of around 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit (F). The heat gradually lessens as it reaches the surface of the earth, where the temperature of the top soil more accurately represents the temperature of the atmosphere. Just ten feet below the surface of the ground, the temperature of the earth maintains a constant temperature of 50-60 degrees F in all seasons. Geothermal heat pumps make use of the earth’s constant temperature as a natural source for heating and cooling.

Photo courtesy of the Department of Energy.

Geothermal Energy has been used for thousands of years, dating back as early as 10,000 years ago on this continent when Native Americans used hot springs for relaxation and cooking. Today, we use this natural heat source in a variety of ways ranging from highly technical geothermal energy plants that use hot water and steam to generate electricity to individual home and business use for heating and cooling.

How Does it Work?

In a residential or business setting, a geothermal well field is determined based upon the heating and cooling needs and the size of the building. This field is the area where geothermal tubing is placed into the earth – or in water such as wells or ponds – and where the temperate maintains a constant temperature throughout the year. The tubing can be laid vertically or horizontally, depending on the site. The tubing is most often made of plastic, although other materials such as copper have been used. The tubing is filled with a liquid that runs into the earth, where it is either heated or cooled, and then brought back to the surface to assist in maintaining a more constant building temperature.

For heating: In the winter, the cool water from the building is sent into the earth, heated to a temperature between 50-60 degrees F, and then brought back into the building where it transfers the therms in order to heat the building.

For cooling: In the summer, the warmer atmospheric temperature is transferred into the tubing liquid at the ground level and circulated into the earth where it cools and returns to the surface, bringing down the temperature of the building.

Photo courtesy of Geothermalgenius.org.

Geothermal heating is especially beneficial in keeping a building’s temperature at a comfortable constant throughout the year. During extreme weather conditions, only small amounts of additional heating or cooling may be necessary.

What are the Benefits of Geothermal Energy?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal heat pumps are the most energy efficient, environmentally clean and cost-effective systems for temperature control. Geothermal pump systems burn no fossil fuel on site and generate far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional furnaces. Even considering the emissions generated from the electrical power plant used to operate the system, total emissions are far lower than conventional systems.

Geothermal energy owners enjoy lower utility bills (25% to 70% lower as compared to conventional systems), lower maintenance and higher levels of comfort year-round. Since geothermal energy systems use no fuel on site, a potential source of poisonous carbon monoxide within the home or building is also eliminated. The waste heat removed from the home’s interior during the cooling season can be used to provide nearly cost-free hot water, resulting in a total savings of about 30% annually while lowering emissions even further.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Geothermal Technologies, nearly 40% of all U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are the result of using energy to heat, cool and provide hot water for buildings. This is about the same amount of CO2 generated by the transportation industry. If the number of residential geothermal energy systems reaches 100,000, the result would be a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing almost 59,000 vehicles off the road.

Why is Geothermal a Good Choice for Green & Main?

The ultimate goal for this pilot project is to transform a mixed-use business and residential building into a demonstration building that highlights energy efficient technology as it merges with historical preservation, all the while striving to reach LEED Platinum certification. Since Iowa has such extreme weather fluctuations, geothermal energy is a perfect fit because it will keep the building at a constant comfortable temperature, somewhere between 50-60 degrees F, thus greatly minimizing the project’s need for additional heating and cooling.

When developing the landscape, the parking lot was the perfect place to position a geothermal well field. Engineers selected the position because of the proximity to the building and the ability to create a vertical closed loop design, which means that the tubing is inserted in the earth vertically rather than horizontally.

Geothermal Energy Systems typically have the lowest life-cycle cost of any heating and cooling system. Heating and cooling costs for the 4,700 square foot Green & Main building are estimated to cost around only $2 a day. Geothermal systems and installation have dramatically improved over the past years and costs associated with the system have dropped significantly, with an average payback of around 7 years.

Meet our Partners in the Well Field Installation, Barker Lemar.

Barker Lemar headquarters, West Des Moines, Iowa.

The engineering consultants at Barker Lemar were instrumental in the development of the geothermal energy well field at Green & Main. From the very onset, they provided a series of earth borings to test the soil for the system installation. Barker Lemar has long been experts in environmental drilling and, in the late 1990’s, furthered their reach by installing geothermal tubing. They have set the benchmark for performance by investing time and energy into educating the consumer and designer on such topics as conductivity testing, drilling methods and implementing overall keys to a successful project.

