The exterior staircase is installed, leading to the second floor residential space.

We’ve come a long way since our groundbreaking ceremony back in 2009. From a run-down, vacant grocery store, we are now excited to say the project completion is near, with over 80% of the building renovations done!

Once it is complete, the Green & Main mixed-use building will house a women’s wellness center on the main floor, classrooms and meeting rooms on the lower floor, and an upper floor rental apartment will respond to housing needs in Sherman Hill’s high-density urban neighborhood.

Here are some quick summaries of the building’s completion status.

Exterior Update

• The building enclosure is in the final phase of post construction touch-ups and we’re fine-tuning the details, paying special attention to revealing the original brick and properly sealing the building.
• The newly completed dual-window solutions are a combination of the original historic window fully restored and new energy efficient windows.
• An operating wheelchair lift, a breezeway canopy and a carport are all completed

Conservation Methodologies in Operation

• Nearing completion of our storm water management systems
• Custom gutters direct water flow to the natural prairie bio swell. This is a stylish and beautiful solution that is also functional.
• A solar array is in the installation process. Once installed the solar array is projected to supplement 25% of the building’s energy needs while regulating temperatures both in and on the building.

Interior Update

The building interior has gone through a complete transformation. Before the second phase of the project it was only a structure with its bones of masonry, concrete and reclaimed wood framing, suggesting its potential future use. Today…

• Wallboard (a mix of locally manufactured Rewall and regional drywall) was applied over the walls. This took place after the installation of electrical wiring, plumbing, insulation, and heating and cooling systems.
• We are currently installing light fixtures and completing the painting and finishes.
• Custom woodwork is almost finished, and the cabinets, sinks, countertops and appliances are being installed
• We’ve restored and finished the hardwood flooring, and real staircases are in place instead of ladders.
• The doors have been installed throughout the building and we are getting prepared wall treatments, which includes several walls where we feature creative ways to re-purpose salvaged lath that is original to the building.

All of these interior and exterior components are in the final stages, receiving the finishing touches, and the details that will bring them all to life and make them functional.

Through it all I’ve witnessed the power of tenacity and commitment in developing a space that marries historical preservation, sustainable design and community connection. For 10 years we’ve dealt with countless challenges in our journey to complete the Green & Main Pilot Project and to realize our vision. The team kept moving forward with resolve and creativity and now we can see our project evolve into its final phase. All that’s left are some of the subtle finishes, yet these are some of the most meaningful components, things that make it even more powerful as a space.

See the photos below to witness some of the transformations.

This historical building at 19th and Center in Sherman Hills sat abandoned for many years. The Green & Main Pilot Project work begins.

Work begins on the expansion the back of the building.

The solid maple flooring is a combination of the building’s original flooring and salvaged wood from the gym floor in a Cambria, Iowa school that was being torn down. See full article.

The work begins to clean and integrate the original and salvaged maple flooring.

Our new maple flooring! Sanded and ready for staining and sealing.

Solid maple wood flooring is finished and stained, revealing the beauty of the woodgrain.

Salvaged lath from the original building is repurposed to create beautiful and interesting walls and ceiling.

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.
 

Chaden Halfhill and Cosette Boone at the Green & Main sustainable construction site where they are creating the future facility space for Healing Passages Birth & Wellness Center.

“Can you see doing it without him?”

This is what Ying, my CPA, asked me from across her desk one day a few years back. Instantly, my gut responded.

“No”, I said, after a summer of looking for new birth center sites, with no luck.

“Then that’s your answer,” she replied.

I gazed over at Chaden and took a deep breath. It was the moment I knew I had to see this through with my husband. His building development, which was to house our new birth center at the corner of 800 19th Street, known to us as Green & Main, had run into major funding issues, temporarily halting further construction on the project.

It was the summer of 2012.

The funny thing about destiny, as I’ve come to learn, is that the timetable in one’s head is not usually correct.

There is a universal timetable that exists — beyond one’s control I believe — that encompasses a larger knowing that we cannot yet see or understand.

It is much like BIRTH.

Despite the elaborate birth plans we make, our journeys are unique and not revealed to us until we are living the moment. This is the surrender that we talk about with our clients as they approach their births. “You’ve got to let it go. You are not in control,” we tell them. Funny how I don’t usually listen to my own advice.