Barker Lemar was a natural fit into the best practices component of the Green & Main project. The expertise provided in the well field directly correlated with the case study being developed as part of the Solid Waste Alternatives Program (SWAP) grant. Using recycled content as an insulator for the geothermal tubing and measuring temperature gradients between supply and return lines, the study will allow us to compare different insulators and then measure each one’s effectiveness. Tracy Lemar, vice president of Barker Lemar, explains that the pipes in the building can be very close in spots, so using an insulator is one way to increase efficiency by preventing the pipes from transferring the heat back and forth as it’s exiting and entering the building.

Lemar designed the insulation system and originally considered using tire-derived aggregate (TDA). After careful research, the decision was reached to bypass the TDA because of load requirements from the parking lot that sits above the geothermal well field. Recycled glass was ultimately chosen as the best aggregate product for performance. Crushed glass looks a lot like sand and was poured around all the piping and buried in the trenches where the tubes are close together. The heat conductivity will be measured by thermal couples in the building where data will be collected from the trench. The data will then be used to compare the glass against other typical materials, such as insulation board, to measure the differences in conductivity.

Lemar said that the reason he chose to be a part of the Green & Main project was due to the developer’s vision, Chaden Halfhill. “I was very impressed with his vision on how to transform a building that was probably one of the least energy efficient in town, to one of the most energy efficient. We are very excited to be a part of this project and wanted to be involved in the mission.”

– Michelle Peiffer is director of communications strategy for Indigo Dawn.

Michelle Peiffer

Monday Morning in Urbandale

It’s Monday morning and I’m sitting in a local coffee shop with John Konior, Assistant to the City Manager of Urbandale and one of the leaders in Central Iowa’s movement towards energy efficiency. Less than two months ago, Konior and his team launched ShareGoodEnergy.org, a website dedicated to sharing stories on energy efficiency in our communities.

In 2009, the cities of Ankeny, Des Moines, Urbandale and West Des Moines received an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) to reduce energy consumption and share the lessons they’ve learned in completing projects that save energy and money. Share Good Energy is a twelve month campaign to spotlight what the Des Moines Metro is doing to increase energy efficiency in homes and businesses.

John Konior, ShareGoodEnergy.org

The website highlights the initiatives that these cities have undertaken to conserve energy. For example, Ankeny’s police department recently purchased new hybrid vehicles which are expected to generate fuel savings of $1,300 annually per vehicle, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Sustainable Change

Urbandale has been looking into three main categories to conserve their energy usage: insulation, heating/cooling and lighting. The city just installed their first solar powered trash compactor and recycling unit this month and will be converting the streetscape on Douglas – from Merle Hay to 72^nd – with new poles and LED lights. In addition to the money saved by using more efficient lighting, the hope is that this will help revitalize the area and create a greater sense of neighborhood.

Everything that the cities are implementing will have a simple payback of seven years or less. “We want to show the residents that we care about both the environment and costs, [that w]e’re being good stewards of their tax dollars,” said Konior.

The most important piece of the campaign is to spark ideas and share information with the public. Technology has come a long way and manufacturers have learned it’s just as much about being convenient as well as being green. In addition to posting the initiatives on the website, representatives from the four cities are going out and speaking with neighborhood organizations on all the simple things as individuals we can do to help reduce energy inefficiencies.

Community Involvement

John Konior, ShareGoodEnergy.org

Some people see energy efficiency as a big, far-flung green theory. Most people don’t realize that the little things they’re already doing like conserving water and lights can have a big impact. “We want to start conversations on energy efficiencies so that people are aware of simple transitions we can all make,” said Konior. “I think the biggest power comes from sharing our stories and showing that these changes are easy, convenient and can reduce future usage.”

The biggest hope from the Share Good Energy campaign is to get more neighborhoods and metro communities involved in the conversation. “Our goal is to get the communities and other cities to share their stories as well,” explains Konior. “I’d love for people to get on to the website and share. Stories as simple as returning bottle deposits, changing lights, or sharing a new rebate incentive will get people excited and connect us with the people and place we call home.”

– Michelle Peiffer is director of communications strategy for Indigo Dawn. Michelle’s motto is ‘Pura Vida,’ a phrase she easily picked up while studying in Costa Rica. It means ‘Pure Life,’ but more importantly it’s a reminder to let go of worries and enjoy the little things in life.

Johanna Hoffman

Beauty and Sustainability

What is beauty?  Who “gets” it? Why have we, as a society, put so much stock in what is “beautiful” that we easily ignore our health, finances, family and other valued portions of our life to achieve that which is considered beautiful?

Let’s take the Green & Main Initiative for example.  As seen through the eyes of someone who lives in the neighborhood yet whose interests are such that they have come to appreciate the simplicity of freshly painted walls, 50-year guaranteed roofing shingles, newly paved concrete driveway and underground sprinkler system as guidelines to a beautiful project may see this initiative as anything BUT able to fit into any one of those categories.  Take yet another neighbor who has learned to appreciate abstract art, building history and aesthetics, sustainability and the “chi” they feel.  Neither neighbor feels that their outlook is particularly beautiful as individual components, but when each neighbors components are all married together, make the beauty they enjoy.

As quoted by Green & Main project innovator and owner, Chaden Halfhill, “People are starting to expect some shade of green in their housing like they used to expect a two-car garage or a certain number of bedrooms.”  Will this “shade of green” be enough to keep the variation of neighbors feeling it meets their individual ideas of beauty?  We certainly hope so.

Crosscut view of soil and live plant material for the vegetative roof.

Incorporating Green Beauty

One way the initiative is incorporating beauty is by the addition of a natural, vegetative roof.  Rooftop Sedum will be assisting Green & Main with the native, indigenous plant material needed to incorporate the efficiencies of the vegetative roof with a pleasing aesthetic look and feel.  As seen by the examples, vegetative rooftop designs can be easy to maintain.  Native plants are to be handpicked by Rooftop Sedum and professionally installed, per LEED and city specifications, and then maintained by the building owner, in this case Indigo Dawn.

Some of the benefits of having native plant material on your roof:

• More aesthetically pleasing than gravel, tar or asphalt
• Reduces the “urban island heat effect”
• Up to 40 decibel reduction in indoor noise, especially benefiting those who live next to an airport
• Helps reduce the risk of fire

Vegetative roof in an urban setting.

Rooftop Sedum is located in Davenport, IA.  Since its inception in 2006, they grow plants native to Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas.  Being a member of the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) was one of the primary reasons they were chosen to provide this product for the Green & Main Initiative.

It is with a great deal of time and patience that we have begun to see the progress on the ‘ole building at 19^th & Center.  It’s actually becoming quite pleasing.  Straight lines of the addition walls as they are being built handshaking with the dirt work being done for the foundation progress. “Keep it up boys, we are on our way!”

Beautiful?  We think so.

– Johanna Hoffman is a database administrator and project manager for Indigo Dawn and the Green & Main Pilot Project. She likes to make smoothies with avocados and fruit, enjoying them in the evening on her second-floor patio.

The old school in Cambria, Iowa needed a new floor at the same time Green & Main was looking for salvage flooring. Repurposing the old maple floor was a perfect fit for the main floor — and sustainability goals — of our Pilot Project.

The original maple hardwood flooring in the Green & Main Pilot Project building provided solid footing for many, many years, probably since the 1930’s when the building housed Sherman Hill’s H&H Grocery Store.

“We could actually see how the store was used by how the floor was worn,” remarked Chaden Halfhill, developer of the Green & Main initiative. Most noticeable was a small area of the wood worn down to only 1/8” thick by the shopkeeper himself who stood in one part of the floor serving customers for years.

Preserving as much of the original floor as possible was of paramount importance to the Green & Main team. However, wear and tear and some exposure to the elements had taken its toll on the solid maple flooring. So a process of painstakingly cleaning the tongue and groove maple flooring began. The Green & Main construction crew carefully pulled up individual slats of the maple flooring, evaluated each piece to ensure that it could be salvaged, and cleaned and replaced the slat back into the floor.

Preparing the repurposed maple flooring for installation.

However not all the maple slats were in good enough shape to preserve. So, the Green & Main team set out to find matching maple flooring to fill in the areas of the floor that couldn’t be saved.

Flooring from Cambria, Iowa in Wayne County

Around the same time maple flooring matches needed to be found, Mike Kinter of Des Moines’ Kinter Construction had discovered that a public school in Cambria, Iowa was hoping to replace the gym’s original wood floor. The southern Iowa community in Wayne County was converting the school, which closed in 1991, into a community center. The old gym floor was for sale, and it was hardwood maple. A perfect match!