I’ll let you in on a little history of my husband and I.

Thirteen years ago, we came together in a marriage defined by LOVE & PURPOSE. We identified with marriage as a “celebration of human destiny”. Taken from Weddings From the Heart, by Daphne Kingma, our ceremony acknowledged that our…

“Union will have as one of its major commitments the willingness of the partners to search for, discover, and support one another as they step into the presence of what is theirs, truly, to do in this life. Couples who are drawn to this ceremony have a sense of destiny, indeed of urgency, about discovering who they are and what, in some ultimate sense, their lives are about.”

We were challenged to ask ourselves not only what we desire to receive from our union in support of our own destinies, but also to discover what it is the two of us, “in the particular and unique configuration of our marriage”, have been brought together to accomplish.

I believe it was that defining moment in my CPA’s office that I figured this one out.

So here we are, with our community surrounding us

…four years later, 2016, looking up at the corner of 800 19th Street and seeing it come together, closer than we have ever been to finishing, yet still faced with challenges, just as many developments and growing businesses encounter.

We are in what feels like TRANSITION of labor.

For those of you who have given birth, you know this moment well…

Transition is the point of no return when we are faced with all our fears, completely vulnerable, our souls splayed open to the universe, tears falling down our flushed cheeks, we fall to the floor and beg for relief, our minds cannot possibly grasp how to go forward, yet we know we cannot go back.

This is the moment as a midwife where I fall in love with the woman before me, over and over again, as I look into her eyes, knowing she is about to realize her true power.

Only this labor is not just me birthing our child, it is Chaden and I birthing a greater vision for humanity:

He to restore our relationship with our dwellings and the ecology in which they exist. She to empower women through a paradigm of care that HEALS while restoring to humanity, a safer, more sustainable birth practice. Both holding a burning, urgent, desire to push for change for the health of our planet and our future generations.

Hmmm, and you thought this article was just going to be about the new facility.

Healing Passages Birth & Wellness Center will soon be located in the amazing sustainable building at 800 19th Street. There has been a whole lot of love and vision going into this birth center…

and we are eager to bring the community up to speed surrounding the design and purpose of the space as the project comes together day by day. Slated to open mid-summer, I will be posting weekly updates and photos of the space along with event dates being planned around the new Center’s grand opening.

We have so many mamas desiring birth center birth and anticipating the move this summer. I can only hope this blog will generate inspiration, excitement, hope and greater connection within our Willowsong community.

Let me begin with the very intentional tile layout of the Center’s front entrance

Many of you will recognize theHeart from our website’s main navigation. This was purposeful, and came together on a busy day when my husband, the developer of the site, called and said, ‘We need a word to go into the tile layout for the front entrance of your building and we need it today!’ Our team went into brainstorming mode with our architect Teddy (Teodora Shtinareva) from Silent Rivers Design+Build. Through the synergistic flow of ideas, much like that of a willow branch that bends and sways in the wind, we landed with theHeart.

“So why? What does it mean?”

Here is my reply:

~theHeart you ask, not understanding the front entrance, or why it even matters. Imagine as one walks through the front door ~ there is a moment of pause, perhaps a smile as the words are taken in and the reflection becomes apparent. One can imagine the artisan painstakingly placing the tiles by hand so that all who enter may be transformed. It is a moment in the exploration of the space, the space through which many will pass to heal, to learn, to grow, to connect. You see, beautiful creations come from the soul. theHeart is the “driver for the soul, which means if your heart isn’t in it, it’s going to be lackluster and flat”. theHeart is the energy that is created as great people with great intentions come together. Fear and anger and negativity close down theHeart. We learn to trust and love and believe from theHeart space. We at Willowsong are led to this work by our hearts. It is our soul’s purpose, which means we cannot run from it. It lifts us up and breaks us down and brings us to our knees on a daily basis.

Journey with us…allowing your heart to open to what is possible; for this is where all healing begins.

We would not be where we are today without you, the women and families we serve. You are theHeart of our vision at Healing Passages and the core of our team’s work at Willowsong. “But it’s not easy!” you say. “No, it’s not. Name one thing worth achieving that is easy”. To push beyond the grain, you have to trust from theHeart, as you are going places few have the courage to enter. But this is how we change the world ~ have an impact ~ leave our mark.

And it all comes ~ from theHeart.

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.