“I drove down to Cambria and found the flooring in good shape,” said Kinter. “Most hardwood flooring in older school gyms is subjected to many layers of varnish over the years. Given how old the Cambria school gym was, it was amazing to find this flooring with just one or two layers of varnish which takes much less time to remove. So much of it was salvageable, it took me two truckloads to bring it all up to Des Moines.”

Through the grapevine, Mike heard that the Green & Main building was in need of supplemental maple flooring. The width of the maple flooring from Cambria’s old gym was a perfect fit. The needed pieces were identified, cleaned and integrated into the existing flooring. Now a beautiful ‘new’ maple hardwood floor is ready to support the many people who will step foot into the Green & Main building’s education space in the coming decades.

“It turned out that re-using the Cambria gym floor was a good solution for everyone,” concluded Halfhill. “We’re estimating that 70% of the new floor ended up coming from the Cambria maple. And, the purchase price for the old maple gym floor will go to completing construction of the Cambria Community Center.  Any wood flooring that we determined to be too damaged to be used in the Pilot Project will be recycled.”

That’s a win-win-win!

A shot of the Green & Main Pilot Project main floor shortly after the maple flooring from the Cambria school was installed. It’s now ready for finishing and many more years of traffic as the flooring for this building’s education space.

– Ann Wilde is a Des Moines marketing strategist and writer who also has a special interest in preserving and creating sustainable communities. She likes traveling to places that have amazing technological gadgets.

Sustainable brick patio in a suburban backyard.

The other day I was helping the teenage son of a friend pick weeds out of the backyard brick patio. I took that moment to tell Owen about stormwater management and how, even though we live in a built environment, we are not separate from the world around us. We are responsible for managing and engineering ways that are compatible at the very least – and assistive at the very best – in creating a sustainable way to exist and thrive in tandem with one another.

After talking about this briefly, and hearing pauses and seeing head tilts, I put it in language I knew he would understand. “It is about urban engineering,” I said, as I knew he created worlds in his computer games and understood causality well. “Instead of having a slab of concrete that moves the water to places around the base of the house that could impact the structure, the cracks between the bricks help the water soak into the ground where it lands, instead of moving it en masse to places where it could do damage.”

He nodded and we returned to our weed picking.

A Chiminea fireplace with potted flowers.

For many days I have been thinking about sustainability and memory, historical preservation and remembrance. The built environment provides us with a different type of memory. It is a perpetual ‘memorial’ to what went before us. As memorials too often reference something or someone that no longer exists, I was struggling to figure out ways to re-imagine how individual and collective memories are made solid around us and how to talk about this. In doing so, I was immediately reminded of the Main Streets Conference in Des Moines last week, put on by the National Trust for Historical Preservation in Washington D.C.

An untold number of volunteers have gotten together through the Main Streets program to create dynamic and sustainable forms of community living that repurpose buildings so they may be used in current, economically viable ways that provide a solid footing for not just a few years down the line, but 20 years, 50 years and beyond.

These volunteers and managers understand that their present will be the past of those who are yet in pre-school or junior high. Once these young ones reach adulthood and have families and work in their home communities, it will be a present that they, too, seek to enrich by shared community histories and experiences.

Buildings are part of the language of memory. The structures of our main-street, urban and rural communities are tangible narratives of the best ideas and worst ideas of who we are. The Green & Main Pilot Project seeks to take the best of a particular piece of history in the Sherman Hill neighborhood and re-envision it. We are doing this through extensive dialog with preservationists and just as extensive dialog with sustainability experts at the intersection of building science and green technology.

As my mother said to me the last time she hugged me before we parted, “I am creating memories.” This is what the Green & Main team is doing as well – though we are still in the throes of creation.

– Jean Danielson is director of operations for Indigo Dawn. She believes that lemonade is best served with sunshine.

Chaden Halfhill speaking with Tim Reinders, Design Consultant with Main Street Iowa.

The National Main Streets Conference

The National Main Streets Conference opened earlier this week in Des Moines. Events ranged from tours to evening outings while the central meet-up point was the Polk County Convention Center where 1,300 people convened over a four-day period.

Sunday offered a free session on the Main Street Four Point Approach, created through the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington D.C. The Four Point Approach is characterized by Design, Organization, Promotion and Economic Restructuring. It is a very specific template to follow in order to be considered a Main Street Community through the National Trust’s program.