Chaden Halfhill on the first floor during construction.

On Site in December

Frost has settled into the soil at the Green & Main pilot project and layered clothing has become the norm on site. Cold weather slows everything when it arrives, even our perceptions of time. Transitioning from fall, our project processes shift and schedules expand as the conventions of construction industry adjust to the freezing temperatures that turn work trucks into rolling coolers.

The impact is seen in so many ways: battery operated tools are removed daily, liquids no longer remain in vehicles over night and time is regularly allocated to warm up engines and scrape windows. Little can be taken for granted. The brunt of winter is felt from head to toe when the winds blow from the northwest, and the subtle influence of sunshine, wind breaks and overnight lows are reflected in ever-changing schedules and routines, especially for those projects or tasks that remain on the exterior of the building. At least measurable snow has been minimal thus far, allowing us ample access to staging areas, which has proved helpful.

I-Jobs sign that shows that program's contribution to our project.

Grant Completion and Year End Wrap-Up

The inevitable approach of the calendar’s fiscal end and year-end business planning creates another transition that limits production as administrative attention is directed towards financial matters. This annual responsibility was more intense this year due to the push to complete the landscape, allowing Indigo Dawn to complete major work on grant-supported tasks.

Paired with this completion of tasks, compliance and reporting requirements stretched staff to compile and aggregate data that highlights our applied best practices, educational efforts and communications, as well as financial budgeting and allocation of funds. Our compliance and communication team fulfilled all these obligations and provided data to initiatives and agencies that promote water conservation and stewardship. The benefit of all this hard work will be evident in the spring, as the native plants return from their dormancy and sprouts pepper the amended soils with aspiration.

Sustainable SITES landscaping initiative, the first in Iowa.

As internal efforts at Indigo Dawn focused on closing out grant responsibilities for site development, attention on site was narrowed in order to wrap up the exterior enclosure for the addition. We worked to protect the building from winter weather and prepare staff to switch focus, redirecting the scope from exterior work and stormwater management practices to heightened attention on energy efficiency efforts. In particular, interior efforts will focus on the installation of the utility systems and integrating myriad details that support the insulation’s installation and building’s wall assemblies.

Construction and Masonry

Aside from finalizing the building enclosure, the general contractor, Silent Rivers, also assisted with the city’s replacement of the 19^th Street sewer, which had collapsed and was discovered by the team in early spring when Pary Plumbing Corporation attempted to connect a new sewer drain from the city sewer to the building. The building was without sewer service for nearly nine months and everyone associated with this project shared an eagerness to tie back into the municipal system, providing drainage capacity within the building for all tradesmen working on its restoration.

Masonry work on the addition.

Within the plastic and scaffolding enclosures that have encapsulated the addition’s sheer walls for the past 4 weeks, masons from Atlas Masonry quietly installed the exterior 6” veneer cladding that protects the 2” Dow extruded polystyrene insulation that wraps the addition.

What appears to be a simple masonry cladding system has many critical details that support the long-term performance of the addition.  Masonry is a reservoir cladding, and as a result, precautions are taken to ensure moisture behind and within the block or behind the veneer is properly managed through the use of flashing and wick ropes. These practices and their proper application allow moisture to exit the wall assembly, protecting the interior structure.

Because protecting against bulk water intrusion is first priority for any wall system, much attention has been paid to details throughout the addition, setting tone for the various strategies to insulate and manage moisture within the existing building’s retrofit. From protecting the foundation from ground water to managing water intrusion during summer rains, there have been so many decisions that have required thoughtful consideration and a vast amount of discussion to reach each solution.

A rendering of the completed building, facing north.

With the masonry walls recently completed, final installation of siding on the western face of the addition has begun. Starting from the insulation plane, we have applied several layers to the wall systems, starting with the water barrier membrane and integrating flashing details for the first group of Pella triple pane windows scheduled. Three quarter inch treated battens have been attached on top of the membrane, preparing the wall for a rain screen made of James Hardie cement lap siding, thus providing an effective drainage plane for the wall system. Two scuppers will be installed through this wall in order to shed water from the lower roof. Resolution of these understated water conduits will allow for the completion of the upcoming roof by Academy Roofing and provide weather security for the new addition, in the event we get a deep snow.

Fortunately, this week’s forecast remains 1 inch or less.