A pilot project began in 1977 through the Chicago office. Three communities throughout the Midwest were chosen and the Trust pledged to work with them for three years to assist with strategies that identified assets and impediments to ultimately leverage the good stuff for downtown economic revitalization. A book grew out of this experience and currently 40 U.S. states have active Main Street programs and communities, the direct outcome of which is new business, physical improvements and community vitality.

Banners representing Iowa’s 45 Main Street communities as displayed at the National Main Streets Conference.

What is a Main Street Community?

So what is a Main Street Community? As over a hundred of us sat in a large conference room, we learned it is a shared vision with a tremendous amount of work. The outcomes, however, are incredible and far reaching. There are 45 active Main Street Communities in Iowa, including Woodbine, Spencer, West Union, Marshalltown, Ames, West Branch, Central City, Burlington, Osceola, Iowa Falls, West Des Moines and the 6th Street Corridor in Des Moines.

In 1985 the Iowa Legislature adopted the program and placed it within the purview of the Iowa Department of Economic Development in order to

…improve the social and economic well-being of Iowa’s communities by assisting selected communities to capitalize on the unique identity, assets and character of their historic commercial district. Main Street is economic development within the context of historic preservation.

The National Main Street Community Criteria that is followed are ten-fold:

1. Have broad-based public and private support

2. Vision and mission statements

3. Comprehensive work plan

4. Historic preservation ethic

5. Active board and committees

6. Adequate operating budget

7. Paid, professional program director

8. On-going training for staff and volunteers

9. Reporting of key statistics

10. Current member of National Main Street Network

Economic & Cultural Development presentation.

Volunteers & Community

The formula is comprehensive and community-driven. It seeks to flesh out and leverage traditions and expertise of a town or region meeting needs for economic stability, growth and solid expectations about a vital future.

There are an untold number of volunteers around the state who see that their future will one day be somebody’s present. These are motivated people who want their extensive efforts for the cultural and economic revitalization of their communities to be a solid footing on which many others can learn, grow, contribute and thrive.

– Jean Danielson is director of operations for Indigo Dawn. She likes sidewalks and walking down them while window shopping. And then buying things.

Jean Danielson

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 couple who owned the house was interesting—eclectic and adventurous. In the summer Rosemary would grow a garden in the very small backyard that included all sorts of vegetables, but most importantly, basil. In late summer she would populate the freezer with serving size portions of pesto in small Dixie cups that would slowly disappear through the fall and winter months. Her husband, Herc, was newly retired. He spent a lot of time reading newspapers, books and telling me stories from earlier in their lives.

One Valentine’s Day, Herc was fretting over what to buy Rosemary. He had all day to figure it out, but he was having a heck of a time. When I saw him later that evening he said the solution was simple: he went to the grocery store and bought red things. On the counter were two apples, a bottle of salsa, strawberries and ketchup. He already had the pinot noir, so he was good to go.

Choices can be difficult. What can be done that shows thought, creativity, affection or mirth? And on top of that, how does one add a sustainable I-want-to-love-the-world-I-live-in twist? With this in mind, I set about to find examples that are meaningful, fun and demonstrate an awareness of how we individually and together impact—and appreciate—our communities.

• Cook a dinner that involves vegetables and fruits. Choose many colors. Since it is the middle of winter, finding what you want may be tougher as the vast majority of these foods will be imported. However, if you made your pesto last fall, you already have a great start.
• Find a local winery and go to a wine tasting. Some of Iowa’s hidden joys are its local wineries. You’ll find 74 Iowa vineyards listed here.
• Go ice fishing. Not only do you get to participate in the great cycle of life by being in nature and catching your own food, but you get to snuggle.
• If you want to set a mood, use soy-based candles or dimmable LEDs. Or embrace total conservation and shut the lights off.
• Find gifts at local shops that specialize in unique items or are designed to last. Do not use wrapping paper.
• Buy Fair Trade coffee, put it in your thermos and go for a walk, ending up at a local park. You can show how well you think ahead by bringing a blanket to wrap around the both of you.
• Die your reusable cotton bags red with beet coloring. You can make designs on it in traditional batik style with soy wax drippings.
• Support handmade items in a virtual setting. Etsy is a great place to explore.
• Feed your wonder. Over a homemade tomato and spinach pizza, plan a day trip with your sweetie and learn about the treasures your community holds.

As for me, I am planning on taking time this weekend to find multiple artists who sing ‘My Funny Valentine.’ Etta James does a rockin’ version.

– Jean Danielson is director of operations for Indigo Dawn. She likes making lists.