–Chaden Halfhill is an entrepreneur and visionary of the Green & Main Initiative.

The Park Service oversees three overlapping areas: Technical Preservation Services, Cultural Resources and National Park Service.

The Technical Preservation Services (TPS)

…develops historic preservation policy and guidance on preserving and rehabilitating historic buildings, administers the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program for rehabilitating historic buildings and sets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

TPS Publications

TPS prints both free publications and publications for purchase; it also co-publishes materials with other agencies, foundations and associations.

The following is a list, along with links, to some of TPS’s free publications.

WINDOWS

• Planning Approaches to Windows Preservation
• Exterior Storm Windows: Casement Design Wooden Storm Stash
• Replacement Wooden Frames and Sash: Protecting Woodwork Against Decay
• Interior Metal Storm Windows
• Interior Storm Windows: Magnetic Seal
• Maintenance and Repair of Historic Aluminum Windows
• Repairing Steel Casement Windows

HISTORIC GLASS

• Repair and Reproduction of Prismatic Glass Transoms
• Repair and Rehabilitation of Historic Sidewalk Vault Lights

HISTORIC PRESERVATION TAX INCENTIVES

• Historic Preservation Tax Incentives
• Introduction to Federal Tax Credits for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings – Barns
• Introduction to Federal Tax Credits for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings – Rowhouses
• Introduction to Federal Tax Credits for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings – Main Street Commercial Buildings
• Introduction to Federal Tax Credits for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings – Wood Frame Houses

MASONRY

• Water Soak Cleaning of Limestone
• Non-destructive Evaluation Techniques for Masonry Construction
• Stabilization and Repair of Historic Terra Cotta Cornice

METALS

• Restoring Metal Roof Cornices
• Conserving Outdoor Bronze Sculpture
• In-Kind Replacement of Historic Stamped Metal Exterior Siding
• Repair and Reproduction of Metal Canopies and Marquees with Glass Pendants

–Jean Danielson is director of operations for Indigo Dawn.

Extensive Collaboration

The installation of the H2OG, one of the 7 stormwater management practices.

During October, focus intensified on the completion of seven stormwater management practices that are incorporated within the project’s site plan and ecological restoration strategies. Deadlines and the onset of seasonal changes intensified the pace of our efforts significantly. Fortunately, daily temperatures hovered above average and very few work days were interrupted by rain.

Collaboration, along with bright blue skies, was in abundance. The tradesmen skillfully orchestrated their varied and intertwined tasks, culminating in a buildup of native plantings and graded soils that reinforced the beauty and meaning contained within Green & Main.

Native plant groundcover placed on site.

Site Transformation

If one stands on a pile of salvaged wood that is staged on 19^th Street Place, the undeveloped dirt road bordering the west edge of the property, and surveys the site, transformation is evident. From this vantage, the whole site unifies; the natural landscaping frames the project’s architectural evolution, highlighting its history while celebrating its renewal within this historic neighborhood.

The stormwater management methods we’ve installed connect the building with the site, bridging this localized urban context to the larger Des Moines community, and then on to join nationwide water conservation efforts.

Landscaping on the south and west of the property.

Blending so many practices in such a small area (less than one acre) is a unique achievement. The stormwater management systems that we carefully planned and integrated include the vegetative roof, rain water collection, soil quality restoration, bio-swale, bio-retention through site grading, native landscaping and a pervious paver system.

The overarching goal of the design and engineering of all the practices was to demonstrate effectively the fluid connection between building science and urban landscaping. We wanted to show the varied choices building and home owners have in managing the movement and absorption of stormwater on a smaller plot of land.

Starting from the northeast side of the property, the path of rainwater may be followed visually as it connects the property’s higher elevations to the rain garden at the southwest base of the site, where it will be absorbed or discharged downstream into the city of Des Moines’ right-of-way.

Sedum installed on the vegetative roof.

The path of the water’s movement maps out different lessons for visitors to experience. For example, rainfall may begin its movement from the vegetated sedum roof on both the main building and the addition. From there, it moves into the guttering system that supports the solar array and on to the salvaged brick gabion baskets. Here, it continues through the richly amended bio-swale and down to the rain garden filled with native plants where it pools and infiltrates. The rainwater from the permeable parking lot also gathers here, along with overflow from the rain harvesting system that is visible at the rear of the paver lot.

Many Trades Involved

What remains perhaps less obvious behind this view is the combined effort of so many tradesmen weaving together material, talent and time. We believe the passion for their craft and their dedication to the stewardship of this project is profound, and the matured presence of the landscape will inspire generations of people who visit to learn about conservation and sustainable building practices.

Newly added permeable paver parking lot.

Masons, cement finishers, carpenters, laborers, machine operators, excavators, landscapers, growers, roofers, pipe-fitters and electricians all worked together as we reclaimed this raw urban site peppered with sub-surface remnants of its historic past. From century-old foundation bricks to an array of early 20^th century glass bottles, we unearthed and removed truckloads of debris, reusing or recycling everything we could. Even four thousand pounds of cast iron boiler buried next to a brick kiln was hoisted from ten feet below grade.

Glass bottles unearthed while working with the geothermal system.

Much like establishing a solid foundation before working on a building, the restoration of this site required significant structural changes to not only comply with zoning requirements but to help remove years of impact. Many disciplines were layered together in order to generate our results. For example, the geo-thermal well field is connected below the permeable parking area and required attentive installation and metering, as measuring its performance outcomes in the future are integral to two research projects.

On the southern perimeter of the property, a team of bridge-builders, led by an eighty-year-old foreman, built the concrete retaining wall that borders the sidewalk. This construction inaugurated the site reclamation process while also providing the opportunity to bring in utility services below grade and to integrate the perimeter drain for the building into the site design.

The construction of the southwest retaining wall by Jensen Construction.

High Levels of Commitment

Completing so many layers, sometimes simultaneously, on time to meet our autumn deadlines required a personal commitment by many people to work together on a single dedicated vision – sharing a professional collaboration worth recognizing. I am honored!

With the weather now turned, and temperatures dipping below freezing, we are stretching both funds and time to enclose the building envelope and draw our attention inward for the winter. Inside the building, we will begin to install the engineered systems that support the building and its habitation in our complex northern climate zone. We now turn our focus to weatherizing the building to prepare for further work: optimizing the efficiency and performance of the building itself and scaling the developmental terrain of the Green & Main Pilot Project.

–Chaden Halfhill is an entrepreneur and visionary of the Green & Main Initiative.

Soil staging on site.

When embarking on any building or renovation project, managing soils and the handling of erosion control may be one of the first thoughts to occur. This consideration is crucial, really, to the healthy development of sustainable neighborhoods and to the networks of interconnected systems. Throughout much of the early 1900’s, farming practices sometimes did not think to address erosion specifically and consequentially farmlands lost half an inch per decade of topsoil each year. Not only is this loss of topsoil detrimental to the productivity of our farmlands but the material that runs off the land clogs waterways and disrupts aquatic life.

The LEED and Sustainable SITES programs provide extra focus on erosion control and other soil management methods. This focus makes soil conservation one of the first points of concern, so that when any ground vegetation is disturbed, appropriate restoration methods are designed and implemented as part of the original planning.

At Green & Main, we would like to preserve the ground cover to prevent the exposure of new soil as much as possible, as relevant plant life is the best erosion and stormwater control method. Typically, when a construction project is underway, silt fencing and cloth/straw socks are used to prevent water from carrying away soils. On site, we also focus on vehicle entry ways, using gravel and similar materials to prevent soils from being carried into the streets by vehicle tires.

Bio-retention grading and bio-swale.

When planning for superior erosion control, it is important to look beyond initial construction. Natural barriers such as swales and rain gardens help inhibit erosion and promote deep groundwater infiltration. Careful selection of plants also helps hold soils and slow the movement of water through the site. The soil composition itself can assist with water retention and water control. In fact, adding compost to the soil helps absorb the water and an addition of two inches of compost can hold up to five inches of water.

Taking the lead, Green & Main has incorporated many methods of soil and water management to contain water onsite, particularly by means of creative water pathways, bio-swales and rain gardens. This project has rebuilt and revitalized the original soil and transformed a typical urban grass yard that has seen much change through the years into a native plant habitat. Going well beyond the standard measures of erosion and water control, Green & Main has rebuilt a local soil ecosystem using this organic approach to green building and soil management.

– James McCain is a renewable energy expert and a future organic farmer. He played a recent role in the establishment of the Tallgrass Grocery Co-Op in West Des Moines.